Oral health status and treatment needs among primary school going children in Nagrota Bagwan block of Kangra, Himachal Pradesh.

BACKGROUND

Oral diseases such as gingival diseases and dental caries affect about 80% of the school students worldwide. The study was taken up with the aim to evaluate the oral health status and treatment need in the School going children of Nagrota Bagwan Block of Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total number of 3069 school children in the age group of 5-12 years studying in 96 government primary schools of study area were surveyed to find out the Oral Hygiene Index simplified (OHI-S) scores, community periodontal index (CPI) scores, dental caries and treatment need using dentition status and treatment need index (WHO diagnostic criteria, 1997).

RESULTS

The mean OHI-S was 2.7 ± 2.81and 2.8 ± 2.99 in 5-8 and 9-12 years age group, respectively. The gingival bleeding was observed in 76.8% and 75.9%, calculus in 10.2% and 18.3% in 5-8 and 9-12 years age group, respectively. The overall caries prevalence of subjects was 58.4% with high caries prevalence in females as compared to males and in 9-12 years age group as compared to 5-8 years age group. The mean dmft/DMFT was 2.05 ± 4.13 and 2.56 ± 4.20 in 5-8 years and 9-12 years age group, respectively. Treatment need observed was 62.3% and 75.3% in 5-8 and 9-12 years age group, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The study demonstrated that school children in Nagrota Bagwan, Kangra district suffer from high prevalence of dental caries and have high treatment need as well as poor oral hygiene and gingival health status.