We appreciate the comments of Drs. Keels, Gosnell, Casamassimo, and Shirley on our
research article, “Low Rates of Preventive Healthcare Services Utilization Among Adolescents
and Adults with Down Syndrome,”
1
highlighting the importance of oral health care in this population. Dr. Keels and
colleagues highlight both the benefit of routine dental services overall
2
and the particular relevance of oral health care in people with Down syndrome, owing
to higher rates of congenital heart disease, acute leukemias, and autistic spectrum
disorder in this population, all of which are adversely affected by periodontal disease.
- Ferreira R
- Michel RC
- Greghi SL
- et al.
Prevention and periodontal treatment in Down syndrome patients: a systematic review.
PLoS One. 2016; 11e0158339https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158339
3
,4
We strongly agree that regular dental care is important for people with Down syndrome
throughout their lifetime. However, our evaluation of preventive healthcare patterns
in adolescents and adults with Down syndrome was conducted using Medicaid claims data
from 2006 to 2010 in California, Colorado, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. Unfortunately,
there was no consistent level of coverage for dental care in adults accessing Medicaid
across these states during this time period, and thus this could not be included in
our study. Further work on the preventive needs of people with Down syndrome should
include the full range of both medical and dental care.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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REFERENCES
- Low rates of preventive healthcare service utilization among adolescents and adults with Down syndrome.Am J Prev Med. 2021; 60: 1-12https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2020.06.009
- Prevention and periodontal treatment in Down syndrome patients: a systematic review.PLoS One. 2016; 11e0158339https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158339
- Dental caries risk varies among subgroups of children with special health care needs.Pediatr Dent. 2019; 41 (https://aapd.publisher.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/aapd/pd/2019/00000041/00000005/art00008. Accessed June 11, 2021): 378-384
- Down syndrome.N Engl J Med. 2020; 382: 2344-2352https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1706537
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© 2021 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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- Importance of Oral Health for Adolescents and Adults With Down SyndromeAmerican Journal of Preventive MedicineVol. 61Issue 4
- PreviewWe congratulate the authors of the article entitled, “Low Rates of Preventive Healthcare Service Utilization Among Adolescents and Adults with Down Syndrome,” highlighting the specific lifelong preventive healthcare needs required by individuals with Down syndrome.1 We would like to stress the importance of oral health care among this population. The increased risk of periodontal disease experienced by individuals with Down syndrome as they age owing to an impaired immune system is well documented.
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