Results of oral health and hygiene education in an institution for multiple handicapped children in Indonesia

In a collaboration between the Dutch and Indonesian Dental Associations a system for oral health care for multiple handicapped children was initiated in a large care and rehabilitation institution in Jakarta, Indonesia. Part of the project was to develop a programme for oral health and hygiene education (OHE), with a specific plaque control component. This programme was aimed not only at the handicapped children but also at their parents and the teaching and (para) medical staff of the institution. A study to investigate the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of the OHE programme was carried out over a period of 2 1/2 years. The programme was well accepted, effective and of clinical significance. It is probably one of the first of its kind in a developing country.