Dental caries, or tooth decay is estimated to develop at the same rate in people with learning disabilities as in the general population.. The prevalence of untreated dental caries, however, is much higher among people with learning disabilities, particularly among those living in non-institutional settings. The researchers in this Brazilian study set out to look [read the full story…]
Oral motor difficulties in children and young people with learning disabilities can lead to saliva overflow, commonly called drooling. With young people with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities, this can increase the risk of inhaling saliva, food, or fluids into the lungs. Our friends at the Dental Elf came across this systematic review of interventions [read the full story…]
Drooling is a common problem for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Drooling varies in severity and can be distressing for the children, families and caregivers. It can cause chapped or sore skin around the mouth and chin, skin and mouth infections, dehydration, difficulties chewing and a range of other social issues. The main aim of [read the full story…]
Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy (IBT) is used in the management of severe spasticity in the body which cannot be adequately treated by oral means. The treatment is administered through an implantable infusion system, introduced into the space under the arachnoid membrane of the brain or spinal cord. This study set out to explore the impact of [read the full story…]
This systematic review of prevalence rates of chronic health conditions in children with intellectual disability found 2,994 relevant studies published between 1996 to 2008. 31 studies were included that the authors felt had sufficient methodological quality. They found that the 6 most prevalent chronic health conditions were: Epilepsy (22.0/100), Cerebral palsy (19.8/100), Anxiety disorder (17.1/100), [read the full story…]
