Effects of oral health risk assessment tools on oral health of children with mental developmental disabilities

Objective To evaluate the oral health risk of children with intellectual development disorder based on the oral health risk assessment tool and to explore the effect of oral care intervention. Methods A total of 316 children aged 6 to 10 years old with mental disabilities in 6 deaf schools in the city were randomly selected for a questionnaire survey based on oral health risk assessment tools. Children with oral health risks were divided into control group (126 cases) and intervention group (125 cases). Without nursing interventions, the intervention group used comprehensive nursing interventions to conduct a 1-year follow-up survey to assess the risk of dental caries and dental restorative needs, and to record the number of dental caries and periodontal conditions. Results Of 316 cases, 198 were in urban area and 118 in suburban area. There were 153 cases (77.3%) of children with dental caries in urban areas and 98 cases (83.1%) in suburban areas. Among 198 urban children, 168 (84.8%) required oral care, and 108 children (91.5%) were children in suburban areas. After one year of intervention and tracking, there was a statistically significant difference in the risk of tooth decay and restorative demand after intervention in both groups (P<0.01). The control group had 65 cases of dental caries, and the average number of caries was 2.1±0.5. There were 20 cases of dental caries in the intervention group and the average number of caries was 1.2±0.2. There was a significant difference in caries between the two groups (P<0.01). In addition, the control group had 55 cases of gingival bleeding, 74 cases of calculus, 21 cases of gingival bleeding in the intervention group, and 25 cases of dental calculus. Compared with the control group, and the periodontal status of the intervention group was significantly improved (P<0.01). Conclusion Oral health problems are common among children with mental retardation. Suburban counties are more severe than urban areas. Oral care interventions can effectively improve oral health problems.