Journal of Oral Research and Review

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year
: 2023  |  Volume : 15  |  Issue : 1  |  Page : 1--7

Oral health status and treatment needs in primary school children of Kochi: A Mixed Indian urban population setting survey


MM Dempsy Chengappa1, Akshai Kannan2, Rahul Koul3 
1 Department of Dentistry, INHS Sanjivani, Kochi, Kerala, India
2 INDC Danteshwari, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
3 Department of Dentistry, Field Hospital, Imphal, Manipur, India

Correspondence Address:
M M Dempsy Chengappa
INHS Sanjivani, Naval Base, Willingdon Island, Kochi - 682 004, Kerala
India

Background: Oral health has a multifaceted nature as it encompasses a person's ability to speak, smile, smell, taste, touch, chew, swallow, and convey a range of emotions through facial expressions with confidence and without pain, discomfort, and disease of the craniofacial complex. Oral health paves way for good general health and essential well-being. Aim: The present study was undertaken to determine the oral health status and treatment needs of school-going children aged 6–10 years of attending government schools in Kochi, Kerala, India. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study that included screening for dental caries, enamel fluorosis, dental trauma, malocclusion, and treatment needs of 533 primary government school-going children of Willingdon Island, Kochi. Children were assessed as per the World Health Organization Oral Health Assessment Form for Children given in the year 2013. A stratified random sampling method was followed. The means and percentages were calculated, and comparison was done using ANOVA, Chi-square test, and Student's t-test to find the difference in proportion. All values were considered statistically significant at P < 0.05. Results: The dentition status of the surveyed children revealed a prevalence of dental caries in the study was found to be 50.09% (267). A significant difference was observed between different class students concerning mean DMFT scores (F = 8.5660, P < 0.05). The survey also revealed that the prevalence of enamel fluorosis, traumatic dental injuries, and malocclusion was found to be 3.38%, 1.69%, and 2.63%, respectively. Treatment needs status among students revealed that 85 students needed a preventive or routine treatment and a minimum of two students needed immediate (urgent) treatment who were referred to a dental hospital and 9.76% of students needed Orthodontic intervention. Conclusion: The high prevalence rate shows that further follow-up and awareness among the teachers, parents, and students regarding dental caries, oral health, and dental hygiene is needed. Further, studies of similar nature on a larger sample are required to correlate the prevalence of dental caries in the target population with other socio-behavioral factors.


How to cite this article:
Dempsy Chengappa M M, Kannan A, Koul R. Oral health status and treatment needs in primary school children of Kochi: A Mixed Indian urban population setting survey.J Oral Res Rev 2023;15:1-7


How to cite this URL:
Dempsy Chengappa M M, Kannan A, Koul R. Oral health status and treatment needs in primary school children of Kochi: A Mixed Indian urban population setting survey. J Oral Res Rev [serial online] 2023 [cited 2023 May 31 ];15:1-7
Available from: https://www.jorr.org/article.asp?issn=2249-4987;year=2023;volume=15;issue=1;spage=1;epage=7;aulast=Dempsy;type=0