Impact of Oral Health Education on Visually Impaired Adolescents in Tamil Nadu: A Randomized Controlled Trial

To assess and compare the effectiveness of two educational approaches for oral health among visually impaired adolescents aged 10-21 years in Tamil Nadu.

A randomized controlled trial with a double-blind, parallel-arm design was carried out among visually impaired adolescents, with an estimated sample size of 370. Participants were randomly assigned to group A (Braille and audio aids) or group B (Braille, audio, Audio Tactile Performance technique, and Novel Tactile Graphics). Assessments were conducted at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months, including the improvement in plaque score, gingival score, and oral health knowledge. Data were analyzed using Student's t-test and Chi-squared test, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

When compared to group A, group B demonstrated a significant reduction in plaque and gingival index scores at follow-ups compared to baseline (p < 0.05), indicating improved oral hygiene, gingival health, and plaque control, which was statistically significant p < 0.05, underscoring the superior efficacy of the intervention. Mean plaque scores post intervention were 1.46 ± 0.48 (group A) and 1.44 ± 0.74 (group B); mean gingival scores were 1.54 ± 0.45 (group A) and 1.36 ± 0.32 (group B), with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). The intragroup comparisons showed statistically significant differences from baseline to 6 months for both groups.

The findings of this study revealed that the oral health education techniques, like audio-tactile performance (ATP), tactile graphics, were more effective than the traditional combination of Audio and Braille text in promoting proper oral hygiene among visually impaired children.

Visually impaired adolescents face barriers to oral health education. The use of ATP with Novel Tactile Graphics offers an effective, accessible, and user-friendly educational tool to improve oral health among visually impaired adolescents. These results highlight the importance of multisensory, interactive approaches in overcoming educational barriers and improving health outcomes in special-needs populations.