Oral Health Status of Children between Five Years and Eight Years of Age in Rural Areas of a District in India: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Oral health is an essential component of health throughout life. India is a developing country with a huge population; and because of the diverse nature, our country faces many challenges in rendering services to the oral health needs of the population. Majority of our country's population reside in rural area and among those 40% are children. Hence, it is highly important to recognize the oral health status and needs of children. Hardly any information is available on the oral health status of children, so the present study was conducted among 5-8-year-old children in the schools of rural Thanjavur. Materials and methods: A total of 204 children were examined according to the World Health Organization (WHO) oral health assessment form 2013. Results and discussion: This study shows that an alarming rate of gingivitis and 70% of the children between 5 years and 8 years of age are affected by dental caries, which is more than the national average. Preventive approaches seem to be a viable alternative to tackle the overwhelming problem of dental caries and other oral diseases. Conclusion:The systematic implementation of preventive oral care and community-oriented health programs are needed for the continuous promotion of oral health in the rural regions of Thanjavur.