ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Oral Health
Sec. Oral Health Promotion
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/froh.2025.1643903
Comparative Assessment of Oral Health Knowledge and Dental Behavior among Individuals with and without Hearing Impairments in Jordan
Provisionally accepted
SABHA ALSHATRAT1*
Wael Al-Omari2
Abedelmalek Kalefh Tabnjh1,3,4*
majd M. Alsaleh5
Siddharthan Selvaraj6,7- 1Department of Applied Dental Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
- 2Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
- 3Department of Cariology, Odontology School, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 4Dental Research Unit, Center for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, India
- 5Department of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois,USA, chicago, United States
- 6Faculty of Dentistry, University of Puthisastra, Phnom penh, Cambodia
- 7Department of Dental Research Cell, Dr.D.Y. Patil Dental College & Hospital, Pune, India
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Background: Individuals with hearing impairments face significant barriers in accessing oral health information, which may negatively influence their oral hygiene practices and outcomes. This study aimed to compare oral health knowledge and dental behavior between individuals with and without hearing impairments in Jordan. Methods: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among 289 participants, comprising 149 individuals with hearing impairments and 140 individuals without hearing impairments. A validated, self-designed closed-ended questionnaire assessed participants' oral health knowledge and behaviors. Convenience sampling was employed to recruit participants from centers associated with hearing impairments. Data were analyzed using SPSS® version 22, with a significance level set at P < 0.05. Chi-square tests and contingency table analyses assessed group differences. Results: Individuals with hearing impairments demonstrated significantly lower knowledge regarding toothbrush hardness, frequency of brushing, the importance of routine dental visits, and recognition of gum disease signs (P < 0.05). A smaller proportion of the hearing-impaired group brushed their teeth once or twice daily (82.8% vs. 93.3%, P < 0.001), used dental floss and mouthwash, and reported using fluoridated toothpaste compared to individuals without hearing impairments (P < 0.05), and consumed soda more frequently (P < 0.001).Conclusions: The substantial gaps in oral health knowledge and practices among individuals with hearing impairments highlight the need for targeted educational interventions. Culturally sensitive tools, such as visual aids, videos, and tailored oral health programs, could improve hygiene practices, reduce disease risk, and enhance the quality of life in this underserved population.
Keywords: Oral care, Hearing impairments, Dental behavior, Oral health knowledge, Deaf
Received: 09 Jun 2025; Accepted: 27 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 ALSHATRAT, Al-Omari, Tabnjh, Alsaleh and Selvaraj. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
SABHA ALSHATRAT, Department of Applied Dental Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
Abedelmalek Kalefh Tabnjh, Department of Cariology, Odontology School, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.