Educative Intervention in the Oral Hygiene of People with Down Syndrome: A Quasi-experimental Study

Aims: To determine the effect of an educative intervention on the oral hygiene of people with Down Syndrome in two special education schools in Celaya, Gto.

Study Design: Quantitative, correlational, quasi-experimental study.

Place and Duration of Study: The experimental group of the school of Special Education Mariana and the control group of the Center of Attention Multiple Henri Wallon in Celaya, Gto, between May 2016 and April 2017.

Methodology: We included 30 students (14 men, 16 women; age range 6-21 years) with Down Syndrome. An instrument based on Orem's theory was used to evaluate self-care abilities in oral hygiene and a National Autonomous University of Mexico format of personal control of the dentobacterial plaque. The intervention "Oral hygiene in people with Down Syndrome" was implemented. All was analyzed with Student t for paired means and Student t for independent groups, and P-value.

Results: Self-care skills showed a significant change after the nursing intervention (P = .009), knowledge (P = .02) and skills (P = .003); which had no significant difference were motivations (P = .23) and the percentage of dentobacterial plaque (P = .40).

Conclusion: It is fundamental to apply a nursing intervention to improve the oral hygiene of people with Down Syndrome favoring their capacities for self-care and preventing oral pathologies. But nurses need more training in psychoeducation to improve motivation in people.