Abstract
Children with intellectual disability often have poor oral health compared to those without and visit the dentist less often. Aims: this study assessed the nature of dental complaints and visits in children with intellectual disabilities from parents' perspective. Materials and Methods: A total of 147 children were included in the study. These were children of records at The Faculty of Dentistry and King Abdulaziz University Hospital, both of which are located at king Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Caregivers were asked to assess their children's nature of dental conditions and dental visits. Results: show that most caregivers considered their children to have acceptable oral health. Children with ID complained more of dental pain or swelling compared to controls (p<0.001). Caregivers also report that their children had more dental caries compared to controls (p<0.001). No association was found between the nature of dental complaint and dental visits. Conclusion: This study concludes that the main dental complaint of children with ID is dental pain or swelling and that there is no association between visiting the dentist and type of dental complaint. Clinical significance: Findings from this research can be used to encourage caregivers of children with ID to have regular preventative dental visits and not await more severe symptoms. It can also encourage dental schools to incorporate more training to its graduates on the handling of children with ID.