Dental service utilisation and perceptions amongst Indian rural children with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Abstract Purpose The present study investigated the factors affecting dental visits and the perceived need for dental care amongst children and adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) living in rural India. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sample of 160 caregivers, of whom 79% were mothers with a mean age of 32 ± 8.67 years, caring for children with a mean age of 7.45 ± 3.72 years. The caregivers completed a questionnaire that explored various factors affecting dental service utilisation and perceived need for dental care. Indicators of influencing factors were adopted from validated instruments assessing healthcare access and including demographic and socioeconomic variables. Simple univariable logistic regression models were fitted to determine the odds of dental visits and perceived dental need. Results Twenty-three per cent of participants reported dental visits, whilst 29% perceived a need for dental care. Factors that significantly affected dental visits were demographic variables such as type of disability (OR 3.34; 95% CI 1.32, 8.48), child’s age (OR 4.87; 95% CI 1.59, 14.91), and the availability of information regarding oral care (OR 3.51; 95% CI 1.56, 7.90). Other factors that significantly affected dental utilisation were caregivers’ perception regarding child’s oral health (OR 3.67; 95% CI 1.68, 8.02) and the proximity to dental clinics (OR 4.18; 95% CI 1.56, 11.15). Similarly, these variables were associated with increased odds of perceived need for dental care, except for the caregiver’s perception of the child’s oral health (OR 0.21; 95% CI 0.09, 0.46). Additionally, caregivers' perception of the quality of dental care impacted their perceived need for care (OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.67, 0.94). Conclusion Dental visits and perceived need for care were low amongst children and adolescents with IDD in rural India. The lack of information, proximity to dental clinics and quality of care affected dental service utilisation.