Evaluation of the effectiveness of oral hygiene techniques performed by caregivers in paediatric patients with PCI and ASD in specialised care facilities.
Description
The oral hygiene of paediatric patients with cerebral palsy (CP) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is greatly influenced by the quality of oral care provided by their parents or caregivers, as motor, cognitive and behavioural limitations prevent them from brushing their own teeth. This study hypothesised that the effectiveness of caregivers' oral hygiene techniques has a direct impact on patients' oral hygiene, and that a lack of caregiver training may hinder good dental health maintenance. To evaluate this hypothesis, an observational, cross-sectional study was conducted among paediatric patients diagnosed with ASD and PCI who were treated at the Vida y Esperanza Private Foundation and the José Manuel Rodríguez Tavares School for Deaf-Blindness and Multiple Disabilities. Data were collected through a questionnaire administered to parents or caregivers, as well as through a clinical evaluation of the patients. The questionnaire covered aspects related to oral hygiene, tooth brushing (frequency and methods), patient cooperation during this process, sociodemographic characteristics, and the training received by caregivers. The data collected suggest that the majority of patients had good oral hygiene. However, a significant proportion showed fair or poor oral hygiene due to incorrect or improvable brushing techniques. Furthermore, it was found that a significant proportion of caregivers had not received training in oral hygiene for patients with special needs. This poses an obstacle to the implementation of effective preventive practices. Additionally, the frequency of tooth brushing and strategies for managing uncooperative patients varied. These data enable analysis of the relationship between caregivers' oral hygiene practices and the oral health status of children with PCI and ASD. The dataset can be used for studies related to oral health in patients with special needs, as well as for educational programmes for caregivers, health promotion and the development of preventive plans focused on optimising the quality of dental care for this population.
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Steps to reproduce
Data collection took place at the Vida y Esperanza Private Foundation and the José Manuel Rodríguez Tavares School for Deaf, Blind and Multidisabled Children, after authorisation was obtained from the institutions and informed consent forms were signed by the parents or guardians of the participants. Data were collected using a questionnaire that had previously been validated by paediatric dentistry specialists. This information was then organised into a Microsoft Excel database for subsequent statistical analysis. The dataset was compiled in accordance with the study's inclusion and exclusion criteria. Records containing incomplete, missing or illegible information were excluded from the final dataset. The remaining records were reviewed, coded and organised according to the study variables, which included age, sex, level of oral hygiene, brushing techniques, parental behavioural management during brushing and conditions such as PCI or ASD. Microsoft Excel was used for data entry, cleaning and organisation, and for preparing the dataset for statistical analysis. Frequencies and percentages were calculated to summarise the categorical variables and graphical representations were generated to facilitate data interpretation. This workflow enabled the creation of a structured dataset suitable for assessing the prevalence and characteristics of patients with PCI and ASD who sought care at specialised healthcare institutions.