Oral health and oral health behaviour of adolescents with mild or borderline intellectual disabilities compared with a national representative sample of 17-year-olds in the Netherlands

Background People with intellectual disabilities have worse health outcomes compared to their peers without. However, regarding oral health parameters, recent systematic reviews reported conflicting evidence. The aim was to assess whether adolescents with MBID differ from their peers in oral health and oral health behaviour.

Methods Ninety seven adolescents with MBID participated in this comparative study. Outcomes were compared to data of 17-year-old Dutch adolescents (n = 581) from a national epidemiological study on oral health and oral health behaviour.

Results Adolescents with MBID showed worse oral health outcomes and poorer oral hygiene than their peers from the general population. Furthermore, they visit the dentist less regularly, brush less frequently, eat main-dishes less frequently and have higher levels of dental anxiety.

Conclusion Adolescents with MBID have poorer oral health and show worse oral health-promoting behaviours than their peers in the general population. Targeted interventions to reach this vulnerable group are necessary.