ORAL HEALTH OF INSTITUTIONALIZED INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL-RETARDATION

A random 10% (n = 702) of the residents of the Texas Department of Men tal Health and Mental Retardation (TXMHMR) institutions were given den tal examinations by the first author. Findings were compared with resu lts from a similar survey of 1,077 residents by the same investigator 9 years earlier. Data were analyzed for oral pathology, unmet dental n eeds, contribution of dental care to habilitation, and effectiveness o f the dental service system. Some improvements were found in dental co ndition, although the results were sometimes difficult to interpret. S ome differences may be related to changes in client age and average le ngth of stay and to a shift toward institutionalization of individuals with more severe disabilities. Other differences appear to be the res ult of better dental care in state institutions.