Oral health status and dental treatment needs of 5-12-year-old children with disabilities attending special schools in Western Maharashtra, India

Introduction: The individuals suffering from various disabilities form a considerable proportion of the community. The psychological reactions associated with a deformity can be devastating to the disabled, parents, caregivers, and family which often lead to attitudes of hopelessness in the lives of these disabled individuals. Objectives: To assess the oral health status and treatment needs among 5-12-year-old children attending special school in Western Maharashtra, India. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 5-12-year-old children attending specials school in Western Maharashtra, India. The study group consisted of 100 children (62 males and 38 females). The oral health status was assessed by using decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index, Community Periodontal Index, Dentition status and treatment needs. Information on disability status, intelligent quotient, and systemic diseases were recorded. Results: The mean age of the study population was 9.35 ± 2.92 years. There were 62 (62%) males and 38 (38%) females in the study population. Among the total children examined, 50% of the children were suffering from mental retardation (MR), followed by MR with cerebral palsy (20%). The overall mean decayed and filled teeth and DMFT scores were 3.53 ± 1.02 and 3.89 ± 1.30, respectively, and decayed component had the highest score in both the groups. A statistically significant difference has been observed among the gender (P < 0.001). Conclusion: There is a high proportion of dental treatment needs required for these children which reflect the barriers to access and utilize oral health care among these children. As dentist, we should emphasize on health education, periodic recall, and monitoring among these individuals.