Oral function in the physically handicapped with or without severe mental retardation.

Neuromotor handicaps and mental retardation have been associated with various types of dental malocclusions and oral dysfunction. In this study the specific role of mental status on oral functions was examined. For this, oral function capacity was compared between two groups of physically handicapped children and young adults, one with a physical handicap alone, the other with mental retardation. The latter were found not only to be significantly more motor-impaired in general, but also were found to have significantly more deficient oral functions (speech, swallowing and chewing). Mentally retarded also showed significantly more frequent involvement with regard to some other characteristics of oral function and oral conditions, such as lip seal, tongue posture and drooling. As oral dysfunction may cause dental malocclusion, it seems likely that the deviating or immature oral functions in the mentally retarded group may explain earlier observations of a higher prevalence and often more severe malocclusion in these individuals, compared to those who are handicapped.

Malocclusions in physically and/or mentally handicapped children.

The purpose of this work was to study the morphological characteristics of dental occlusion in groups of physically and/or mentally handicapped children, taking into consideration the need of a detailed classification of medical diagnosis and degree of mental capacity. The material consisted of physically handicapped children with normal intelligence, including the subgroups Cerebral palsy and Others (other medical diagnoses), and severely mentally retarded children with or without a physical handicap, including the subgroups Down's syndrome, Cerebral palsy and Others. Totally 115 children (3-17 years) were studied with respect to occlusion, space conditions, hypodontia and received orthodontic treatment, and compared to matched control groups of healthy children. The severely mentally retarded children in all of the handicap groups had the highest prevalence of, and often the most severe, malocclusions compared to their controls. The results indicate that the mental status is more important for the orthodontic status than the medical diagnosis.