Oral health status of hearing impaired individuals in a school in Vashi, Navi Mumbai

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine the oral health status along with child's access, provider's attitude and parental knowledge towards oral care and barriers to dental care of differently abled children attending a school in Vashi, Navi Mumbai. Methodology: Dental caries was assessed using Dentition Status and Treatment Needs Index (1997) as per WHO criteria. Oral hygiene was assessed using Simplified Oral Hygiene Index. Eighty participants between 3-18 years of age. with hearing disability participated in the study. Results: The DMFT score in was 1.86+/-2.54.The mean oral hygiene score was 1.27+-1.04 showing that the oral hygiene was good. Dental trauma was minimal among these children. Conclusion: In conclusion, encouraging and promoting parents of these children to improve their oral health and developing innovative methods to improve communication between the hearing impaired and health care professional is of utmost importance.