Review Article

Year : 2021 | Volume : 9 | Issue : 2 | Page : 113 - 115

Role of Sign Language in Oral Health Education: A Review

Amisha Nayak, Sandhya Tamgadge, Avinash Tamgadge

Departments of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Microbiology Dr. D. Y. Patil University, School of Dentistry, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Address for correspondence:

Dr. Sandhya Tamgadge,

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Microbiology, D. Y. Patil University, School of Dentistry, Sector 7, Nerul, Navi Mumbai ‐ 400 706, Maharashtra, India.

E‐mail: sandhya.tamgadge@gmail.com

Abstract

Hearing and speech impaired patients are often illiterate; and communicate using Sign Language; which hinders dental care and causes increased levels of oral morbidity; followed by feeling of unfairness by the dental staff. It is very difficult for dentists to communicate and treat them. A dentist who has learned Sign Language can help understand and communicate with these patients and treat them effectively. This review aims to study the need of dentists to learn sign language to communicate with such patients for effective diagnosis, treatment, and even oral health education. If oral health education such as oral cancer and other oral diseases is given in sign language too, it will surely contribute in the prevention of various diseases.

Keywords: Communication methods, deaf, dental care, mute, oral health, sign language

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

How to cite this article:

Nayak A, Tamgadge S, Tamgadge A. Role of sign language in oral health education: A review. Int J Community Dent 2021;9:113-5.