Needs for dental treatment in handicapped children.

The study covered 96 handicapped children, 3-17 years old. Complex dental treatment was performed in all children: under general anaesthesia in 45.83% and ambulant treatment in 54.17%. The study found high frequency of dental caries both in deciduous and permanent teeth. Mean numbers of tooth decay, extractions and fillings (d, m, f and D, M, F for deciduous and permanent teeth, respectively) were high. The dental treatment index was low, unsatisfactory especially in deciduous teeth. Dental care provided for handicapped children needs to be intensified, with special attention paid to preventive measures. It is important to make the parents of handicapped children with systemic disease aware of early prevention and treatment.