Comparison on the effect of oral hygiene status before and after supervised oral health maintenance in special children

Abstract

Introduction: The dental health of people with disabilities has been reported to be worse than that of normal people. Maintenance of oral hygiene by tooth brushing is the most important and effective way of reducing levels of plaque and gingivitis. Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of supervised tooth brushing in various special schools of Mathura district. Materials and Methodology: 160 subjects (6-14years) were selected for the study and the participants were divided into four groups depending upon their disability as: Down's syndrome, Cerebral palsy, Autism spectrum disorder & Hearing impaired. Baseline of half of the subjects were maintained; Gingival & plaque index were recorded followed by oral hygiene instructions to all the children, supervising staff and caregivers. Plaque and gingival index were recorded again in 3 months and again reminded the taught technique & subsequently a 6 months follow-up. Result: Gingival health status was improved in all the groups. Statistical significant result was found in Plaque index of hearing impaired whose baseline were maintained and statistical analysis was done using paired t-test. Conclusion: School based dental programs for oral health education should be done regularly and frequently as it will help in avoiding the expensive and lengthy dental procedures.