A systematic review of original studieswas conducted to determine if differ-ences in oral health exist betweenadults who have intellectual disabilities(ID) and the general population.Electronic searching identified 27 studies that met the inclusion criteria.These studies were assessed forstrength of evidence.People with ID have poorer oralhygiene and higher prevalence andgreater severity of periodontal disease.Caries rates in people with ID are thesame as or lower than the general popu-lation. However, the rates of untreatedcaries are consistently higher in peoplewith ID. Two subgroups at especiallyhigh risk for oral health problems arepeople with Down syndrome andpeople unable to cooperate for routinedental care.Evidence supports the need todevelop strategies to increase patientacceptance for routine care, additionaltraining for dentists to provide this care,and the development of more effectivepreventive strategies to minimize theneed for this care.