Prevalence and risk factors of dental caries among school children from a low socio economic locality in Mumbai, India

Abstract

Objective: Dental caries is one of the most prevalent diseases among school going children and its prevalence is multifactorial. Only sporadic data is available on the oral health condition in different states in India. In a metropolitan city like Mumbai, no systematic assessment on the oral health problems is available, especially among the children belonging to low socio-economic class, studying in municipal schools. Hence the current study was planned to assess the prevalence of dental caries and its relation with various oral hygiene practices among the children studying in (V-VII Std.) suburban municipal school and predominantly from a low socio-economic area, located in the field practice area of a teaching medical college. Method: The present cross sectional study was conducted among 299 school children of the age 9 to 13 years using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire for face to face interview followed by oral examination by trained dental experts. Results: The prevalence of dental caries was found to be 78.3%, higher among 10-11 years and among boys. Mean DMFT index was found to be 1.94±1.70. Statistically significant association was found among the oral hygiene practices and dental caries for daily brushing (p