Objective: This study was aimed at assessing the impact of Virtual Reality (VR) distraction technique on pain and anxiety in 5–8-year-old children, during short invasive dental procedures. Study design: 120 children, aged 5–8 years, scoring less than 25 on the SCARED questionnaire, scheduled to undergo short invasive dental procedures, were randomly divided into a control (without VR distraction) and study group (with VR distraction) of 60 each. State anxiety levels were assessed in the children from both groups using revised version of Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale, before and after dental treatment. Pain perceived during treatment was assessed using Wong Baker Faces pain rating scale at the end of treatment. Salivary cortisol levels were also assessed before, during and after the dental procedure, in all children. Results: We observed a significant reduction in pain perception and state anxiety in children, using VR distraction (p<0.001, p=0.002). The decrease in salivary cortisol levels was significantly greater in children using VR distraction (p<0.001). Conclusion: Virtual Reality distraction can be used as a successful behavior modification method in children undergoing short invasive dental treatments.

Aim:To assess the effect of oral health education (OHE) in the form of Braille and combination with Oral health talk (OHT) on oral hygiene knowledge, practices, and status of 12–17 years old visually impaired school girls in Pune city.Materials and Methods:A 6-week comparative study was conducted among 74 residential visually impaired school girls aged 12–17 years, who were trained to read Braille. The participants were divided into two groups, namely, Group A (n = 37) receiving OHE only in the form of Braille and Group B (n = 37) receiving OHE in form of Braille and OHT at baseline, 2, and 4-week interval. Oral health knowledge was assessed using a self-administered, pre-validated, pre-tested questionnaire typed in Marathi Braille. Assessment of oral hygiene practices and status was done using standardized proforma and simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), respectively, at baseline and at the end of 6 weeks. Data was analyzed using paired and unpaired Student's t-test.Results:The results showed a statistically significant increase in oral health knowledge levels in Group B (4.95 ± 1.66) as compared to Group A (2.97 ± 1.28). There was a significant increase in the frequency of mouth-rinsing in Group B (97.3%) as compared to Group A (86.5%) as well as in the tongue cleaning practice in Group B (100%) as compared to Group A (81.1%) at the end of 6 weeks.Conclusion:OHE in the form of Braille and OHT was more effective than OHE using only Braille.

Oral health is an important aspect of health for all children, and is all the more important for children with special health needs. The oral health of children who are visually impaired can be disadvantaged, since they are often unable to adequately apply the techniques necessary to control plaque. Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the oral health status of visually impaired children. Method: A modified WHO oral health assessment form was used to assess oral conditions, oral hygiene status, caries experience and gingival status. Results and conclusion: The children exhibited suboptimal levels of oral health with majority of the children showing a high caries prevalence as well as moderate to severe gingivitis.

Purpose: Dental caries remains the single most common disease of childhood that is neither self-limiting nor amenable to short term pharmacological management. Hence, there is a need to identify and institute preventive measures for those children who are at a greater risk for developing dental caries to determine the prevalence of tasters and non tasters among the group of school aged children. To compare and contrast the prevalence of dental caries, S.mutans levels and dietary preferences in children with different genetic sensitivity levels to the bitter taste of PROP. Method: A total no of 500 children belonging to the age group of 6-12 years of both sexes were recruited from A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences in Mangalore, India. PROP sensitivity test was carried out to determine the inherent genetic ability to taste a bitter or sweet substance. Estimation of Streptococcus mutans levels were done, a questionnaire was given to evaluate their dietary habits and the caries experience was recorded. Collected data were tabulated and subjected for statistical analysis using Pearson Chi – square test of significance. Results: The results suggested that there was increase in the caries experience and S.mutans levels among the group of non tasters as compared to tasters. Tasters tended to be sweet dislikers and non tasters tended to be sweet likers. On the whole tasters had a healthier dentition as compared to non tasters. Conclusion: The PROP test proved to be a useful tool in determining the genetic sensitivity levels of bitter taste. Knowledge of an individuals taste perception can help us in identifying the children who are at higher risk for dental caries.

Objectives: To assess the Oral Health Status (OHS) of visually impaired children in South India, to devise and implement a specially designed Oral Health Education (OHE) program for them and to assess its efficacy in improving their OHS. Study design: OHS of 98 institutionalized visually impaired children aged 6 to 14 years were evaluated at the start of the study (Pre-OHE level) using the Modified Gingival Index (MGI), the Turesky-Gilmore-Glickman modification of the Quigley Hein Plaque Index (MQHPI) and Streptococcus mutans colony count. Oral Health Education was imparted with the help of specially designed models and tooth-brushing taught with specially formulated music aided instructions in a song format. These parameters were re-evaluated after a period of reinforced (two weeks and one month) and non-reinforced (two months) tooth-brushing. Results: Mean values of MGI and MQHPI showed a statistically very highly significant drop from the Pre-OHE level to the end of both the periods of reinforcement and non-reinforcement. There was a significant decrease in the S.mutans counts from the Pre-OHE levels to the period of non-reinforcement (p < 0.0005). Conclusion: The OHE program specially formulated for the visually impaired children was effective in improving their OHS significantly.