OPTIMIZATION OF DENTAL CARE FOR CHILDREN WITH MENTAL RETARDATION LIVING IN A SPECIALIZED BOARDING SCHOOL

Abstract

To assess the risk of developing dental diseases, a microbiological study of dental plaque
was carried out, for which children were randomly selected from subgroup 1 in the amount of 23
people and from subgroup 2 - 21 people. The next stage of our study was the development,
implementation and evaluation of the effectiveness of a dental caries prevention program adapted
for mentally retarded children in a specialized school. The prevention program included teaching
oral hygiene to children and health education with the staff of the institution and the parents of
some pupils who attended the boarding school. Individual methods of prevention were also carried
out: professional hygiene, applying fluoride-containing varnish to the teeth, sealing fissures using
ozone. The effectiveness of the implemented adapted prevention program, which takes into
account the medical, psychological and pedagogical characteristics of children, was assessed by
the hygiene index (IGR-U) and the state of periodontal tissues (PMA index) initially, 1.2.3 years
after the start of training.