Can Caregiver Reports Reflect Dental Treatment Needs of Patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities?

This study aimed to obtain the oral health-related factors of patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) from family caregivers and to relate caregiver-perceived risk factors to dental treatment needs of patients.

A total of 120 dyads of patients (mean [SD] age = 29.1 [8.4] years) and their family caregivers (mean [SD] age = 56.5 [9.5] years) were included. Data were obtained from self-administered questionnaires by caregivers and oral examinations by a dentist. Oral health conditions of patients were analysed in different age groups using paired t-tests. Caregiver-perceived oral health conditions of patients and dentist-assessed caries and periodontal disease were compared using Pearson's chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests. Relationships between patient factors and treatment needs were analysed using multiple logistic regression.

Tooth pain, chewing difficulty, and reasons for the last dental visit were associated with high numbers of decayed teeth (DT) (p < 0.05). Overall oral health condition of patients rated by caregivers was related to high DT and the Community Periodontal Index (CPI) score (p < 0.05). Well-maintained dental care of caregivers was associated with lower numbers of DT and less urgent treatment needs of patients (p < 0.05).

There were caregiver-perceived factors indicating dental treatment needs of patients with IDD. Proxy reports by caregivers can be used as risk predictors for ongoing dental problems of patients with communication limitations.