Among persons with disabilities access to oral care can be challenging for the individual, their guardian and/or caregiver. The prevalence of having visited a dentist in the past year among adults with disabilities is 60.3% as compared to 70.6% among non-disabled individuals. Interactive data maps for dental visits and dental cleanings are available for viewing in the Disability and Health Data System.

Oral conditions often seen in persons with disabilities include:

• dental caries
• periodontal disease
• pulpal disease
• malocclusion
• xerostomia
• abnormal eruption patterns
• trauma and injury
• mucosal lesions
• oral infections
• harmful oral habits
• self-injurious behaviors (SIB)

Factors that contribute to an increase incidence in the oral conditions listed above include:

• difficulty in maintaining adequate prevention and home care
• lack of dedicated caregiver assistance in performing routine oral hygiene
• lack of routine professional oral health care visits
• limited number of oral health care professionals willing to treat
• number, type and side-effects of therapeutic medications
• dietary and nutritional abnormalities
• comorbid medical diagnoses such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and bulimia
• limited coverage provided through federal and state health insurance entities