ArticleEuropean archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry2026
Oral health disparities among children with special healthcare needs: a comparative cross-sectional study.
Article in European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
16 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeChildren with special healthcare needs (SHCN) often experience poorer oral health due to limitations in self-care, behavioral challenges, medical conditions, and reduced access to specialized dental services. This study aimed to assess and compare oral health behaviors, risk factors, and caries experience between children with SHCN and healthy controls, and to identify predictors of poor oral health outcomes.
methodIn this cross-sectional study, 300 children (150 SHCN, 150 controls) underwent clinical examinations. Caries experience was assessed using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft/DMFT) indices, while oral hygiene status was evaluated with the Plaque Index and Gingival Index. Occlusal characteristics, dental trauma, and oral habits were also recorded. Behavioral assessment was performed using the Frankl Behavior Rating Scale (FBRS).
resultsChildren with SHCN demonstrated higher resistance to toothbrushing (42.7% vs. 6.7%, p = 0.001), more frequent swallowing of toothpaste (32.0% vs. 0%, p = 0.001), and a greater prevalence of habits such as mouth breathing (30.7% vs. 8.7%, p = 0.001). Interestingly, the control group showed significantly higher mean dmft scores (5.07 ± 3.56) compared to SHCN children (2.64 ± 4.22, p = 0.001). Regression analysis identified group (B = 2.44, p < 0.001) and age (B = - 0.125, p = 0.002) as significant predictors, explaining 12.2% of the variance. SHCN children exhibited distinct behavioral risk factors, while younger age was associated with higher caries experience.
conclusionChildren with SHCN exhibited significantly poorer oral health behaviors, including resistance to brushing, swallowing toothpaste, and abnormal oral habits, compared to controls. Interestingly, despite these behavioral disadvantages, caries experience was higher in the control group, underscoring the multifactorial and complex nature of caries development. Group type and age emerged as significant predictors of dmft.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.