title: Oral health status of children with disability living in Albania.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was carried out at nine (9) special schools for disabled children in Albania. The aim of the study is to determine the caries prevalence and oral hygiene status of children with different disabilities attending different schools for disabled at Albania.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants are grouped according disability Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retarded, Blind, Deaf-Mute and age group (0-5, 6-10, 11-14, 15-18 years old children). Caries and oral health status were examined and assessed according WHO 1997 criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall caries prevalence at permanent dentition for all groups is 85.3% and for primary dentition 72%. The mean deft index is 3.4 ± 3.5(p≤0.029), mean DMFT= 4.9±4.6 (p≤0.001) with significance difference across type of disability (Kruskal-Wallis test) for both dentition. The mean OHI-S of total population is 1.91; there is significant difference across disability type (p≤0.001, Anova test) for OHI-S index. In total 43.2 % have good, 49.4% fair and 7.4% bad oral hygiene.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The subjects in this study had a high prevalence of dental caries, poor oral hygiene and need for restorative care.
authors: Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Albanian University, Albania.
authors: Eno
authors: E
authors: Gaçe
authors: Department of Therapy, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Medicine, Tirana, Albania.
authors: Manola
authors: M
authors: Kelmendi
authors: Dental Public Service, Technician -Economic High School, Tirana, Albania.
authors: Enika
authors: E
authors: Fusha
keywords: caries; disability; hygiene; oral health