Abstract
Objective : To determine caries experience and number of teeth present in people using facilities for the intellectually disabled with and without a family dentist.
Materials and Methods : We performed dental checkups at three facilities for people with intellectual disabilities to assess the number of untreated cavities, treated teeth, and remaining teeth. In addition, we interviewed the staff to determine whether the facility users had a family dentist or not. The study sample comprised patients with intellectual or developmental disorders and Down’s syndrome.
Results : The mean number of untreated cavities in people using facilities for the intellectually disabled was less than that found by a national survey of dental diseases conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2016, except for those aged 50-54 and 60-64 years old. Similarly, individuals using facilities for the intellectually disabled had a lower mean number of treated teeth than the Japanese population, except for those aged 45-54 years. In people using facilities for the intellectually disabled who had a family dentist, the mean number of untreated cavities and treated teeth were 0.4±1.2 and 8.2±6.4, respectively；in contrast, among those without a family dentist, the numbers were 1.0±1.8 and 6.0±4.9, respectively. The mean number of remaining teeth was less than that of those aged 35-39 years or older in the national survey of dental diseases conducted by the Ministry of Health Labour and Welfare in 2016, which was also notably less than that for those older than 60 years old. The mean number of remaining teeth of people using facilities with a family dentist was 21.3±9.6, while the number for those using facilities without a family dentist was 27.5±3.2.
Discussion : The experience of caries in people in facilities for the intellectually disabled is comparable with typical people without intellectual disability. However, the number of teeth decreases in those aged>60 years old. Therefore, to prevent tooth loss, prolonged maintenance by a family dentist is required.
