Introduction: According to the World Health Organization, 15% of the population lives with some type of disability, however, the oral health care available is not adjusted to the demand that this number requires. In this sense, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the real oral condition of patients with physical (cerebral palsy) and intellectual disabilities (Down syndrome), through the analysis of oral health variables, comparing them with the oral health status of the general population. Materials and methods: This systematic review was carried out according to the PRISMA standards, based on a research question under the acronym PICO: "Do patients with physical or intellectual disabilities have a worse oral condition than the general population?". The dissertation was registered on the PROSPERO platform with the number CRD42024501253. The search was carried out in 3 databases, PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane, taking into consideration the inclusion criteria (primary research studies and articles, with a sample of more than 10 people, aged 18 years or less, from 2016 to 2024 and in English or Portuguese). The quality of the studies was evaluated according to The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) and, from each study, the following information was taken: author, year of publication, country, type of study, size (n), age, gender, objectives of each study and the oral health variables that were analyzed (dental caries and erosion, gingival health, dental trauma, malocclusion and bruxism). Results: A total of 231 studies were obtained for physical disability and 214 studies for intellectual disability. After removing duplicates and reading the title and abstract, 17 articles remained for full reading in the physical and 27 in intellectual disabilities. Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 6 articles on physical disabilities and 8 articles on intellectual disabilities were included in this systematic review, resulting in a total of 14 articles, each with a study group (physical or intellectual disability) and a control group (general population). Dental caries was the most analyzed variable, followed by gingival health, malocclusion, dental trauma and, finally, bruxism. The results obtained were organized in graphics, where the highest prevalence of dental caries was found in the group with cerebral palsy and, on the contrary, in the group with Down syndrome the prevalence was lower. In relation to erosion, gingival health and dental trauma, the percentage of cases was higher in the study groups. Regarding malocclusion, this was significantly more prevalent in the study population, as well as bruxism, however, this variable was only analyzed in one study. Conclusion: In general, the results obtained allowed us to conclude that the oral health status is more deteriorated in the population with disabilities, except for dental caries in patients with Down syndrome, which was more prevalent in the control group (without disabilities). These results highlight the need for professionals specialized in this area, who can meet the demands of these patients, breaking the barriers that these disabilities impose.
| Date of Award | 28 Feb 2025 |
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| Original language | Portuguese |
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| Awarding Institution | - Universidade Católica Portuguesa
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| Supervisor | Patrícia Couto (Supervisor) & Patrícia Nunes Correia (Co-Supervisor) |
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