Comparison of oral health status, oral health knowledge and oral hygiene practices in non-sighted and sighted institutionalized children of sangli

Introduction - Oral health is an important aspect of health for all children, but it is all the more important for children with special health needs. Visually impaired individuals are at a greater risk of developing oral diseases like periodontal disease and dental caries because of greater difficulty in attaining good oral hygiene. Method - In our study, a total of 42 Non sighted and sighted children were asked a questionnaire in their language in order to evaluate the Oral hygiene practices and Oral health knowledge. Later, DMF/def index and OHI-S index was recorded to determine Oral health status. Results - There was no significant difference in Oral hygiene practices, and Oral Health Knowledge amongst both the groups however the blind group had high caries score and poor oral hygiene as compared to the sighted group and the difference was statistically significant. Conclusion - Non-Sighted children are burdened with the heavy load of dental caries and periodontal problems as compared to sighted children in spite of having similar oral hygiene practices and oral health knowledge