Abstract
Dental examinations and the caries activity tests by Cariostat, Resazurin Disc, improved MSB broth, and enamel biopsy were performed on 62 severely handicapped hospitalized patients (32 males and 30 females) ranging in age from 5 years 5 months to 35 years 3 months (average: 17 years and 9 months) in July,1985.
The following observations were made.
1. A total of 62 patients were examined,44 (71%) of whom suffered from cerebral palsy. As for the IQ range of the patients 85.5% of them were under 25and the rest of them was between 25 and 50. As for the degree of the physical handicap of the patients,54.8% were severe and 35.5% were moderate.
2. In primary teeth, the def ratio was 43.6% and def index was 3.8; in permanent teeth, the DMF ratio was 49.6% and DMF index was 11.5.
3. The DMF ratios were statistically higher in the groups in which the patients had a low risk with rice and soft diet and needed no help when eating than the groups in which patients had a high risk with soft or mixered diet and needed help when eating.
4. The scores of the caries activity tests were as follows. Cariostat:_??_(0%), ++(3 7.1%), + (56.5%), - (6.5%)Resazurin Disc: high (51.6%), Middle (48.4%), Low (0%)Improved MSB broth:_??_(9.7%), ++(46.8%), - (32.3%), - (11.3%)
5. A statistically significant difference was obtained between the Cariostat score and DMF ratio, and DMF index. The increase of the caries pr e valance was observed with an increase in the Cariostat score. However n o relationship was observed between the caries prevalance and both of the RD Test score and the improved MSBB score.
6. A statistically significant difference was obtained between the score and the diet forms in RD Test. The number of pati e nts with a high score was significantly lower in the white rice and soft diet group than in the soft diet group, and the mixered group.
7. A statistically significant difference was obtained between the score and the number of tooth brushings in the RD Test. The number of patients with a high scor e was significantly lower in the three time brushing group than the single brushing group.
8. There was no statistically significant difference in the enamel calcium solubility between 23 patients and 16 controls by enamel biopsy (Nakagaki M e thod).
9. There was not such an inclination that the higher enamel solubility the patients showed, the higher caries prevalance they had. The minus correlation (r = 0.43) was obtained be t w een the enamel calcium solubility and DMF index.
