title: Children with special health care needs: exploring the relationships between patients' level of functioning, their oral health, and caregivers' oral health-related responses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purposes of this study were to increase dentists' understanding of how to best engage parents and their children with special health care needs (SHCN) in oral health promotion efforts and explore the relationships between these patients' level of functioning and oral health and their parents' comfort concerning oral health promotion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey data were collected from 154 caregivers of SHCN children. Children's oral health data were obtained from their clinical charts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients' level of functioning ranged from the lowest to the highest regarding their ability to listen/understand, talk, relate to others, care for themselves, play with others, and participate in physical activities. Children's gingival health was correlated with their ability to talk (r=-.12; P<.05). Their oral hygiene score correlated with their ability to talk (r=.18; P<.05) and their skills in social play interactions (r=.21; P<.05). The parents' comfort level concerning oral health promotion correlated positively with their child's level of functioning. Parents' interest in receiving oral health instruction correlated positively with their child's level of functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Understanding patient's level of functioning might predict the degree to which parents actually engage in oral health promotion efforts and are interested in oral health-related education.
authors: University of Minnesota, School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, Minn., USA.
authors: Elena G
authors: EG
authors: Petrova
authors: Master's Program for Biomedical Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, in Mich., USA.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Hyman
authors: University of Adelaide, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, Australia.
authors: Maria Regina Padilla
authors: MR
authors: Estrella
authors: Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, School of Dentistry, Department of Psychology, College of Literature, Science and Arts, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., USA. mri@umich.edu.
authors: Marita R
authors: MR
authors: Inglehart
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology; D019140:Dental Care for Children; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D003815:Dentists; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology; D014099:Toothbrushing; D055815:Young Adult