[Dental treatment and the prognosis for handicapped children]

We analysed a survey made on oral examinations at the first visit, the kind of dental treatment and the prognosis. The subjects were 77 handicapped children who received dental treatment at the pedodontic clinic of the Aichi-Gakuin University Dental Hospital and periodic examinations after the completion of dental treatment. The average age of the subjects was 7.4 (2.11 to 16.7 years old). (1) At the first visit, the mean number of untreated decayed teeth was 7.1 for the group of children who received dental treatment without general anesthesia, and 12.0 for the group of children who received dental treatment with general anesthesia. And the rate of untreated decayed teeth was 40.1% of the deciduous and 21.0% of the permanent teeth for the group of children who had received dental treatment without general anesthesia, and 65.5% of the deciduous and 34.2% of the permanent teeth for the group of children who had received dental treatment with general anesthesia. (2) For the group of children who received dental treatment without general anesthesia, restoration was performed on 62.5% of the deciduous and 87.5% of the permanent teeth; the remaining 37.5% of the deciduous and 12.5% of the permanent teeth were extracted. Endodontic treatment was performed on 20.6% of the deciduous and 8.9% of the permanent teeth. (3) For the group of children who received dental treatment with general anesthesia, restoration was performed on 57.0% of the deciduous and 95.1% of the permanent teeth; the remaining 42.9% of the deciduous and 4.9% of the permanent teeth were extracted. Endodontic treatment was performed on 25.3% of the deciduous teeth and 12.2% of the permanent teeth. (4) In the case of restorative treatment, the highest incidence was in metal crowns on the deciduous teeth, and amalgam fillings in the permanent teeth for the groups of children who received dental treatment with or without general anesthesia. In the case of endodontic treatment, the highest incidence was in pulp amputation for the groups of children who received dental treatment with or without general anesthesia. (5) During the past year of completed dental treatment, unsuccessful cases were 5.4% for the restorative treatment and 0% for the endodontic treatment for the group of children who received dental treatment without general anesthesia; unsuccessful cases were 14.1% for the restorative treatment and 4.1% for the endodontic treatment for the group of children who received dental treatment with general