Comparative evaluation of dental caries experience among 12-15 year old school children with and without hearing and speech impairment at Belagavi city, India

Dental care is often overlooked for children with disabilities, including those with hearing and speech impairments, despite its critical importance. A study comparing the caries profiles of 12- to 15-year-old hearing and speech-impaired schoolchildren with their typical peers using Cariogram involved 140 participants from three schools. Using WHO Dentition Status 2013, clinical examinations revealed significantly higher mean Decayed Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) scores among children with hearing and speech impairments (6.80 ± 6.002) compared to typical children (1.26 ± 1.719), a difference that was statistically significant (p < 0.001) predicting high caries risk. The findings highlight the caries experience in the impaired group, underscoring the need for targeted preventive and treatment measures. Early caries risk assessment and timely dental care is essential to improve oral health outcomes for this vulnerable population.