Oral health inequalities between differently abled and healthy school children in Bengaluru-A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

To assess oral health inequalities between differently-abled and healthy school children. The study was conducted on a sample of 300 differently-abled and 300 healthy school children in Bengaluru. A calibrated investigator recorded oral health status according to World Health Organization (WHO) proforma 2013. Chi-square/Fisher exact test, Mann-Whitney U test, and multiple logistic regression were applied. A p-value<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Mean DMFT in the study group and the control group was 1.32 ± 1.36 and 1.25 ± 1.21 respectively. In the study group, 52.7% had gingival bleeding compared to 41.0% in the control group. Within the study group, children who belonged to the lower middle class (aOR=2.02) were more likely to have caries experience whereas visually impaired children (aOR=0.32), speech and hearing impaired children (OR=0.10), children suffering from polio (aOR=0.80), and those with caries-free in deciduous dentition (aOR=0.42) were less likely to have caries experience in permanent teeth (p<0.05). Oral health inequalities exist for differently-abled children. Hence, improvement of their oral health status and priority care are needed.