Assessment of dental caries prevalence among institutionalized visually impaired children in delhi state

Aim: To assess the prevalence of dental caries in visually impaired children and adults aged 6–25 years attending special schools in Delhi. Materials and Methods: A total of 1131 visually impaired individuals studying in various special care institutions in Delhi were examined. Extraoral as well as intraoral examinations were carried out and decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) index and decayedextracted-filled teeth (deft) index were used. The relevant findings were entered in the proforma. Result: It was seen that of 285 students in the mixed dentition group, 77 individuals had dental caries constituting 27.02%; whereas in the other group, of 1131, 575 individuals presented with DMFT scores constituting 50.84%. On the whole, it was noted that 44.3% of the individuals were caries free in both the groups. Conclusion: The DMFT index showed a cumulative increase with age. As age advanced, the incidence increased. Dental caries prevalence was more in males as compared to females.