Oral health of institutionalized individuals with mental retardation

A random 10% (n = 702) of the residents of the Texas Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation (TXMHMR) institutions were given dental examinations by the first author. Findings were compared with results from a similar survey of 1,077 residents by the same investigator 9 years earlier. Data were analyzed for oral pathology, unmet dental needs, contribution of dental care to habilitation, and effectiveness of the dental service system. Some improvements were found in dental condition, although the results were sometimes difficult to interpret. Some differences may be related to changes in client age and average length of stay and to a shift toward institutionalization of individuals with more severe disabilities. Other differences appear to be the result of better dental care in state institutions.