Assessment of oral health status with visually impaired children in Patna City, Bihar

Abstract

Aim: Children with a visually impairment often face various challenges in their day-to-day skills. Oral hygiene maintenance is one major task for them. Such child has difficulty to live current normal life and demands of permission or healthy life. The present study aims to assess the oral health in children with visually impaired using oral health status assessment tool in Patna city. Methodology: A cross-sectional institutional survey was implicated among visually impaired children who attend special school in Patna city. A total of 180 visually impaired children were selected as per the inclusion criteria. Participant's parents gave written consent for the study. The oral hygiene practices of visually impaired children were recorded by teachers. Oral health assessment tool (OHAT) findings were recorded by the principal investigator. Results: Sixty-seven percent of children had gingival inflammation and 59.8% had normal tongue. 55.2% of children had 1–3 decayed or broken teeth and 16.1% had unhealthy natural teeth. 78.7% of children had change in oral hygiene. Conclusion: Oral health status of visually impaired child was very poor and gingivitis was also seen according to usage of oral hygiene assessment tool(OHAT). The sentence should be chaged as Oral health status of visually impaired child was very poor and gingivitis was also seen according to usage of oral hygiene assessment tool (OHAT).

Keywords

• care giver
• oral health
• visually impairment