Audio Tactile Performance Technique as an Effective Method in Improving the Oral Hygiene Status of the Visually Impaired Population in Comparison With Braille: A Systematic Review
Author(s): Abarna Jawahar and G Maragathavalli*
Abstract
Dental care is found to be among the most neglected and unmet needs among the visually impaired individuals due to lack of understanding the importance of having good oral hygiene, inability to understand the needs and a huge communication gap between the dentist and the visually impaired. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the effectiveness of Audio-Tactile Performance (ATP) in improving the oral hygiene status of the visually impaired population in comparison with braille. The search was done using the MeSH terms and keyword search in the electronic databases namely PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct and Google Scholar. Articles were selected if the studies evaluated the effectiveness of oral hygiene instructions by ATP and Braille using plaque and gingival index. The electronic search yielded a total of 31 articles out of which after removing the duplicates, screening the title, abstract and application of inclusion and exclusion criteria 5 articles were included. All the studies included were based on the data extraction and analysis of the studies for quality. The outcome measure was to evaluate the reduction in mean plaque and gingival index scores by Sillness and Loe after the intervention with Audio-Tactile Performance and Braille. Based on this systematic review, Audio-Tactile Performance can be used to improve the oral hygiene status but it is most effective in improving when combined with braille rather than being used seperately.