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Dental Treatment and Dental Health in Special Care Patients

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Care Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 3371

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. M. Joaquín Nova García

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Guest Editor

Department of Dental Clinical Specialties, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Interests: pediatric dentistry; rare diseases; dental care of children with special needs; osteogenesis imperfecta; williams syndrome; kabuki syndrome
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There are several purposes of this Special Issue (Dental Treatment and Dental Health in Special Care Patients). Through the vision provided by the different articles, we hope to offer the professional an updated vision of:

Oral health conditions of patients with special needs and oral and craniofacial manifestations related to underlying diseases. Including epidemiological studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses;
Protocols of oral care and dental management for different groups;
The planning of oral care for special patients in the context of Public Health;
Dental care for patients with special needs with auxiliary means (sedation, general anesthesia).

Treating the oral health of special needs patients contributes to improvements in the quality of life of these people and their families.

Prof. Dr. M. Joaquín Nova García
Guest Editor

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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Keywords

special dental care
dental care for disabled
dental health, oral health
special needs
disabilities
barriers to dental care
health disparities
health services accesibility
rare diseases
sedation

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 331 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stress and Self-Efficacy in Parents/Caregivers and Oral Health of Individuals with Down Syndrome During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

by Julya Ribeiro Campos, Fernando Oliveira Costa, Ana Cristina Borges-Oliveira and Luís Otávio Miranda Cota

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(11), 1497; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21111497 - 11 Nov 2024

Viewed by 738

Abstract

The family of individuals living with Down Syndrome (DS) often demonstrate high levels of stress associated with the demand for care and difficulties experienced in everyday life. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess perceived stress by parents/caregivers of individuals with DS and its association with general perceived self-efficacy and dental outcomes, considering the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts on family’s daily activities and finances. A sample of 257 parents/caregivers answered a questionnaire with socioeconomic, dental, and behavioral variables and the short version of the Perceived Stress Scale and the General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale. The sample was divided into three groups based on perceived stress levels. Associated variables were evaluated using multinomial logistic regression (level of significance 5%), adjusting for socioeconomic factors. The mean perceived stress score was 17.84 ± 5.75 (0–39). Medium stress (second tertile) was associated with finger/nail biting in individuals with DS (OR = 2.05; 95%CI 1.04–4.03; p = 0.038), difficulty in performing oral hygiene (OR = 2.39; 95%CI 1.23–4.65; p = 0.011) and medium and high self-efficacy (OR = 0.12; 95%CI 0.05–0.31; p < 0.001 and OR = 0.38; 95%CI 0.15–0.98; p = 0.046, respectively); high stress (third tertile) was associated with medium and high self-efficacy (OR = 0.25; 95%CI 0.09–0.67; p = 0.006 and OR = 0.05; 95%CI 0.02–0.15; p < 0.001, respectively) and negative impact of COVID-19 in family finances (OR = 3.00; 95%CI 1.39–6.44; p = 0.005). It was concluded that parents/caregivers’ perceived stress was averaged and associated with self-efficacy, finger/nail biting, oral hygiene demands, and the financial impact of COVID-19. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dental Treatment and Dental Health in Special Care Patients)

10 pages, 301 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Orthodontic Status and Association with Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life—A Study of 16-Year-Old Norwegians with a Cleft Lip and Palate

by Paul K. Saele, Manal Mustafa and Anne N. Åstrøm

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(5), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21050550 - 26 Apr 2024

