Parents' Motivation of Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Improving Their Children's Oral and Dental Hygiene

Health is a comprehensive state of well-being that includes physical, mental, spiritual, and social aspects, allowing individuals to lead productive social and economic lives. Among various health concerns, oral health plays a vital role as it directly impacts overall health. Oral hygiene, defined as the absence of plaque and tartar in the mouth, is essential to maintain this health. This study aims to explore parents' motivation in supporting their intellectually disabled children to improve oral hygiene at SLB C Autis Negeri Tuban in 2024. The research method using an analytical approach, the research involved purposive sampling of 47 parents and their children. Descriptive analysis and bivariate Spearman’s rank correlation test were applied to analyze the data. The results demonstrated a significant positive relationship between parental motivation and improvements in the oral hygiene of intellectually disabled students. It can be concluded that stronger parental motivation contributes to better oral hygiene outcomes, as reflected in improved Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S) scores among these students.