Abstract:
Good oral health determines the overall health of an individual. It can have a significant impact on the physical and mental well-being, quality of life, appearance and interpersonal relations of an individual. The dental health of patients with special needs is often ignored and requires special attention. The aim of the study was to determine the oral health status and dental needs of special olympic athletes. A HAS(healthy athlete software) form was used to collect demographic and clinical data regarding oral hygiene practices (e.g. brushing), oral health status (e.g. decayed, missing and filled teeth, gingival health status and fluorosis) and urgency of treatment need. The data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 21. Percentages and frequencies were calculated for categorical variables. A total of 191 special olympic athletes participated in the study. The majority of participants (86.4%) brushed their teeth regularly. Sixty percent of the participants were observed to have carious lesions and 36.1% had gingivitis. Traumatic tooth loss was observed in 8.9% of subjects. Fourteen (7.3%) subjects had fluorosis and preventive measures such as sealants were seen in only 2(1%) sub-jects. Nine (4.7%) subjects had fillings while the rest of 181 had no restorative work done. Urgency of treatment evaluation indicated that 45 (23.3%) subjects required urgent treatment
