Assessment of oral health status and treatment needs among people of Foklyan area, Dharan, Nepal

Abstract

Background Oral diseases are a major public health problem globally due to high prevalence and significant social impact. Foklyan is a peri urban area with people belonging to indigenous population of low socioeconomic status. This study was conducted to assess the oral health status and treatment needs among the people of Foklyan area, Dharan. Methods Cross-sectional house to house survey was conducted on 310 randomly selected participants. The participants were stratified into five age groups as per WHO Basic Oral Health Survey Methods 1997 and further categorized by gender. WHO Oral Health Assessment form 1997, WHO oral health assessment questionnaire for adult/children 2013 and questionnaire for oral hygiene practice and cost as a treatment barrier were used. The examinations were done as per WHO standard guidelines. Results Most of the participants were from low socioeconomic background (71.3%). About 40% of the participants deferred dental visit due to financial burden. Although 99% of the participants brushed their teeth, there was high caries experience (DMFT: 3.18 ± 5.85; dft: 2.40 ± 2.65). Mean sextant score for bleeding was 5.58 in 35–44 years age group and 5.61 in 65–74 years age group. Tobacco consumption was seen in 70.9% of the adults. Prevalence of alcohol consumption was 58.8% among adult age groups. Conclusion The prevalence of dental caries, periodontal diseases, and prosthetic needs were more compared to national data. There is a need for oral health promotion in this area.

Understanding, Oral Hygiene Practices, Behaviors and Myths to deal with Toothache in Rural Areas

“…A 1317 participants confirmed the relationship between sweet products consumption and dental caries (maakori in Rural Sindhi language). However, similar findings were reported by a study led by Singh eta al atFoklyan area, Dharan, Nepal [10] . Around 37% of the patients do not make any effort to maintain their oral hygiene, which is in support with the results of another study [10] which concluded 40% of the population were not using any oral hygiene methods.…”

“…However, similar findings were reported by a study led by Singh eta al atFoklyan area, Dharan, Nepal [10] . Around 37% of the patients do not make any effort to maintain their oral hygiene, which is in support with the results of another study [10] which concluded 40% of the population were not using any oral hygiene methods. The implication to this finding is that limitations in patient's oral hygiene affect the final treatment plan.…”

“…Common reasons for not brushing were described as; non affordability to buy brushes, busy schedules in fields, nobody in the family maintains oral hygiene, and other local methods for cleaning the mouth, which is unacceptable in our culture. Good oral hygiene reduces the amount of residual plaque, an initiating factor, and thus helps in reducing the likelihood of further dental caries and improves gingival health and thus, the resulting healthy tissue is more resistant to disease [10] .…”

Dental Caries among Adult Population of a Municipality: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

“…A similar finding has been observed in a few other studies. 10,21 The present study is one of the few studies conducted to find out the prevalence of dental caries among Nepalese adults. However, the use of the convenience sampling method in this study could limit generalizability for all adults in Nepal.…”

Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of People Living with Diabetes in South Asia: A Scoping Review

“…Some contributing factors to poor oral health that are common to this population are diets consisting mainly of carbohydrates with a high glycaemic index and the widespread use of tobacco [ 17 , 20 ]. In addition, studies have also indicated poor oral health literacy among people with diabetes [ 21 , 22 ] which are compounded by poor access to dental treatment, particularly among rural and underprivileged populations [ 23 ]. While these issues are complex, increasing oral health knowledge and improving attitudes among people with diabetes could be addressed through the development and implementation of oral health models of care that involve non-dental clinicians [ 24 , 25 ].…”