The Periodontal Health Status of ( 8-12 Years) Institutionalized Mentally Retarded Children In Khartoum State

Abstract

Oral health of Mentally Retarded Children is an important subject which was investigated by a number of researchers in different countries. Periodontal disease is a common finding among mentally retarded children and this may be related to poor oral hygiene and may underline abnormal immune response for example children with Down's syndrome. Since the problem was not investigated in Sudan the present study was designed to investigate the periodontal condition of the Institutionalized Mentally Retarded Children. In this study a sample of 37 mentally retarded children aged 8-12 years was selected from centers of mentally retarded children in Khartoum State. A control group of children with a normal IQ of a similar age and socioeconomic status was selected from schools nearby the centers visited. Both mentally retarded and normal children were examined for their plaque index, gingival status and periodontal pocket depth. A comparison was made between the mentally retarded children and the healthy children as well as between the subgroups of the mentally retarded children (mild, moderate, and severe mentally retarded). The results revealed that the mentally retarded children showed more dental plaque and higher gingival index readings (1.9±0.2) and (1.7±0.1) respectively, when compared with the plaque and gingival index of the control group (0.6±0.3) and (0.6±0.2) respectively. The difference between the study and the control group was statistically significant (P< 0.001) for both parameters. No increase in the gingival sulcus depth in both study and control group was found. According to the degree of mental retardation there was statistically significant difference in plaque and gingival index among the mild, moderate and severe subgroups, the plaque and gingival index tend to increase with the severity of mental retardation. Taking into consideration the results of this investigation we can conclude that dental care must be made available for mentally retarded children within reach and free of charge. However, a more detailed study is needed particularly to investigate the oral health of mentally retarded children with Down’s syndrome.