Background: Procrastination is an extremely prevalent phenomenon and pernicious form of self-regulatory failure. Self-esteem is used to describe peoples' beliefs and feelings about their overall self-worth. Procrastinators have found to carry a heavy cost due to the inability to abide by these values, thereby affecting all domains of life. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between academic procrastination and self-esteem among dental students in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March 2021. The sample consisted of 505 dental students. Data were collected through a questionnaire using the Tuckman Academic Procrastination Scale and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS software version 14.0. Independent Student's t-test and Pearson's correlation test were performed. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The results indicated that a weak positive correlation (r = 0.02) existed between academic procrastination scores and self-esteem scores. There was a significant difference in mean academic procrastination scores and self-esteem scores among undergraduates and postgraduates. Undergraduates reported higher self-esteem (25.7 ± 1.93) and lower academic procrastination (25.2 ± 1.70) which were found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: The current study found that students who procrastinate more have comparatively lower self-esteem and those with high self-esteem procrastinate less.

Background and Objectives: Primary health centers (PHCs) are the foundation of rural health services in India. The nonavailability of reports on the status of dental care services at public health-care centers in rural Andhra Pradesh prompted us to describe the status of dental care services provided at public health-care centers in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a semi-structured interview guide, based on the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHSs) guidelines. Data were collected on the dental health workforce, equipment, and facilities available, dental care services provided in all government dental care units, and dental care services provided by PHCs without dentists in the Nellore district, from dental and medical doctors, respectively. The descriptive statistics (frequencies) were performed describing the availability of workforce, equipment, and facilities, and the type of dental care services provided. Results: Of 95 public health-care centers in the Nellore district, only 18 centers provided dental care services. No single center was furnished with the prescribed dental health workforce, equipment, and facilities to render comprehensive dental care services to an optimum level according to IPHS guidelines. There were neither oral health promotional activities nor outreach programs targeting rural children, families, and communities carried out at these PHCs as per the IPHS guidelines. Conclusion: An inadequate dental health workforce, deficient dental equipment, and facilities, and very limited dental care services were found at these public health-care centers in the Nellore district, making these services almost nonexistent to rural populations.

Background and Objectives: Data on the prevalence of dental caries and gingivitis among Indian rural children are scarce. Hence, we estimated the prevalence of dental caries, gingivitis, and associated factors among the rural school children aged 12 years of Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh. Methods: We conducted this analytical cross-sectional study, with 1513 children by following two-stage cluster sampling. We collected data on dental caries and gingivitis using the WHO dentition status and community periodontal index modified, respectively, and associated factors by direct interviews using standardized semi-structured interview guide. We estimated the prevalence of dental caries and gingivitis and 95% confidence interval (CI); we calculated prevalence ratios (PRs) and its 95% CI by comparing factors among those with and without caries and gingivitis; we computed adjusted PRs using the generalized linear regression model. Results: Overall prevalence of dental caries and gingivitis was 61% (95% CI: 58–63) and 68% (95% CI: 65–70), respectively. Sugary food consumption (PR 1.56, 95% CI 1.33–1.82), fair and poor perception of the current dental health status (PR 1.31 95% CI 1.19–145 and PR 1.59 95% CI 1.45–1.73, respectively), and no dental health awareness (PR 0.85 95% CI 0.75–0.95) were associated with caries. Fair and poor perception of current dental health status (PR 1.16 95% CI 1.07–1.26 and PR 1.27 95% CI 1.17–1.38, respectively) was associated with gingivitis. Conclusion: We observed a high prevalence of dental caries and gingivitis among the study participants. Sugary food consumption, dental health awareness, and perception of current dental health status are associated with dental caries and gingivitis.