Oral health should be considered when working with adults with intellectual disabilities, and larger, higher-quality studies in this area are needed

Commentary on: Ward LM, Cooper SA, Hughes-McCormack L, et al . Oral health of adults with intellectual disabilities: a systematic review. J Intelle t Disabil Res 2019;63:1359–78. doi:10.1111/jir.12632 Poor oral health can have a harmful influence on an individual’s self-esteem, self-image, social interaction, stress, mood and can cause other health problems.1 In a previous systematic review, it was highlighted that adults with intellectual disabilities were more likely to experience poor oral health compared with the general public.2 Since this publication there has been a wide range of international research and policy development looking at specifically improving oral health for adults with intellectual disabilities.3 This …