Professional Assessment of Oral Health Status of Children in Residential Care Homes in Lagos State

Children in residential care homes represent a particularly vulnerable population for unmet dental needs, and professional assessment of their oral health status and service access in Lagos informs child welfare and dental public health policy. This study professionally assessed the oral health status and dental care access of children in residential care homes in Lagos Island, Ikeja, and Epe Local Government Areas, Lagos State. A comprehensive oral health assessment was conducted among 280 children aged 5 to 17 years in eight registered care homes. Assessment covered DMFT and dmft indices, periodontal status, gingival index, oral mucosal examination, and functional assessments including pain and chewing difficulty. Structured interviews with care home management collected data on dental care access, frequency of professional visits, oral hygiene supervision, and caregiver training. Results showed a mean DMFT of 3.47 and high untreated caries component at 86.2 percent. Periodontal disease was identified in 42.9 percent. Dental pain was reported by 38.6 percent of children in the preceding month. Only two of eight care homes had received a dental outreach visit in the preceding year. Caregiver training in oral hygiene supervision was absent in all homes. Recommendations include quarterly dental outreach programmes to all registered care homes in Lagos, training care home staff in oral hygiene assistance, inclusion of dental assessment in NAPTIP child welfare guidelines, and establishment of a Lagos State dental care package for residential children.

Keywords: oral health, children in care homes, Lagos State, dental access, child welfare