Oral health status of the visually impaired children--a south Indian study

Oral health is an important aspect of health for all children, and is all the more important for children with special health needs. The oral health of children who are visually impaired can be disadvantaged, since they are often unable to adequately apply the techniques necessary to control plaque. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the oral health status of visually impaired children. A modified WHO oral health assessment form was used to assess oral conditions, oral hygiene status, caries experience and gingival status. The children exhibited suboptimal levels of oral health with majority of the children showing a high caries prevalence as well as moderate to severe gingivitis.