DENTAL CARIES AND TREATMENT NEEDS AMONG CHILDREN WITH PHYSICAL DISABILITIES IN DHAMAR CITY, YEMEN: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Iman Abdulkarim Al-Subbary; Ahmed Ali Obeyah; Naela Mohamed Al-Mogahed; Maher Hassan Al-Ammari

doi:10.22270/ujpr.v9i2.1086

Iman Abdulkarim Al-Subbary Orthodontics, Pedodontics and Prevention, Faculty of Dentistry, Sana'a University, Yemen.
Ahmed Ali Obeyah Faculty of Dentistry, Al-Razi University. Orthodontics, Pedodontics and Prevention, Faculty of Dentistry, Sana'a University, Yemen.
Naela Mohamed Al-Mogahed Orthodontics, Pedodontics and Prevention, Faculty of Dentistry, Sana'a University, Yemen.
Maher Hassan Al-Ammari Maher Hassan Dental Clinic, Sana'a, Yemen.

10.22270/ujpr.v9i2.1086

Keywords:

Dental caries, disabled children, treatment needs, Yemen

Abstract

Background and objective: A child with disability is a child who, for any reason, has a problem with learning, communication, or using their physical, and social activities. There are a lot of people with different disabilities around world which forms an important section of the community. The Objective of this study was to compare the prevalence of dental caries and treatment needs among children with and without physical disabilities in Dhamar City, Yemen.

Study design: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among physical disability children (n=101) and control children (n=101), their age ranged from 6 to 12 years old in Dhamar City, Yemen. WHO Oral Health Assessment Form for children, 2013 was used for assessment of dental caries and treatment needs.

Results: The findings of this study indicate a statistically significant difference in dt (decayed teeth) between children with physical disabilities and the control group (p=0.013). Among children with physical disabilities, 55.4% exhibited decay in their primary teeth, whereas the prevalence was 72.3% among the control children. The highest mean dmft scores were observed in the 6-7 years age group. Additionally, a significant difference in dmft values was found in the control children (p=0.001). It is essential to highlight that only 14.4% of the children evaluated in this study had no treatment needs identified.

Conclusions: In conclusion, the prevalence of dental caries was lower among physical disability children than control. Control children have a significantly higher dental caries in primary teeth than physical disability children. Additionally, both groups exhibit a considerable proportion of unmet treatment needs.