title: The oral health of children with Down syndrome in Ireland.
abstract: The authors investigated the oral health of a convenience sample of 71 children with Down syndrome. The study group had a lower caries prevalence but similar levels of unmet treatment needs as children at special and mainstream schools. Treatment experience varied with age: 5-year-olds had more extractions and fewer restorations, and 15-year olds had fewer extractions and more restorations. The number of teeth with fissure sealants was comparable to that of other children in Special Needs Schools. Although the study group had poor oral hygiene, a need for advanced periodontal treatment was not evident. Few had evidence of dental trauma. Malocclusion was prevalent. Through a government-funded program, most of the sample had seen a dentist within the previous year, and few parents reported problems accessing dental care. This study suggests that services targeted toward groups with special needs could generate outcomes comparable to those seen in other service users. A finding that also may hold true for other underserved populations.
authors.affiliation: East Coast Area Health Board, Department of Public and Child Dental Health, Dublin Dental School and Hopsital, Dublin, Ireland. conac.bradley@dental.tcd.ie
authors.forename: Conac
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bradley
authors.forename: Triona
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: McAlister
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000145:classification; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000145:classification; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000145:classification*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000145:classification*; D014081:Tooth Extraction; D018677:Tooth Injuries / Q000145:classification
chemical_list: D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants