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Oral and aural problems in Australian Special Olympics athletes
Archana Pradhan1, Nicole Stormon1, Ratilal Lalloo1
1Oral Health Centre, School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Background:
Associations between oral and aural problems among children have been explored, but not among adults with intellectual disability (ID), where often, oral and ear pain can be difficult to diagnose.
Methods:
Data included Special Smiles and Healthy Hearing screenings from two Special Olympics (SO) events held in Australia (2013-2014).
Results:
The SO athletes had poor oral health with a high prevalence (56.8%) of gingival signs and unmet dental needs (66.9%). Over one-third (33.9%) had partially/completely blocked ear canals, over one-fifth (20.7%) had possible middle ear problems, and almost one quarter (23.8%) had some hearing loss. No associations between oral and aural problems were found in the small sample (n = 130) of SO athletes.
Conclusions:
Although SO athletes have unmet needs for both oral and aural health, access to appropriate hygiene care is an important preventive factor that athletes, families, and carers should be made aware of. Regular oral and aural screenings are recommended to identify problems early, because ability to communicate pain and discomfort can be different for this population. A larger sample of SO athletes with tooth and sextant level data could clarify the association between oral and aural problems in people with ID.
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