Oral hygiene practice and periodontal status of students at special needs boarding schools in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia

People with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable minority groups to health care or rehabilitation services deficiencies. Previous studies have demonstrated that they suffered from poor oral hygiene and a higher incidence of periodontal disease as a consequence. Students at special needs boarding schools reside in the school hostel, where they are looked after by wardens. Therefore, this study aims to assess the oral hygiene practices and periodontal status among visually impaired, hearing and intellectually disabled students at special needs boarding schools in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. Demographic information and oral hygiene practice were recorded for each participant aged between 7 to 20 years old. Periodontal status was assessed during an oral examination using the Basic Periodontal Examination (BPE) score as a basic screening method. The periodontal disease prevalence was 97.7%, with most of them having bleeding gingiva and calculus (70.3%). 58.6% of students with a learning disability had bleeding gum and calculus, but no significant association between periodontal health status with types of disabilities was noted. Most participants claimed to practice proper oral hygiene, although periodontal disease developed. This showed that individuals had difficulty putting it into practice despite knowing about oral hygiene practice, owing to a lack of basic manual skills and intellectual ability. Hence, proper oral health education and preventive strategy must be implemented according to the types of disability. Thus, they need help from special education teachers and trained individuals. At boarding schools or institutions for children with disabilities, policies and specialised oral health care programmes for caregivers should be empowered to strengthen the caregiver's knowledge and practice to assist the children with disabilities under their care.