2021 Volume 42 Issue 3 Pages 250-257
It is hard for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) to develop the lifestyle habit of brushing their teeth on a daily basis. We examined the changes in “voluntary participation behavior” and “cooperation with dental hygienists for finishing polishing” in the brushing group activity. Three hundred and two people with ID were divided into three groups, mild (Category 1 and 2), moderate (Category 3 and 4) and severe (Category 5 and 6), according to their disability support category. The voluntary participation behavior in brushing activities was evaluated on a 10-point scale, and the degree of cooperation among dental hygienists for finishing polishing was evaluated on a 5-point scale, and changes over time over 7 years were analyzed.
The level of voluntary participation in brushing activities differed and changed among the three groups according to severity, but none of them showed a significant improvement during the 7 years. On the other hand, the degree of cooperation by dental hygienists for finish polishing was different among the three groups from the beginning, but there was a clear tendency for improvement in all groups, and it improved significantly three years after the start of tooth-brushing support and management activities.
This findings show that, for a long period of time, dental hygienists’ tooth-brushing support and management activities have not changed the voluntary participation behavior of people with intellectual disabilities in oral hygiene activities, but it has become accepted that dental hygienists brush their teeth.
