Exploring disparities in oral health: a comparative study of cochlear implanted and normal-hearing children

Hearing loss is known to impact multiple aspects of a child’s development, including communication, social interaction, and overall well-being. Among these, oral hygiene represents a critical yet often overlooked component. Given that oral health is closely linked to overall wellness and socio-emotional well-being, and especially when maintaining optimal oral health, it is essential to investigate the specific challenges encountered by children with hearing impairment, particularly those using cochlear implants (CIs), This study aimed to investigate differences in oral hygiene and dental health between cochlear-implanted (CI) and normal-hearing (NH) children. Forty CIs (25 girls, 15 boys) and 44 NH children (22 girls, 22 boys) between the ages of 6 and 13 years who had no neurological or developmental problems participated in this cross-sectional study. The Decayed, Missing, Filled, Total (DMFT/dmft) index and the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S) were used to evaluate oral-dental health, and a survey about parental education levels and the demographic characteristics of the participants was conducted. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 29.0.0.0 and Open Epi Program. The normality of the data distribution was assessed with the Kolmogorov‒Smirnov test. Non-parametric tests were used for non-normally distributed data, and the Mann–Whitney U test was applied to compare the oral hygiene index between the groups. Categorical variables were compared using the Pearson’s chi-square test. Significant differences in oral and dental health were detected between CI and NH children (p < 0.05). The mean OHI-S for the CI group was 3.86 ± 1.95, while it was 2.38 ± 0.87 for the NH group. The mean DMFT/dmft scores between the CI and NH participants were 5.48 ± 3.69 and 3.31 ± 2.57, respectively (p < 0.05). In the CI group, the parental education level was significantly lower than in the NH group (p < 0.001, OR = 11.80). Despite similar hearing, speech, and academic development between CI and NH peers, the impact of lower parental education levels on oral health in CI children was notable. This study revealed that there are significant differences between CIs and NHs in terms of oral health and that mothers’ education levels, tooth-brushing habits, and the frequency of dental visits may have yielded crucial contributions to these differences.