Original Article
Year : 2017 | Volume : 1 | Issue : 1 | Page : 39 - 41
Oral Hygiene Status of Mentally Challenged Adolescents in Chennai: A Cross‐sectional Study
Shruthi Chandrasekaran, M Dhanraj
Departments of Prosthodontics, Saveetha Dental College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Address for correspondence:
Dr. Shruthi Chandrasekaran,
E‐mail: shruthicbds@gmail.com
Abstract
Background:
Oral health contributes significantly for the well‐being and systemic health of human beings. Lack of oral hygiene can lead to several ailments that can impair the quality of life. Oral hygiene maintenance can be severely challenged in children with mental disorders.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to assess the oral hygiene status of mentally challenged adolescents in Chennai.
Materials and Methods:
Four residential schools housing mentally challenged children were selected for the study, and fifty children were chosen randomly from each school. Informed consent was obtained from the school authorities, local authorities, and parents. The oral hygiene status was evaluated by estimating decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) index, and oral hygiene index (OHI)‐simplified.
Results:
The mean age of the children included in the study was 15.3 ± 2.7. Out of the 200 children, 128 were male and 72 were female. The mean DMFT for the males was 2.03 ± 0.45 and 1.96 ± 0.34 for females. The mean OHI value for males was 2.41 ± 1.2 and 2.22 ± 0.96 for females.
Conclusion:
The oral hygiene status is poor and inadequate among the mentally challenged adolescents, and hence, meticulous training and awareness programs need to be initiated to address this concern.
Keywords: Decayed missing filled teeth index, dental caries, mentally challenged adolescents, oral hygiene index
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
How to cite this article:
Chandrasekaran S, Dhanraj M. Oral hygiene status of mentally challenged adolescents in Chennai: A cross-sectional study. Int J Orofac Biol 2017;1:39-41.
