Igiene orale in soggetti istituzionalizzati affetti da ritardo mentale

The aim of this study is to compare the condition of oral hygiene of thirty institutionalized subjects afflicted with mental retardation already in care near the Dental Service, and seventy ones not yet in, in order to value both the efficaciousness of carried out prevention programs and willingness of the operators responsible for oral hygiene in undertaking a valid formation pattern for the task. Private data, mental retardation level, patient collaboration grade and autonomy in daily oral hygiene level, in addition to caries experience (DFMT) and simplified oral hygiene index (OHI), are all parameters that have been recorded. The results underline a lower DMFT in those subjects of the group who have already been submitted to prevention measures. Also OHI presents very different values between the groups unfavourably to those subjects not yet included in dental specific program. Data about the group of subjects already in cure put in evidence the efficaciousness of educational and motivational measures, founded upon dailyness and friendly individualized approach, adopted by the équipe of Dental Service. In the same time, data about the other group let the necessity of educational programs for those subjects who the role of daily oral hygiene is destined to emerge.