Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Dental implications of genetic and congenital intellectual disabilities in Cape Town
Introduction Intellectual disability (ID) is a common and significant problem which has many social, financial, medical and dental implications in South Africa. The severity of the ID varies, ranging from mild to profound impairment and numerous environmental and genetic factors play a role in th...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Division of Human Genetics
2019
|
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867613361967988736 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Roberts, Tina Sharon |
| author2 | Beighton, Peter |
| author_browse | Beighton, Peter Roberts, Tina Sharon |
| author_facet | Beighton, Peter Roberts, Tina Sharon |
| author_sort | Roberts, Tina Sharon |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Introduction
Intellectual disability (ID) is a common and significant problem which has many social, financial,
medical and dental implications in South Africa. The severity of the ID varies, ranging from mild
to profound impairment and numerous environmental and genetic factors play a role in the
aetiology. Oral health is crucial to the overall health and well-being of children with ID. The dental
problems of children with ID may be overshadowed by their intellectual dysfunction, and in some
instances, by syndromic manifestations. These dental abnormalities may be unnoticed or
considered of lesser importance than systemic health issues.
There is a paucity of information in both the international and local scientific literature regarding
the dental needs, the dental management implications and barriers to oral care pertaining to
children with ID. For these reasons, the principal focus of this thesis is the identification,
documentation and analysis of the dental abnormalities a group of children with ID in Cape Town,
South Africa.
Methodology
A total of 206 children with ID were assessed during the investigation; 157 children at six Special
Educational Facilities (SE Facilities) and 49 at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital (RXH) in Cape
Town. The children were referred to the author by the Medical Genetics team of the University
of Cape Town. This clinical study was based on a cross-sectional, quantitative, exploratory, descriptive design.
When appropriate, clinical photographs and panorex radiographs were obtained. Signed
permission for these records were granted by the parents or legal caregivers.
Results
The frequency of unmet dental disorders among children with ID both at the SE Facilities and RXH
was high: dental caries (67% and 84%); gingival disease (69% and 86%); missing teeth (46% and
51%); malocclusion (30% and 66%); structural tooth abnormalities (7.5% and 38%). Based on
clinical observation, forty-three percent of children at the SE Facilities had abnormalities of the
jaw and midface that required surgical intervention. Dental fillings were present in only 8% of
children at the SE Facilities and 12% of children at the RXH.
Many parents and caregivers of children with ID experienced difficulty attending dental clinics.
Financial and psychosocial issues were the key barriers that prevented their children from
accessing dental services.
Conclusions
Intellectual disability varies in complexity and affects several South African children. Oral health
plays a significant role in the general health and well-being of children with ID. The prevalence of
unmet dental needs among children with ID is high, and in South Africa, the limited financial
resources dedicated to primary and specialized oral health care may preclude access of many
affected children to the required dental services. Furthermore, psychosocial factors such as
violence, limited finance, and logistical problems such as transport may also impact on the high
frequency of dental disease in this country.
The common occurrence of unmet basic and specialized dental need reported in this study
reflects the plight of children with ID in the context of dental management. The possible
challenges faced by affected children in the maintenance of acceptable levels of oral health
together with those encountered by oral healthcare professionals in the management of dental
problems are complex yet integral to patients’ quality of life. This study aims to heighten the
awareness of the importance of oral health among children with ID in South Africa. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/30084 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:34:56.285Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publishDateRange | 2019 |
| publishDateSort | 2019 |
| publisher | Division of Human Genetics |
| publisherStr | Division of Human Genetics |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/30084 Dental implications of genetic and congenital intellectual disabilities in Cape Town Roberts, Tina Sharon Beighton, Peter Stephen, LXG Introduction Intellectual disability (ID) is a common and significant problem which has many social, financial, medical and dental implications in South Africa. The severity of the ID varies, ranging from mild to profound impairment and numerous environmental and genetic factors play a role in the aetiology. Oral health is crucial to the overall health and well-being of children with ID. The dental problems of children with ID may be overshadowed by their intellectual dysfunction, and in some instances, by syndromic manifestations. These dental abnormalities may be unnoticed or considered of lesser importance than systemic health issues. There is a paucity of information in both the international and local scientific literature regarding the dental needs, the dental management implications and barriers to oral care pertaining to children with ID. For these reasons, the principal focus of this thesis is the identification, documentation and analysis of the dental abnormalities a group of children with ID in Cape Town, South Africa. Methodology A total of 206 children with ID were assessed during the investigation; 157 children at six Special Educational Facilities (SE Facilities) and 49 at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital (RXH) in Cape Town. The children were referred to the author by the Medical Genetics team of the University of Cape Town. This clinical study was based on a cross-sectional, quantitative, exploratory, descriptive design. When appropriate, clinical photographs and panorex radiographs were obtained. Signed permission for these records were granted by the parents or legal caregivers. Results The frequency of unmet dental disorders among children with ID both at the SE Facilities and RXH was high: dental caries (67% and 84%); gingival disease (69% and 86%); missing teeth (46% and 51%); malocclusion (30% and 66%); structural tooth abnormalities (7.5% and 38%). Based on clinical observation, forty-three percent of children at the SE Facilities had abnormalities of the jaw and midface that required surgical intervention. Dental fillings were present in only 8% of children at the SE Facilities and 12% of children at the RXH. Many parents and caregivers of children with ID experienced difficulty attending dental clinics. Financial and psychosocial issues were the key barriers that prevented their children from accessing dental services. Conclusions Intellectual disability varies in complexity and affects several South African children. Oral health plays a significant role in the general health and well-being of children with ID. The prevalence of unmet dental needs among children with ID is high, and in South Africa, the limited financial resources dedicated to primary and specialized oral health care may preclude access of many affected children to the required dental services. Furthermore, psychosocial factors such as violence, limited finance, and logistical problems such as transport may also impact on the high frequency of dental disease in this country. The common occurrence of unmet basic and specialized dental need reported in this study reflects the plight of children with ID in the context of dental management. The possible challenges faced by affected children in the maintenance of acceptable levels of oral health together with those encountered by oral healthcare professionals in the management of dental problems are complex yet integral to patients’ quality of life. This study aims to heighten the awareness of the importance of oral health among children with ID in South Africa. 2019-05-15T07:28:40Z 2019-05-15T07:28:40Z 2018 2019-05-14T11:28:31Z Doctoral Thesis Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30084 eng application/pdf Division of Human Genetics Faculty of Health Sciences |
| spellingShingle | Roberts, Tina Sharon Dental implications of genetic and congenital intellectual disabilities in Cape Town |
| thesis_degree_str | Doctoral |
| title | Dental implications of genetic and congenital intellectual disabilities in Cape Town |
| title_full | Dental implications of genetic and congenital intellectual disabilities in Cape Town |
| title_fullStr | Dental implications of genetic and congenital intellectual disabilities in Cape Town |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dental implications of genetic and congenital intellectual disabilities in Cape Town |
| title_short | Dental implications of genetic and congenital intellectual disabilities in Cape Town |
| title_sort | dental implications of genetic and congenital intellectual disabilities in cape town |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/30084 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robertstinasharon dentalimplicationsofgeneticandcongenitalintellectualdisabilitiesincapetown |