Data on the oral health needs
of adults with disabilities are
limited. Overall within the UK
oral health has improved considerably in th
e past three decades across the population;
however, inequalities persist. Oral health survey
s of adults with learning disabilities in the
UK have found: poor oral hygiene and high
prevalence of periodontal (gum) diseases; a
wide range of prevalence estimates of tooth decay; more missing teeth than general
population and more untreated disease for adul
ts living in the community than those in
institutions (British Society for Disability and Health et al., 2001).