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

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. 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). 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. 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. Unpaired t-tests were performed (P < 0.05) to determine if significant differences exist between the two groups. 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). Both sign language and the validated customized video modeling have been proved to be positively influencing the oral hygiene status of CHI equivalently.