A survey of Oral Health in Institutionalized Population with Intellectual Disabilities: Comparison with a National Oral Health Survey of the Normal Population

INTRODUCTION: Compared to the general population, the intellectually-disabled (ID) experience poor health and inferior access to high quality health services. AIM: To compare the oral health of institutionalized ID Lebanese individuals to that of the normal Lebanese population (NLP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Caries and periodontal indices were recorded in 652 ID individuals (aged 6, 12, 15, and 35–44 years) residing in the 5 major Lebanese governorates. The comparison population was derived from the National Oral Health Survey conducted in 1994. RESULTS: Six-year-old ID children had an average of 3.28 decayed primary teeth, 0.22 filled primary teeth, and an overall dft score of 3.50, whereas in the general population decayed, filled, and overall dft scores were 4.90, 0.10, and 5.4, respectively. The lowest number of permanent decayed teeth in the ID was recorded in the 35–44-year-old group (3.17) and the highest in 15-year-old group (4.01). In the NLP, the number of decayed permanent teeth gradually increased from age 12 (5.14) to age 35–44 years (7.20). Caries indices were generally better in the ID than that in the NLP, except for more missing teeth in ID adults (6.24 compared to 4.98). The ID population presented with more severe periodontal disease (pocketing) whereas the NLP presented with a greater proportion with calculus. CONCLUSION: This study highlighted important differences in oral health and treatment needs in the ID compared than that of the NLP. Policy changes are required if adequate services are to be provided for this group of the population.