DENTAL SURVEY OF INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILDREN IN SCARF FOUNDATION- CHENNAI, INDIA
Kavitha Shankar, Shankar Narayanan, Nijesh J. E. and Srudhy R.*
ABSTRACT
The objective of this survey was to describe the oral health status and dental treatment needs among mentally challenged institutionalized children residing in a rehabilitative centre, Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) in Chennai, India. The sample consisted of 75 children (47 males and 28 females) in the age group of 0 to 20 years from an institution in Chennai, India. Oral health status was assessed using modified WHO proforma, 2013 by a trained and calibrated dental examiner using ADA Type III examination. Among the subjects studied, about 49% had unmet dental treatment needs in which 25.6% had multiple carious tooth, 5.3% had single caries tooth, 4% had malocclusion and gingivitis respectively and 2.6% patients had notable bruxism habit. The present survey was helpful in providing baseline data which has been used for planning a comprehensive oral health care program for this vulnerable population.
Keywords: Institutionalized children, mentally challenged, Oral health status, Dental survey, SCARF.
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