EVALUATION OF ORAL CHANGES IN PATIENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of oral changes in patients with special needs. Study Design: The sample consisted of the analysis of 59 medical records of patients with special needs seen in a clinical school of dentistry for a period of 2 years, after approval by the Committee of Ethics in Research. Data on sex, age, and oral alterations were collected. Results: Caries was predominant among females: 82.8% presented the lesion; in males, it was present in 66.78%. On the other hand, periodontal disease was present in 70.0% of males and 44.8% of females. Other oral changes were present in 7.6% of the sample. Regarding age, it was observed that caries was present in 72.7% of patients under 40 years of age and periodontal disease in 53.3% of patients in this age group. Conclusions: The dental surgeon should be aware of the oral changes that may be present in patients with special needs, to act as early as possible, since, due to the limitations with which they have to live, they are more prone to this impairment.