Viewed by 1578

Abstract

Objective: To assess the association between clinical orthodontic indicators and oral-health-related quality of life, adjusted for socio-demographic factors, focusing on 16-year-old patients with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P). Participants: One hundred and twenty-two patients with CL/P, representing cleft-lip (CL), cleft-palate (CP), unilateral/bilateral cleft-lip-palate (UCLP/BCLP), enrolled in the national CLP-Team, Bergen, Norway. Method: A cross-sectional study by two orthodontists assessing the number of teeth, intermaxillary sagittal relation (ANB-angle), dental arch and occlusion of 16-year-old patients with CL/P. All completed a digital questionnaire including self-reported socio-demographic variables, OHIP-14 questionnaire and dental aesthetics. Cross-tabulations with Pearson’s Chi-square test were used to identify associations between self-reported OHRQoL and socio-demographic and clinical indicators. Multiple variable analyses were conducted with binary logistic regression analysis using the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) to assess associations between OHRQoL and clinical indicators adjusted for socio-demographic variables. Ethical approval was granted by the regional ethics committee. Results: Patients with UCLP and BCLP had poorer clinical indicators compared to patients with CL and CP (p < 0.05). A total of 80% of the patients had OHIP-14 > 0. The highest oral impact was reported for psychological domains and articulation and the least for functional domains. Respondents with BCLP and those with poor intermaxillary relationships (ANB < 0°) reported a high impact on OHRQoL (p < 0.05). No statistically significant associations between other clinical indicators and socio-demographic variables such as gender, educational aspiration, and place of residence were reported. Conclusions: The study revealed an association between severe cleft diagnosis, missing teeth, misaligned teeth, negative overjet, and poor OHRQoL, but a statistically significant association was found only between OHRQoL and poor intermaxillary sagittal relations (unfavorable profile). To improve OHRQoL among patients with clefts, there is a need for an individual follow-up and prioritization of oral healthcare. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dental Treatment and Dental Health in Special Care Patients)

Other

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15 pages, 4003 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Increased Risk of Dentoalveolar Trauma in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

by Izabela da Costa, Rafael Binato Junqueira, Daniele Sorgatto Faé, Luisa Amorim Pêgas de Souza and Cleidiel Aparecido Araujo Lemos

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(12), 1563; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21121563 - 26 Nov 2024

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Abstract

The prevalence of traumatic dental injuries (TDI) in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) remains unclear. Given these discrepancies, an updated review of the evidence on the risk of TDI in patients with ASD is essential. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the prevalence of TDI in patients with ASD and compare it to that in neurotypical patients. This study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42024580127) and followed the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search of four databases—MEDLINE/PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase—was conducted for articles published up to August 2024. Moreover, the gray literature (ProQuest) and reference lists were screened. The inclusion criteria required participants with ASD to assess TDI across deciduous, mixed, and permanent dentition regardless of age. No restrictions were applied on TDI type, language, or publication date. Additionally, case reports, reviews, letters, and studies addressing other oral disorders without specific TDI data were excluded. A single-arm meta-analysis evaluated the cumulative proportion and 95% confidence interval (CI) of TDI in patients with ASD. Moreover, a comparative meta-analysis was performed to assess the risk of TDI between ASD and neurotypical patients, calculating the odds ratio (OR) with a 95% CI, and a p < 0.05 was deemed significant, using the R program. Quality assessment was performed using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute tool, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated using GRADE. A total of 22 studies were included to determine the overall prevalence of TDI, of which 16 studies directly compared patients with ASD to neurotypical individuals. In total, 3817 participants were evaluated, including 2162 individuals with ASD and 1655 neurotypical patients. A single-arm meta-analysis estimated a TDI prevalence of 22% (Confidence Interval [CI]: 17–27%) among patients with ASD. A significant difference in the risk was observed between ASD and neurotypical patients (p = 0.003; Odds Ratio [OR]: 1.67; CI: 1.19–2.26). However, substantial heterogeneity was observed in this analysis. Although the majority of studies were rated as high quality, the certainty of the evidence was considered very low. Despite the limitations of this study, the findings suggest that patients with ASD are at a higher risk of developing TDI than the risk observed in neurotypical patients. Therefore, preventive educational initiatives are recommended to reduce the risk of TDI in this population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Dental Treatment and Dental Health in Special Care Patients)

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