Jeseem M T, Veetil Soumya Mohanan Thotten, Vadakkepurayil Kannan, Manningal Muhammed Rasif
Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Government Dental College, Kozhikode, Kerala, India.
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Government Dental College, Kozhikode, Kerala, India.
J Indian Soc Pedod Prev Dent. 2025 Jan 1;43(1):50-56. doi: 10.4103/jisppd.jisppd_37_25. Epub 2025 Mar 31.
There is a decreased quality of oral health among tribal communities as well as a paucity of research in this field. Their poor accessibility to dental resources results in an increased prevalence of dental diseases in them.
The aim of this study was to assess the oral health status and treatment needs among the tribal children in Noolpuzha panchayath of Wayanad district of Kerala state.
This was a cross-sectional survey among 1158 children aged 5-15 years of tribal communities by a single examiner.
The oral health status was determined using a modified WHO Oral Health Assessment Form 2013 for children. The caries status was assessed using decayed, missing and filled (dmf) and Decayed, Missing, Filled (DMF) and the gingival condition using the Modified Gingival Index. The subjects were interviewed with a validated WHO Oral Health Questionnaire 2013 for children.
SPSS software 25.0 was employed to analyze the data. The data analysis includes descriptive statistics, Chi-square test for qualitative variables, t-test/analysis of variance test, and post hoc tests for comparing quantitative variables between the subgroups.
The mean DMF Teeth (DMFT) and dmft value was 0.72 ± 1.3 and 1.85 ± 2.7, respectively. The prevalence of mild, moderate, and severe gingivitis was found to be 54.9%, 23.3%, and 2.8%, respectively, with an overall prevalence of gingivitis of 81%. Among the subjects, 9.6% had enamel hypoplasia, 5.4% had traumatic dental injuries, 5.2% had oral mucosal lesions, and 21.1% had oral habits. The children with tobacco smoking and tobacco chewing habits were 1.5% and 15.7%, respectively. The dental treatment need was 82.8%.
The present study revealed a high treatment need for the tribal community, with a relatively higher prevalence of gingivitis and noticeable number of dental caries, oral lesions, traumatic dental injuries, enamel hypoplasia, sugar consumption, and tobacco smoking/tobacco chewing habits.
部落社区的口腔健康质量下降，且该领域的研究匮乏。他们难以获得牙科资源，导致牙科疾病在他们中的患病率增加。
本研究的目的是评估喀拉拉邦韦亚纳德区努勒普扎村部落儿童的口腔健康状况和治疗需求。
这是由一名检查者对1158名5至15岁部落社区儿童进行的横断面调查。
使用经修改的2013年世界卫生组织儿童口腔健康评估表确定口腔健康状况。使用龋失补牙数（dmf）和恒牙龋失补牙数（DMF）评估龋病状况，使用改良牙龈指数评估牙龈状况。对受试者使用经过验证的2013年世界卫生组织儿童口腔健康问卷进行访谈。
采用SPSS软件25.0分析数据。数据分析包括描述性统计、定性变量的卡方检验、t检验/方差分析检验以及用于比较亚组间定量变量的事后检验。
恒牙龋失补牙数（DMFT）和乳牙龋失补牙数（dmft）的平均值分别为0.72±1.3和1.85±2.7。轻度、中度和重度牙龈炎的患病率分别为54.9%、23.3%和2.8%，牙龈炎总体患病率为81%。在受试者中，9.6%有釉质发育不全，5.4%有牙外伤，5.2%有口腔黏膜病变，21.1%有口腔习惯。有吸烟和嚼烟习惯的儿童分别为1.5%和15.7%。牙科治疗需求为82.8%。
本研究表明部落社区的治疗需求很高，牙龈炎患病率相对较高，且有相当数量的龋齿、口腔病变、牙外伤、釉质发育不全、食糖以及吸烟/嚼烟习惯。
