Supervised Brushing Programme for Intellectual Disabled Students

Supervised Toothbrushing Programme and Oral Health Education for Intellectual Disabled Students: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial

Intellectual disabled persons faced more dental problems. According to a medical review paper of international and local studies, this group has poorer dental hygiene, more severe gum disease and more untreated caries. In 2010, a report from the guardians in Hong Kong mentioned that most adults with intellectual disability cannot clean their teeth, the have dental problems and it is very difficult for intellectually disabled students to co-operate during the dental treatment. In order to alleviate their dental problems, supervised toothbrushing programme and an oral health education talk are proposed. The investigators investigate the effectiveness of the supervised toothbrushing programme and an oral health education talk. The target group of the study is mild to moderate grade intellectual disabled students of special schools in Hong Kong. A clustered randomised controlled trial design is adopted.

Intellectual disabled persons faced more dental problems. According to a medical review paper of international and local studies, this group has poorer dental hygiene, more severe gum disease and more untreated caries. In 2010, a report from the guardians in Hong Kong mentioned that most adults with intellectual disability cannot clean their teeth, the have dental problems and it is very difficult for intellectually disabled students to co-operate during the dental treatment. In order to alleviate their dental problems, supervised toothbrushing programme and an oral health education talk are proposed. The investigators investigate the effectiveness of the supervised toothbrushing programme and an oral health education talk. The target group of the study is mild to moderate grade intellectual disabled students of special schools in Hong Kong. A clustered randomised controlled trial design is adopted.

data entered by independent clerical staff with no information of the detail of the study outcomes assessor will not be told which group of subjects are examined but there is a chance that the subjects tell him/her

A 3-month supervised tooth brushing programme will be provided to the students. An oral health education talk with written material delivered to the carers and the students

One or a few dental hygienists, who are trained to teach how to brush and provide scaling, will supervise the students to brush daily in school for three months.

It is conducted by a dentist, while written materials will be delivered to the students and their carers.

Inclusion Criteria: Mild and moderate grade intellectual disabled students in special schools. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Those students who have simultaneously joined other oral health programme during the study period. 2. Those students with the presence of conditions rendering a need of antibiotic prophylaxis prior to periodontal examination e.g. rheumatic heart disease. 3. Uncooperative students that oral examination is not possible.

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A report from the guardians in Hong Kong mentioned that most adults with intellectual disability cannot clean their teeth, the have dental problems and it is very difficult for them to co-operate during the dental treatment. (Chinese only)