A Fundamental Study of Restoration of Masticatory Function and Prevention of Dental Diseases and Their Recurrence Part 2: Clinical appearance of the Mouth of Children Studied and Interviews with Their Mothers

Abstract

As a resolt of a commission by the Tokyo municipal Goverment, dental examinations of mentally and physically retarded children at home and interviews with their mothers were made to investigate the relationship between dental diseases and the severity of the disturbed oral function in the hope of establishing methods for restoration of the disturbed masticatory function and prevention of dental diseases in such children. A total of 48 children with the average age of 3 years and 8 months were studied, as with Part 1, and those included 30 who went to a branch of the Tokyo Mqnicipal Kita-Ryoikuen at Johoku and 18 who consqlted the outpatient clinic.
(1) Child patients showed a state of caries similar to that of normal children, sqggesting a smoller relationship between the severity of the disturbed oral function and the occurrence of caries.
(2) The severity of the disturbed oral function is generally considered to be a major factor in affecting the development of caries. It is assumed, however, that the occurrence of dental diseases in younger children is mostly dependent upon the extent of the knowledge of prevention of dental diseases whitch guardians such as mothers have and the level of oral hydgiene.