Oral hygiene status in relation to sociodemographic factors of children and adults who are hearing impaired, attending a special school

In: Special care in dentistry: SCD, Volume 28, Issue 6, p. 258-264

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis study examined the oral hygiene levels and periodontal status in a group of children and adults with hearing impairment attending a special school in Udaipur, India. Oral hygiene status was assessed by the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI‐S) of Greene and Vermillion and periodontal status by the Community Periodontal Index. An analysis using a bivariate analysis revealed that all the oral hygiene variables varied significantly with age, economic status, and education of the parents. A multiple regression analysis showed that the education of the mother was the single best predictor for oral hygiene status and explained 92% of the variance. These findings show that children with hearing impairment have poor oral hygiene and high levels of periodontal disease. This may be due to a lack of communication; hence, appropriate oral health education should be tailored to the needs of these students with the support of their teachers and their parents.