Abstract

Context: Oral health is an important part of general health. Children of age 5 to 7 years is considered as index age group, as caries in primary dentition can exhibit changes in short time than in permanent dentition. Few studies address this problem in an Indian context. Furthermore, children of generally underprivileged coastal communities may be affected disproportionately. Aims: To assess the oral health status of school children (5-7years) of fishing community in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 5-7 year old school going children from the 14 active fisher folk areas of Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala. Methods and Material: Data was collected from parents using a structured pre-tested interview schedule. Oral health of children was assessed through dental examination and measured using deft index. Statistical analysis used: Variables were analysed quantitatively. Both univariate and bivariate analysis was carried out. The prevalence of dental caries and the average deft/DMFT index were calculated. Results: Mean deft score was 3.99. Dental caries prevalence was 61.3%, which was associated with sweet intake. About 20% had the habit of grinding teeth and majority of them used tooth brush for cleaning teeth. Majority of parents neglect dental caries as it is in primary dentition, and do not seek professional care due to inaccessibility of nearby dental facilities and cost. Conclusions: Dental caries is a prevalent oral health problem in this vulnerable group. Improving oral health awareness and access to dental health care especially in public sector is needed

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