EVALUATION OF ORAL AND DENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental caries, dmf-t and dmf-t indexes and oral hygiene status of 170 handicapped children living in samsun city center, attending a special school for handicapped children to provide education and treatment. the examination was carried out by using a mouth mirror and a probe in daylight. oral cleanliness was assessed by visually evaluating the presence of plaque on teeth. the caries status was recorded using dmf-t and dmf-t indices. the type of handicapping condition had a significant effect on oral cleanliness levels. those children with hearing impaired having the best levels, whereas the children with orthopedic disabilities having the poorest levels of oral hygiene. children divided into two groups as, 7-11 and 12+ ages for caries examination.the mean dmf-t and dmf-t score was 3.02 for 7-11 ages and 1.69 for 12+ ages. no significant differences were found among the groups of handicapped children in their dmf-t and dmf-t levels. in this epidemiological study, the prevalence of oral and dental health of children with physical disabilities was evaluated and a relationship was determined between caries prevalence and the type of physical disability.