Assessing Caries Experience Among Individuals With Disabilities: Insights From Rehabilitation Centers in Selangor, Malaysia.

Introduction: Poor oral health (OH) can led to severe general health issues, including respiratory infections and malnutrition, impacting the quality of life. In Malaysia, high prevalence of oral diseases including dental caries among individuals with disabilities (IWDs) has been reported, indicating a possible gap in the current system. This study aimed to analyze caries experience using DMFT index of IWDs in community-based rehabilitation (CBR) centers across Selangor, Malaysia.

Methods: A CBR centers-based cross-sectional study was conducted on IWDs or CBR trainees in the period between August 2022 and December 2023. Recruitments of the study participants were done via census sampling method, involving all the trainees within the specific centers. Data collection was done using the World Health Organization oral health survey tool (WHO, 2013) and analyzed using SPSS 24.

Results: Two hundred and twenty-six students with the age range of 2-47 years old were included in the study. Clinical examination of CBR trainees revealed (1) the mean DMFT scores were low for primary dentition (2.02), moderate for both mixed (3.86), and permanent dentitions (4.17); (2) prevalence of caries among those with primary, mixed, and permanent dentitions as 44.44%, 74.4%, and 74.80%, respectively.

Conclusions: Trainees with primary dentition had a low prevalence of dental caries and mean DMFT score, while those with mixed and permanent dentition exhibited moderate levels. A statistically significant association was observed between the total DMFT scores for participants with primary dentition with both gender and disability types.