2022 Volume 43 Issue 2 Pages 155-162
The purpose of this study was to analyze the percentage of guardians who were seeking consultation regarding tactile hyperesthesia development in their children with disabilities and applying these findings for hyperesthesia therapy.
In this study, which was supported by dental clinics and hospital dentistry departments, 62 individuals with children with disabilities suffering from tactile hyperesthesia were enrolled. The study-specific questionnaire was filled out anonymously. The study population was divided into four categories based on the evaluation of gross movement and communication ability in their children : mild disability (n = 9), physical disability (n = 10), intellectual disability (n = 2), and multiple disabilities (n = 41). Overall, the results showed that 42/62 guardians (67.7%) would seek consultation regarding this problem, with 50.0% (4/8) with mild disability, 62.5% (5/8) with physical disability, 50.0% (1/2) with intellectual disability, and 58.3% (14/24) with multiple disabilities being the responders in the different categories.
The results indicated that psychological dislike should also be included as an option in this questionnaire as the survey was based on the guardians’ assessment. Furthermore, it was found that guardians perceived the terms “desensitization” and “tactile hyperesthesia” in different ways. The main reason behind this could be the lack of awareness regarding consultation. Therefore, based on these findings, it is concluded that easy access to information on topics such as “desensitization” and “tactile hyperesthesia” is needed in order to introduce medical institutions with which we could consult.
