Background: Parents, usually, are the primary decision makers on matters affecting their child's overall health including oral health. Owing to the lack of cooperation, co-occurring disorders and its financial burden on parents, oral health is often neglected in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice towards oral health care among parents of ASD children. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at an Autistic school for children, in North Bengaluru. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, which was distributed to 60 parents. Oral examination of the children was done to record gingival status using dichotomous scale and dentition status was recorded using decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT)/dmft indices. Descriptive analysis was performed. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science Version 19.0 (IBM Corp. Released 2010. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 19.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). Results: About 76.9% of the parents had the knowledge that oral health affects the overall health of the child. 40.4% thought that they should consult a pediatric dentist when the child had dental problems. 71.2% parents felt the importance of maintaining primary teeth. However 61.5% did not want any treatment for decay in primary teeth. 82.7% parents brushed their child's teeth once daily. 94.2% of the parents used conventional toothbrushes for their children. Attitudes and practice of parents seemed to be governed by financial restraints, and preconceived notions regarding co-operation of their child. Conclusion: The knowledge towards oral health was noted to be inadequate among majority of the parents. Furthermore, parents whose knowledge was adequate had not incorporated healthy daily practices. Parents of ASD children need to be educated about consequences of oral health neglect and importance of regular check-ups. Education of parents, access to dental care and affordability of oral health care services for this special group are critical factors for achieving optimal oral health in these patients.

Background: Oral health is an integral part of overall health of all children. The maintenance of oral health of hearing impaired children is a challenging problem; due to lack of communicative skills and access to dental care. There is a need to improve oral health of children with hearing impairment (CHI). The aim is to evaluate the impact of oral health education (OHE) intervention on the plaque scores among hearing impaired children. Materials and Methods: A total of 56 institutionalized CHI aged range 5-17 years were selected for this study. Oral hygiene status was assessed using Turesky-GilmoreGlickman modification of the Quigley-Hein plaque index, dentition status along with decayed, missing, filled, surfaces were recorded. OHE along with the proper tooth brushing technique was demonstrated using a tooth model and a brush. Oral hygiene status was reassessed after 21 days and the data obtained were analyzed. Results: A paired t-test and one-way analysis of variance was used to test the difference between the groups. In all the above tests, P < 0.05 was accepted as indicating statistical significance. A significant reduction in the plaque scores was seen in all the primary (0.323), mixed (0.231) and permanent dentition of children (0.200), with the plaque score reduction being more in the permanent dentition (P < 0.001). Conclusion: OHE was effective in reducing the plaque scores in hearing impaired children. Different modalities for constant motivation and reinforcement in maintaining a good oral hygiene methods should be evaluated in children with special health care needs.