Effect of different methods of education on oral health in children with hearing impairment: A systematic review

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of oral health education is to prevent oral diseases. Literature review indicates that oral hygiene is poor in children with hearing impairment. Different methods have been used to teach oral health to children with hearing impairment. This systematic review was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of different methods of oral health education to improve oral health in children with hearing impairment. METHODS: Two independent researchers searched the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases without language restrictions, and a time limit of up to December 2016. Articles were imported to EndNote software and duplicate articles were removed. Relevant and proper articles were selected after considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quality assessment was carried out, and articles with a score of more than 5 were selected for analysis in the review. RESULTS: Of 453 articles found, 12 were assessed for eligibility based on defined inclusion criteria, and 9 studies were included in the review after quality assessment. Different methods such as video clips and dental models were used to train children. Out of the 9 studies, 8 studies showed a reduction in plaque index, and 4 studies were effective in improving gingival indexes. The results showed that educational intervention was effective in improving oral health. CONCLUSION: Oral health education was effective in improving oral health status in children with hearing impairment without considering the method of education and learning barriers in these children.