Caries prevalence in 6- to 10-year-old German schoolchildren with and without disability

Both nationally and internationally, there is a lack of data on the caries experience of schoolchildren with disability, especially for children aged 6 to 10 years.

To compare the caries experience of 6- to 10-year-old schoolchildren with disability attending special needs schools (SpS) with children without disability attending primary schools (PS) in two study periods five years apart.

The caries prevalence and severity in schoolchildren aged 6 to 10 years attending PS or SpS was determined according to WHO standards for the school years 2010/2011 and 2015/2016, and the results were compared.

Data for 6805 schoolchildren were available. In both examination periods the caries prevalence in the deciduous teeth of 6- to 10-year-old children attending SpS was significantly higher than in children attending PS. The mean dmft values for children attending SpS were also significantly higher (2.11 in both years) than for those attending PS (1.48 and 1.77, respectively).

The dental health of schoolchildren with disability was worse than that of schoolchildren without disability. To improve this situation, caries prevention efforts in day care centers and schools should be intensified for children with disability.