Abstract
The purpose of this study was to clarigy the standard of regular dental management for the handicapped children. The subjects were 73 handicapped children (55 boys and 18 girls) who had received periodical check-ups after completion of dental treatment, and were classified into three types depending on the degree of adaptation to dental procedures.
Type 1: Handicapped children who had been managed as normal children because of favorable adaptation to ordinary dental treatment.
Type II: Handicapped children who had been managed in the handicapped children group because of maladaptation to ordinary treatment.
Type III: Handicapped children who had been managed in the handicapped children group treated under general anesthesia.
The effect of behavior training, adaptation to dental procedures and various 208caries indexes were evaluated on the three groups.
The results were as follows:
1) Among a total of 73 handicapped children,12 children were classified as TypeI,24 children as TypeII, and 37 children as TypeIII. The average age of TypeI was 8 years 7 months, that of Type II was 7 years 1 month, anf that of Type III was 7 years.
2) Behavior training in the clinid was performed before initiation of ordinary dental treatment or general anesthesia. On the average the children visited the clinic 1.4 times in Type I,1.8 times in TypeII, and 3.6 times in Type III.
3) As for the various handicaps,33 children (45.6%) were diagnosed as having autism, and 19 children (26.0%) were mentally retarded. In Type III, there were more autistic children (57.8%) than children suffering from other diseases.
4) The ability of language communication with their mother and a dentist, and the ability of adaptation to simple dental procedures (e. g. gargling) at the first visit was poorest in Type III. In particular verbal communication of vhildren Type III was significantly different from those of Type I and TypeII.
5) The d-f index in the primary dentition examined at the first visit eas 72.2 in Type III, was 56.6 in Type I, and 46.5 in Type II. The D-F index in the permanent dentition in Type I was 34.7 which was found to be the highest value among the three Type. On the other hand the F index in Type I was 0.1-4.3, nad that in Type I was 2.8-3.5, which were found to be the lowest scores among the three Types. CSI (caries sensivity index) in Type III was 43.2, which was the highest among the three Types.
6)“F”-rate in each child in Type III was 11.9, in Type II was 8.0, and Type I was 7.8
7) Regarding difference of dental procedures in each of three Types, extraction of the primary teeth and prophylactic sealing on the permanent teeth were performed more frequently in Type I tha in the other Types. Diammine silver fluoride solution was allpied frequently in Type II, and tooth restoration was done frequently in Type III.
