For most adults, toothbrushing and flossing are just part of the daily routine.

But oral hygiene isn’t so easy for people with serious developmental disabilities, such as autism, cerebral palsy or other conditions.

These people often need help with personal-care matters throughout their lives. Consequently, adults with serious developmental disabilities are believed to have a high incidence of oral health problems.

A study published recently in The Journal of the American Dental Association suggests a reason why — caregivers who work with developmentally challenged adults may not provide enough assistance with oral hygiene.

The study involved about 800 caregivers. Eighty-five percent of them were paid professionals, the rest were family members.

The caregivers answered questions about their training, experiences and confidence in providing help with toothbrushing and flossing.

Eighty-five percent of the participants said they provided oral hygiene help. Of that group, almost 80 percent said they assisted with brushing twice a day, as recommended by the American Dental Association. But only about twenty percent helped with flossing once a day, as the A-D-A recommends.

Interestingly, while paid professionals were more diligent about brushing, family members were more diligent about flossing.

When asked to cite reasons why brushing and flossing weren’t done more consistently, the caregivers most often cited behavioral issues on the part of the people they were helping.

They also mentioned lack of time and lack of routine.

The behavioral issues may be a given, but perhaps the problems with time and routine can be addressed. It sure seems worth a try. The quality of someone’s dental health plays a big role in their quality of life.

That holds true for all of us, even people who need a little extra help.