Aim To assess the oral hygiene status, knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) in visually impaired children before and after imparting 3 different modes of oral health education. Methodology and results The present study was a nonrandomized interventional study conducted among visually impaired school children. Ninety visually impaired children aged 12–15 years were selected by lottery method and divided into 3 groups (30 children each). Group 1: ATP (audio, tactile, performance technique), Group 2: Braille, and Group 3: ATP + Braille. Twenty‐item verbal questionnaire was developed to record their knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding oral hygiene before and after imparting oral health education. The oral hygiene status was recorded and compared using plaque and gingival index after 21‐day, 1‐, 6‐, and 9‐month interval. ANOVA, Tukey's post hoc, repeated measures ANOVA, and McNemar test were used. Group 3 showed highest percentage of reduction in plaque (55%) and gingival (52%) scores when compared with Group 1 and Group 2. Conclusion The combination of ATP (audio, tactile, and performance technique) and Braille is an effective way to improve oral hygiene status in visually impaired children. The KAP among these children also improved significantly after imparting oral health education.

Many of the socio-demographic and dietary factors were significantly associated with ECC. It would be appropriate to plan health education strategies for parents and care takers by inculcating socio-demographic factors with emphasis on reduced sucrose intake. ECC should be regarded as a serious public health problem.

Belgaum district of Karnataka state is well known for high production and consumption of tobacco in Southern India. This study aimed to investigate the rural population's awareness of oral cancer, precancerous lesions and their risk factors. Data were collected via face to face interviews using a pretested and validated questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised two parts: part one had questions concerning socio-demographic data and part two consisted of 25 questions pertaining to people's attitudes to and awareness of risk factors for oral cancer and precancerous lesions. One researcher interviewed participants and recorded the responses verbatim. Of the participants, 17% identified all the symptoms of oral cancer and 27.8% identified all the symptoms of oral precancerous lesions. Approximately 90% of the participants had never noticed statutory warnings on tobacco and alcohol products. Awareness was especially poor in people of lower socio-economic status. This study highlights a need for education concerning the risk factors for oral cancer, its clinical manifestations and the impact of adverse habits on long term health. Health education campaigns emphasizing oral cancer need to be integrated with broader public health messages.

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This study evaluated the potential of a novel pre-validated “Picture Assisted Illustration Reinforcement” (PAIR) communication system and conventional verbal techniques for Oral Health Education (OHE) in terms of dentition status, gingival health, oral hygiene status, and practices in 7- to 18-year-old children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). A double-blind randomized controlled trial was undertaken in a school for children with autism from July to September 2022. A total of 60 children were randomly assigned into two groups: a PAIR group (n = 30) and a Conventional group (n = 30). Cognition and pre-evaluation of all the children were assessed by standardized scaling measures. A pre-validated closed-ended questionnaire was administered to caregivers of both groups. At a 12-week post-intervention, a clinical examination was performed using the World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Assessment form 2013, gingival and Oral Hygiene Index Simplified (OHI-S). The gingival scores in the PAIR group (0.35 ± 0.12) exhibited a statistically significant decline in scores as compared to Conventional group (0.83 ± 0.37), p = 0.043. Meanwhile, the oral hygiene scores in the PAIR group and Conventional group were 1.22 ± 0.14 and 1.94 ± 0.15, respectively (p < 0.05). A significant improvement in oral hygiene practices was observed in the PAIR group. Incorporating the PAIR technique resulted in significant progress in child cognitive ability and adaptive behavior, which reduced gingival scores and improved oral hygiene scores, consequently improving oral hygiene practices among children with ASD.