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Updated: Oct 7, 2025

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Assessment of Oral Health Status with Visually Impaired Children in Patna City, Bihar
Santosh Anand1, Kumari Kavita2, Amresh Pandey1
1Department of Prosthodontics, Crown, Bridge and Implantology, Patna Dental College and Hospital, Patna, Bihar, India.
Insights
Oral health among visually impaired children in Patna is poor, with high rates of gingival inflammation and dental issues. This highlights a critical need for targeted oral hygiene interventions for this population.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatric Dentistry
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Visually impaired children encounter significant daily challenges, impacting essential self-care skills like oral hygiene.
- Maintaining oral health is crucial for overall well-being and quality of life in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the oral health status of visually impaired children in Patna.
- To identify specific oral health challenges faced by this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a special school in Patna.
- 180 visually impaired children participated, with parental consent obtained.
- Oral hygiene practices were recorded by teachers, and oral health was assessed using the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT).
Main Results:
- A high prevalence of gingival inflammation (67%) was observed.
- 55.2% of children had 1-3 decayed or broken teeth, and 16.1% had unhealthy natural teeth.
- Significant changes in oral hygiene were noted in 78.7% of participants.
Conclusions:
- The oral health status of visually impaired children in Patna is alarmingly poor.
- Gingivitis is prevalent among this population, underscoring the need for improved oral care.
- Findings emphasize the necessity of tailored oral health programs for visually impaired children.
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).
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