Oral health status and treatment needs among 12- and 15-year-old government and private school children in Shimla city, Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

Objectives:To assess the dental caries, periodontal health, and malocclusion of school children aged 12 and 15 years in Shimla city and to compare them in government and private schools.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study of 12- and 15-year-old children in government and private schools was conducted in Shimla city, Himachal Pradesh, India. A sample of 1011 school children (both males and females) was selected by a two-stage cluster sampling method. Clinical recordings of dental caries and malocclusion were done according to World Health Organization diagnostic criteria 1997. Periodontal health was assessed by Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs index. The data collected was analyzed by SPSS package 13. The statistical tests used were t-test and Chi-square tests.Results:The prevalence of dental caries was 32.6% and 42.2% at 12 and 15 years, respectively. At the12 years of age, the mean decayed, missing, filled teeth was 0.62 ± 1.42 and it was 1.06 ± 2.93 at 15 years of age. Females had higher level of caries than males at both the ages. At both ages, mean of decayed teeth was statistically higher in government schools as compared with private schools. Children in government schools had significantly less number of mean filled teeth at both ages as compared with private schools. The healthy component of gingiva was present in higher percentage of children in private schools as compared with government schools at both the age groups. The prevalence of malocclusion among the 12- year-old (58.1%) was more as compared with that among the 15-year-old (53.5%).Conclusion:The caries experience of 12- and 15-year-old children was low but the prevalence of gingivitis and malocclusion was quite high. Effective oral health promotion strategies need to be implemented to improve the oral health of school children further in Shimla city.

Prevalence of Gingivitis among Children of Urban and Rural Areas of Bhopal District, India

“…Most of them (78%) used to brush once a day which is in line with the findings of shailee et al, [7] but high as compared with findings of Harikiran and Pallavi [8] and Peng et al, [9], where as only 21.3% of student brushed twice daily which is low. The fact that all the children examined belong to government school and most of them come from illiterate-low socio-economic families is responsible for this finding.…”

“…• Regular interval screening programs to assess the oral health and treatment needs of school children and provision of treatment as per the need [7].…”

Oral Health Morbidities and Unmet Needs in seeking Dental Health Care among Schoolchildren from a Low Socioeconomic Locality in Mumbai, India

“…23 Also the teachers' training programs can ensure continuity of reinforcement. School dental health programs focusing on preventive and toothbrushing programs including fluoride mouth rinse should be implemented.…”

Comparative Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior toward Oral Health among Private, Public, and Rural Schoolchildren in Pune

“…15,19 Similar to this study, another research showed a statistically significant difference in decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) scores between the private and government school children. 16 The prevalence of dental caries among 12-year-old children from private schools and government schools was 32.8 and 70.3% respectively. Poor oral health of public and rural schoolchildren was attributed to lack of awareness, lack of affordability, or underutilization of dental care facilities by the children in government schools.…”

“…16,17 Oral health is influenced by several social, economic, and environmental factors, which play a vital role in shaping positive oral health behavior. 18 Several researches have revealed that oral health of private schoolchildren is better than public school and rural school because of following reasons: private schoolchildren belong to higher socioeconomic status; have more affordability; parent's attitude; dental awareness, and better social support.…”