Effectiveness of Audio-Tactile Performance Versus Other Oral Health Education Methods in Improving Oral Health in Visually Impaired Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.

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The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of audio-tactile performance (ATP) versus other oral health education methods in improving the oral health status of visually challenged children and adolescents. The review was carried out based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A systematic search was performed on the effectiveness of ATP in improving the oral health of visually impaired children. The search was conducted in Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, Embase, Lilacs, Web of Science, and Cochrane until December 2022. The risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB-2) was used to analyze the risk of bias. Meta-analysis was carried out for included studies that made similar comparisons and reported the same outcome measures. The initial search retrieved 368 records, of which nine studies were included for qualitative synthesis. Out of the nine included studies, five studies were included for quantitative synthesis. Two studies evaluating plaque index at 180 days (MD = -0.10; p = 0.0009; CI = -0.17 to -0.02) and five studies evaluating gingival index at 90 days (MD = -0.15; p < 0.00001; CI= -0.21 to -0.09) exhibited a significant mean difference favoring ATP. Three studies that evaluated gingival index at 30 days and 180 days showed significant mean differences (MD = -0.27; p < 0.000; CI = -0.40 to -0.15 and MD = -0.09; p = 0.01; CI= -0.15 to -0.02) favoring ATP. The ATP technique produced significant improvements in oral health when compared with other conventional techniques. However, the studies had high heterogeneity, and hence, the result must be inferred with caution.