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The Oral Hygiene Maintenance Of An Disabled Children

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Preventive dentistry is still a comparatively new and least understood subject in our country as maintenance of oral hygiene is often neglected and pushed aside . When it comes to the oral hygiene maintenance of intellectually disabled children, it takes a backseat due to the more pressing need for education and medical treatment . According to WHO, Oral health means more than good teeth; it is integral to general health and essential for well-being. We use our face and teeth as a front to face the world. We speak, smile, taste, chew, express our self using our oro-facial structure. Disease of this area severely restricts our physical, psychological and social activities and thereby decreasing quality of life. The wider meaning of oral health does not diminish the relevance of two globally leading oral afflictions- dental caries and periodontal diseases. Both can be effectively prevented and controlled through a combination of community, professional and individual action.1,2

According to DSM-5 ( Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders), Intellectual disability (ID), also called Intellectual development disorder (IDD) or General learning disability, and formerly known as mental retardation (MR), is a generalized neuro- developmental disorder characterized by significantly impaired intellectual and adaptive functioning. It is defined by an IQ score below 70 in addition to deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors that affect everyday, general living. Once

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