ABSTRACT
Background: Children with hearing impairment (CHI) have special accessibility issues to meet their health care needs. Their oral health status is deprived and has wide ranging treatment needs to attend. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the oral health status and treatment needs of CHI attending a special school in Bhimavaram Town, India. Study Design: The study design was a descriptive cross‑sectional study. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in November 2012 at SVS special school for deaf, Bhimavaram, India. This study involved 180 CHI of both genders, aged 6–16 years, divided into Group‑I (6–8 years), Group‑II (9–12 years), and Group‑III (13–16 years). Oral health status and treatment needs were recorded using methods and standards recommended by the WHO for Oral Health Surveys, 1997. Dental caries prevalence (decayed, missing, and filled teeth [DMFT/dmft]), gingivitis levels (Löe, Silness Gingival Index), plaque levels (Silness, Löe Plaque index), and treatment needs were the parameters recorded and analyzed. Statistical Analysis: Z‑test for proportion, one‑way analysis of variance, and Chi‑square test were used to analyze the data. Results: Prevalence of dental caries in the sample was found to be 65% with a mean level of caries prevalence (DMFT) of 1.6 ± 1.3 in Group‑I, 1.9 ± 1.2 in Group‑II, and 2.2 ± 1.2 in Group‑III. About 91.7% of the total children examined needs treatment. The mean plaque and gingivitis scores of the sample were 1.70 ± 0.61 and 1.59 ± 0.58, respectively. Conclusion: These findings imply the overwhelming situation of CHI in oral health perspective. Hence, prevention‑based educational and motivational programs should be targeted to this vital group to achieve adequate oral hygiene levels.