title: Oral health knowledge, practice, oral hygiene status, and dental caries prevalence among visually impaired children in Bangalore.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Visually impaired children daily face challenges for bearing their everyday skills. Maintenance of proper oral hygiene is one among them.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to assess the oral health knowledge, practice, oral hygiene status, and dental caries prevalence among visually impaired children in Bangalore.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 85 children were asked verbally a questionnaire regarding the frequency of brushing, cleaning tools, use of dentifrice, knowledge about the role of sugar in producing dental decay, and frequency of visit to the dentist. All children were screened and DMF and def scores were recorded and oral hygiene status were assessed by Green and Vermillion index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Green and Vermillion index. Kruskal Wallis Chi square test was performed and no statistically significant results were obtained with DMF and def scores as well as OHI scores across different ages in the range of 8 to 13 years. A highly statistically significant result was obtained with dental caries prevalence and oral hygiene status of visually impaired children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study shows not much worsening of oral health status in the study population. A little extra care by the parent or caretaker regarding oral hygiene can give drastic results in reduction of dental caries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, V. S. Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India. prashdoc@yahoo.co.in
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Prashanth
authors.forename: Sudhanshu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhatnagar
authors.forename: Usha Mohan
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gopu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003802:Dentifrices / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000009:adverse effects; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D015995:Prevalence; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D003802:Dentifrices; D019422:Dietary Sucrose