UDC 616.314-002:616.8]-053.2
Epidemiological studies show a high prevalence of dental caries among children in Ukraine, ranging from 53.84% to 96.67%. Somatic pathology is a significant risk factor for the onset and development of caries. In Ukraine, the number of children in need of mental development correction is growing. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate the features of dental caries in children with neuropsychiatric disorders. We examined 108 children aged 13-18 years with neuropsychiatric disorders (main group) and 86 practically healthy children (comparison group). The main group consisted of 48 children with mild to moderate mental retardation, 38 children with autism, and 22 children with Down syndrome. We studied the prevalence of caries (in %), caries intensity (CSI) and level of dental care (LDC).
It was found that in children with neuropsychiatric disorders, the prevalence of dental caries is significantly higher than in children in the comparison group and on average is 92.60±2.52% with a caries intensity of 8.56±0.54 teeth, and 75.58±4.63% and CSI = 5.17±0.47 teeth, respectively (p<0.001). It was found that the prevalence of caries was higher in children with Down syndrome than in children with mild mental retardation and autism. The level of dental care for children was analyzed and it was found that children aged 13-15 years, including the comparison group, have an insufficient level of dental care, which is, however, at the age of 16-18 years the level of dental care has significantly improved