Understanding Oral Health status and their Knowledge among Irular Tribes in Thumbur and Pudur Village, Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu.

Introduction: Oral health is a key indicator of general health and well-being. Despite advancements in dental care, vulnerable tribal populations living in remote regions continue to experience a disproportionate burden of oral diseases. Aim: To assess the oral hygiene status, oral health knowledge, and associated factors among the Irular tribal population residing in Pudur and Thumbur villages in Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 132 Irular tribe members selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using a modified WHO Oral Health Questionnaire (2013), a structured interview, and a clinical oral examination. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2010 and SPSS v24. Results: The mean age of participants was 28 ± 10 years, with 50.8% males and 49.2% females. Poor oral hygiene status was observed in 38.8% of the population. Significant predictors of poor oral hygiene included age group (P = 0.011), gender (P = 0.013), alcohol consumption (P = 0.001), use of chewing sticks (datun) (P = 0.011), smokeless tobacco use (P = 0.000), and combined smoking and smokeless tobacco use (P = 0.000). In the multivariable model, datun use (P = 0.013), smokeless tobacco (P = 0.001), and dual tobacco habits (P = 0.004) remained significant. Conclusion: The findings highlight substantial oral health needs and strong knowledge–practice gaps among the Irular tribes. Strengthening culturally relevant oral health promotion and improving access to dental care are essential to address the oral disease burden in this underserved tribal community