Two years outcome of an individualized oral health preventive program for preschool children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Aims: Limited data exist on the effectiveness of oral health preventive programs in children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an individualized preventive oral health program for preschool children with NDD at a rehabilitation center, over a two years period.

Methods and results: In this study, 102 preschool children with NDD were assessed for caries (dmft), oral hygiene status (Green & Vermillion Index) and presence of developmental dental defects. An individualized preventive program was applied based on caries risk and children were followed for two years. Effectiveness of the program was assessed for caries and dental plaque change and explanatory individual factors were used in multivariate models. After two years prospective, dmft increased significantly from 1.1 (SD = 2.7) to 2.04 (SD = 3.6), while GVPI was reduced significantly from 1.8 (SD = 0.9) to 1.4 (SD = 0.9). Children in the moderate and high-risk groups missed significantly more follow-ups compared to the low caries risk group (p < .001) while older maternal age (OR = 1.38, 95%CI = 1.057-1.808) and consumption of more than three sugary snacks/day (OR = 0.005, 95%CI = 0-0.0794) were significantly correlated with dental caries.

Conclusion: The individualized preventive program for preschool children with NDD was effective in improving oral hygiene but not dental caries status.