Oral Health Status of School-Going Children Aged 12-15 Years in Tiruvallur District, Tamil Nadu- A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction and Aim: Oral health can have dire consequences on the physiological and psychosocial aspects of a child’s well-being. The prevalence of oral diseases among children varies with region and population subgroups. It is necessary to assess the oral health of children as this epidemiological data will serve as the foundation for developing appropriate preventive and treatment strategies. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess the oral health status of school going children aged 12-15 years in Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu, India. Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted among 842 children aged 12-15 years who were chosen following a multistage random sampling technique. The oral health status of the children was assessed using Oral Hygiene Index- Simplified (OHI-S), Loe and Silness' Gingival Index (GI), Decayed Missing Filled Teeth (DMFT) index in permanent teeth, and the presence or absence of fluorosis & oral premalignant lesions (OPML). The recorded data was then subjected to statistical analysis. Results: The prevalence of gingivitis in the population was 53.4%. The highest mean DMFT was seen among males aged 12-13 years (3.20 +/- 3.102) and the least mean DMFT was seen among females aged 14-15 years (2.76 +/-2.67). 1.3% of the population had tobacco pouch keratosis and 10.8% of the population exhibited dental fluorosis. Conclusion: This study has established that the children of Tiruvallur exhibit poor oral health status. Data from this study can serve as a valuable contributor to the development of oral health initiatives with the ultimate goal being improvement in oral health.