THE EFFECT OF CHEWING FREE SUGAR GUM (XYLITOL) ON PLAQUE REDUCTION IN CHILDREN WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

Abstract

Dental plaque is a collection of soft deposits of microorganisms, the main cause of caries. Children with special needs has bad habits of maintaining dental health, dental and oral health problems are often caused by sugar that is fertilized in the mouth so that plaque buildup occurs, xylitol gum is self-cleansing so that it can be used as an effort to control plaque. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of chewing free sugar gum (xylitol) on the reduction of plaque in children with disabilities in the State of Aceh Province. Method The Quasi Experimental research method with a Pre-Posttest non-equivalent control group design was carried out on 30 children with mild disabilities who were divided into 2 groups, namely the intervention group with the treatment of chewing xylitol gum and the control group with the treatment of chewing non-xylitol chewing gum.  Research results  using  the  Paired  T-Test showed that P= 0.000 and P=0.002 means p<0.05. conclusion is that there is an Effect of Chewing Free Sugar (Xylitol) Gum on Reducing Plaque in Handicapped Children in the State of Aceh  Province.  Suggestion  for  teachers  and  parents  can  provide  counseling  to  visually impaired children to brush their teeth at least 2 times a day and the benefits of chewing xylitol gum for dental and oral health