Oral Health and Special Children Or Person with Intellectual Disability (PWID)

Everyone in this world has right to good health. All the people has right to get comprehensive, quality oral health care. The oral health of special children is always at risk because of poor communication and a general lack of understanding about their needs.

An individual with learning difficulties may not wholly understand  the importance of keeping a healthy mouth. barrier to accessing services for a range of vulnerable population groups, such as PWID (Gordon, Dionne, & Snyder, 1998).Therefore, it is essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of the oral health PWID, to inform the development of strategies and interventions to address the oral health issues in this population and thereby improve their quality of life and general health. Research has shown that poor oral health is one of the most common secondary conditions affecting people with ID (Traci, Seekins, Szalda-Petree, & Ravesloot, 2002). This population group has a higher prevalence and greater severity of periodontal diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis, compared to people without ID. Further, the levels of untreated dental decay are consistently higher in this population with several studies showing more missing and decayed teeth but less filled teeth in people with ID (Anders & Davis, 2010). Factors that contribute to poor oral hygiene among PWID include inadequate brushing technique and a lack of caregiver training.This can be difficult for parents or carers trying to get the individual to co-operate with a healthy day-to-day routine.

What carers can do

To address this, there are several things you could do.

You should ensure PWID have the opportunities to learn about their oral health and that information is provided in ways that take communication difficulties into account.

Picture-based books and videos are available which are targeted at PWID.

Those with severe learning and communication difficulties may also not be able to express discomfort or pain in usual ways. Parents and carers must be aware of this and sensitive to changes in behaviour or well-being that indicate pain, illness or unhappiness.

Some may prefer to be seen at certain times of the day depending on their needs. For instance, evening appointments may not be suitable for those that tire easily or may spend the day worrying. It is important to recognize that some people rely heavily on routine and may need regular appointments at the same time.

Those with learning difficulties tend to receive less oral health care than the general population. And just like all of those who do not see their dentist regularly, they may have oral care problems that can affect their general health and well-being.

It is important for parents and carers to learn about how to develop good oral health routines for those with learning disabilities so that poor oral health can be avoided