COMPARISON OF ORAL HEALTH BETWEEN CHILDREN AGED 11-13 YEARS IN NEPAL WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES

Abstract

Children with disabilities may be more likely to experience oral health problems than children without disabilities but the prevalence of these oral health problems among school age children in Nepal with disabilities is unclear. In this study, we aimed to compare oral health between children in Nepal with and without disabilities in order to determine if there is a disparity between the two groups and to what extent in order to develop oral health promotion programs for this study population. Study subjects were randomly selected from children aged 11-13 years attending 4 public schools, 3 schools for students with disabilities and 1 school for students without disabilities in Province 3, Nepal. Demographic and health data were obtained from each child and a dental examination was conducted using a mouth mirror and probe following World Health Organization methods. A total of 158 children were included in the exam: 79 with and 79 without disabilities. The mean (±standard deviation (SD)) ages of subjects with and without a disability were 12 (±1) and 12 (±1) years (p = 0.847); 47% and 54% (p = 0.426) male, respectively. The percentages of study subjects with and without a disability who had dental caries experience were 76% and 66%, respectively (p = 0.220). The percentages of subjects with and without a disability who had teeth with untreated dental decay were 62% and 54%, respectively (p = 0.420). The percentages of subjects with and without a disability who had missing teeth were 22% and 10%, respectively (p = 0.080). The percentages of subjects with and without a disability who had filled teeth were 24% and 27%, respectively (p = 0.855). The mean (±SD) decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) scores among study subjects with and without a disability were: 3.1 (±2.5) and 2.6 (±2.6), respectively (p = 0.237). The percentages of subjects with and without a disability who had good oral hygiene were 9% and 33%, respectively (p <0.001). The percentages of subjects with and without a disability who had not visited a dentist in the previous 12 months were 75% and 58%, respectively (p = 0.043). In summary, study subjects with a disability had significantly more dental problems and of greater severity than those without a disability. We conclude in our study population, there is a need for a program to promote dental health among children with a disability. Further studies are needed to determine which methods are effective to include in this dental health promotion program.