Promoting Oral Health Practices among Tribal Irulas children from Nilgiris Hills of Tamil Nadu: An Interventional Approach and its Effects

Objectives: Oral health refers to the condition of the mouth and its various components, including the teeth, gums, tongue and other oral tissues. It encompasses the absence of diseases or disorders in the oral cavity and the overall well-being of these structures. Tribals of Tamil Nadu have very limited access to dental care and has an immediate need to be studied. Therefore the aim was the present study was to assess the oral health status, dental caries experience and oral hygiene habits of the Irula tribal children in the Gudalur area and to improve the oral hygiene habits and oral hygiene status by giving health intervention and education. Methods: This interventional trial was conducted in the Gudalur tribal area of Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, between June and August 2023. The study involved 110 students from three randomly selected high schools. Children from grades 8 to 10 were chosen . Baseline data was collected using a pre-validated questionnaire covering oral hygiene habits and dental exams were conducted by a qualified dentist using the WHO oral health survey method. The DMF and OHI-S indices were used to assess dental health and oral hygiene. After three months, the same dentist re-examined the students and changes in the DMFT and OHI-S scores were analyzed. Data was analyzed using SPSS software, with statistical significance set at p<0.05. Results: Boys constituted 68.56% of the participants, while girls constituted 31.44%. Brush and paste were used by almost 85.65% of students to clean their teeth, while 7.35% used finger-toothpowder. Some used neem sticks, masheri, or fingers for teeth cleaning. Additionally, 85.25% of students brushed their teeth once daily, while only 14.75% brushed twice a day. Oral hygiene status signficantly improved after the health intervention. Conclusion: It is evident that tribal students require improved oral health practices, as highlighted by the study. Toothache emerged as the most common oral health problem among them, emphasizing the necessity of preventive measures and regular dental check-ups.