title: Levels of oral disease in a sample of children with disability; a study carried out prior to comprehensive dental treatment under general anaesthesia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To audit the levels of oral disease in those children whose disability required general anaesthesia for comprehensive dental treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  An audit was conducted of oral disease levels in a sample of 51 children attending for treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The proportion of untreated decayed teeth was 72%, previously extracted 25% and restored 3%. Very high levels of debris and gingival bleeding indices were found. There were very low proportions of previous restorations and past treatment had comprised mainly extractions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a low restorative care index in both the primary and permanent dentitions indicating that high needs continue to exist in terms of comprehensive dental care for these Irish children.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Orthodontics, Cardiff University, Wales.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: O'Leary
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kinirons
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hartnett
mesh_terms: D000766:Anesthesia, Dental / Q000379:methods; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D019230:Dental Audit; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D009065:Mouth Rehabilitation