ABSTRACT
@# 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.