Dental caries and oral hygiene amongst 12-14 years old handicapped children of Bombay, India.

The present study was carried out to assess the oral health status of children suffering from different handicapping conditions studying in various schools of Bombay. A total of 593 handicapped children in the age group of 12-14 years were included in the study. The prevalence and severity of dental caries was found to be highest in the cerebral palsy group and lowest in the blind group. In general, in all the groups the decayed (D) component took predominance over the missing (M) and filled (F) components. Periodontal status was assessed using the CPITN and it was found that the bleeding & calculus components were higher than the healthy components in all the groups and almost all the children required treatment in the form of deep scaling and/or prophylaxis and oral hygiene instructions. The study confirmed the need of curative and preventive services towards these neglected children of the society.