Epidemiologic profile of dental condition and treatment necessities of disabled persons in the city of Caruaru, Pernambuco, Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To trace the epidemiologic profile of the dental condition and treatment necessities of disabled persons (audio-impaired, visually-impaired, physically disabled, mentally handicapped and with behavioral and social deviations) registered in six institutions in the city of Caruaru, Pernambuco, in 2006. Method: This was a cross-sectional study in which 231 handicapped patients took part, irrespective of sex and age. The indexes used were dmft and DMFT – decayed, missing and filled teeth, proposed by the World Health Organization. Data were collected by a duly calibrated examiner (kappa 0,836). Results: prevalence of tooth decay in primary teeth was 71.3%; mean dmft was 3.00, the value being higher among the 4 to 10 year-old patients, confirming significant differences between the age groups and extracted/restored teeth; the DMFT in permanent teeth was 6.77, with the mean and components being higher among the physically disabled. The largest need for restorative treatment was among mentally handicapped. Conclusion: the population of the present study showed a high prevalence of caries, the decayed component being the main factor responsible for these high rates.