Children with visual impairment are reported to be at higher risk of poor oral health. They faced difficulties in basic skills including oral care. For this reason, they may develop dental caries and periodontal disease.
The aim of this study was to assess the oral health status of a group of visually impaired school children in Kuala
Lumpur. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on students from a Special Education School in Kuala
Lumpur. Oral examination was conducted to determine caries experience and oral hygiene status. Caries was measured using DMFT index and simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S) for oral hygiene status. Oral examination was
based on modified World Health Organization (WHO) oral health assessment criteria for children. Chi-square test
was used to determine associations between demographic variables and oral health status. Results: A total of 91
visually impaired students (41 blind, 50 low vision) within the age group of 13 to 17 years old participated in this
study. The mean OHI-S score was 1.68 (SD 0.87) with majority of students had fair oral hygiene (39.6%) and 29.7%
with poor and very poor oral hygiene. The mean DMFT score of total students were 0.80 (SD 1.62). Male students
demonstrated significantly better oral health status than female in relation to prevalence and mean score of dental
caries. Conclusion: Most of the visually impaired children in this study showed fair oral health status. Regular oral
health education is recommended to improve the oral hygiene especially in the totally blind group.