Citation
Background
Poor oral health may have a significant impact on general health. Previous studies have suggested that individuals with intellectual disability may have poor oral health status because of barriers to accessing dental care as well as problems with oral hygiene. Children with intellectual disability or autism may present with underlying behavioural difficulties or are unable to cooperate adequately during a dental visit thereby making treatment more difficult to implement without a general anaesthetic.
What we did
Children identified with intellectual disability or autism were linked to the Hospital Morbidity Data System to identify day or overnight dental admissions. Child factors such as age (0-6, 6-12, 12-18 years), sex, Indigenous status and socioeconomic status were obtained through other linkages.
What we found
There was a total of 10 358 children with intellectual disability and/or autism in the study and of these, a quarter (965 female and 1719 male) had at least one dental hospitalisation in their first 18 years of life with an average of 1.6 admissions/child. Overall, about 20% of those in the most disadvantaged socioeconomic group had dental hospitalisations compared to about 30% of those in the most advantaged group. The most common diagnosis for all three age groups was dental caries, but the prevalence of this diagnosis decreased from 62.3% in those aged 0–6 years to 34.5% in those aged >12–18 years. Children with autism and intellectual disability had higher odds of dental hospitalisation in all three age groups than children with mild to moderate intellectual disability of unknown cause. Admissions due to gingivitis and periodontal diseases were most common in those aged 12–18 years.
What it means
Children with intellectual disability whose families are socioeconomically disadvantaged should have equivalent opportunity to receive optimal dental care. Dental practitioners at all levels need training and confidence in treating children with intellectual disability.