Evaluation of oral and dental health parameters in children with special care needs

Objective: The purpose of the thesis study is to conduct a study to determine the oral health status of children with special care needs, aged 6-16, who attend private education institutions in the central districts of Diyarbakır province. The study aims to examine their decay status,plaque presence, malocclusions, and molar-incisor hypomineralization condition, in order to assess their oral health and raise awareness. Materials and Method: The study was conducted in 10 randomly selected special education institutions located in the central districts. A total of 368 children participated, with ages ranging from 6 to 16 and a mean age of 9.61. Of the participants, 196 had mental retardation, 51 had Down syndrome, and 121 had autism spectrum disorder. Our research utilized an examination form covering intraoral findings. In the clinical examination section of our study, findings included DMFT/dmft, plaque index, occlusal relationships, and presence of molar-incisor hypomineralization. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS v21 statistical software package. Results: According to the results of our research, the average DMFT/dmft value is 5.64, and the mean plaque index value is 1.37. Of the participants, 78.26% have class I occlusion, 11.14% have class II occlusion, and 10.6% have class III occlusion. 98.64% of the participants do not have molar-incisor hypomineralization (MIH), while 1.36% have MIH. The DMFT value of those with autism and mental retardation is significantly lower compared to those with Down syndrome. The plaque index of those with autism and mental retardation is significantly lower compared to those with Down syndrome. 56.86% of individuals with Down syndrome, 80.61% of individuals with mental retardation, and 83.47% of individuals with autism have class I occlusion, while 33.33% of individuals with Down syndrome, 7.14% of individuals with mental retardation, and 6.61% of individuals with autism have class III occlusion.Keywords: Decay, DMFT, Plaque İndex, Malocclusion, MIH, Mental Retardation, Down Syndrome, Autism