Objectives: Several studies have described the oral health condition and treatment
needs of individuals with Down syndrome (DS), but there are no reports about DS patients
in UAE. This study was conducted to determine the oral health condition and treatment
needs in these patients.
Methods: Sixty children with DS attending Sharjah School for Humanitarian Service
(SSHS) were selected for the study. In the evaluation, the children were compared
with a normal non-DS control group selected from children attending college of dentistry
Ajman University dental clinics and matched for age and sex. Clinical assessment included
extraoral and intraoral examination, measurement of decayed (D), missing (M) and filled
(F) teeth (DMFT) for permanent dentition and (dmft) for primary dentition, while periodontal
evaluation included recording of oral hygiene status, plaque index (P1), gingival
index (GI), probing depth (PD), and clinical attachment level (CAL). Periodontal and
gingival health status was recorded according to the Community Periodontal Index of
Treatment Needs (CPITN). DS children were also examined for malocclusion, dental hypoplasia,
crowding, and missing teeth.
Results: Compared with normal controls, children with DS had mean number of DMFT almost
twice as high as that in the parallel healthy controls (13.2 ± 0.84 vs. 7.4 ± 3.94).
More of the DS children showed poor oral hygiene. The assessment of the periodontal
treatment needs of the DS children revealed that only 10% of the children had healthy
gingiva compared with 38.3% of healthy controls. Significantly high proportion of
DS patients (p < 0.05) require complex periodontal treatment. DS patients have shown
a significantly higher proportion of malocclusion (p < 0.01), compared with non-DS
subjects.
Conclusion: Individuals with DS in UAE have poor oral health and an increased occurrence
of periodontal disease and dental caries compared with otherwise normal, age-matched
control groups. Preventive, restorative and periodontal treatment needs are unmet
in DS children. These findings reinforce the importance of promoting the integration
of the dental specialists to the interdisciplinary team that provides healthcare for
this group of children.
Key-words:
Down syndrome - Dental caries - Dental treatment - Oral health - UAE
