Comparison of impact of oral hygiene instructions given via sign language and validated customized oral health education skit video on oral hygiene status of children with hearing impairment.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Children with special health-care needs have limitations in oral hygiene performance due to their potential motor, sensory, and intellectual disabilities and so are more prone to have compromised oral health.

AIM:

This study aimed to compare the impact of oral hygiene instructions given via sign language and a validated customized oral health education skit video on oral hygiene status of children with hearing impairment (CHI).

SETTINGS AND DESIGN:

Ethical clearance was obtained from the institutional ethical committee for research activities. The study was carried out across CHI schools of Wardha district, Maharashtra, India.

METHODOLOGY:

Sixty-eight CHI, within the age group of 6-13 years, were divided into two educational intervention groups: customized oral health educational video (Group A) and sign language (Group B). A structured questionnaire was designed to gather information about the routine oral hygiene practices via the Indian Sign Language. Baseline Gingival Index (GI)-S and Plaque Index-S indices were recorded. Based on the group assigned, oral hygiene instructions were given on a daily basis. Reassessment was done after 4 weeks.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS:

Unpaired t-tests were performed (P < 0.05) to determine if significant differences exist between the two groups.

RESULTS:

Postintervention plaque scores between Group A and Group B were 0.12 ± 0.22 and 0.07 ± 0.22, respectively, and the difference between the two was statistically insignificant (P = 0.330). For GI, scores in Group A and Group B were 0.03 ± 0.12 and 0.04 ± 0.12, respectively, and the difference was statistically insignificant (P = 0.669).

CONCLUSION:

Both sign language and the validated customized video modeling have been proved to be positively influencing the oral hygiene status of CHI equivalently.

• Authors: Sudhindra Baliga M, Meghana Ajay Deshpande, Nilima Thosar, Nilesh Rathi, Sphurti Bane, Pranjali Deulkar
• Journal: Journal of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry (J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent) 2020 Jan-Mar Vol. 38 Issue 1 Pg. 20-25 ISSN: 1998-3905 [Electronic] India
• PMID: 32174625 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Child
• Health Education, Dental
• Hearing Loss
• Humans
• India
• Oral Health
• Oral Hygiene
• Sign Language