Evaluation of DMFT, OHI-S Status and Occlusion in 10-12 Years Old Handicapped Children Studying at Special Schools of Shiraz (2000)

This study was carried out to estimate the DMFT and OHI-S indices and to define the occlusion type in handicapped children and the effects of the type of handicapping, sexuality, parents educationand the brushing habit on the above mentioned indices in 302 children aged 10-12 years. 70.6% of children were mentally retarded, 23.5% of them were deaf, 3.6% blind and 2.3 handicapped ones. 40.1% of our subjects were female and 59.9% were male. The mean DMFT obtained in this study, was 5.04 ± 1.96, the mean number of decayed teeth was 4.8 ± 2.38, the mean number of filled teeth, was 0.19 ± 0.06 and the mean number of missing teeth was 0.06 ± 0.22. The mean OHI-S was found to be 3.64 ± 1.54, D-index to be 3.22 ± 1.51, C-index to be 0.4 ± 0.79. 83.8% of the children under study, were classified as normal class I occlusion and the remaining 16.2% consisted of various malocclusions. As regards to brushing habit, it was found that 68.2% of the children studied brushed their teeth regularly, and 31.8% failed to do it. The multiple handicapped children had the maximum level of DMFT (DMFT=8.08). As regards OHI-S and its components, the blind group had the highest level (OHI-S=5.5). The DMFT and OHI-S (and their components) levels are higher in families with five or more members (5.11 and 4.82 respectively) in comparison with those with less than five members (3.17 and 2.83 respectively). There was a siginificant relationship between the DMFT and OHI-S indices with the type of disability in children examined in this research.