*Dr. Harveen Kaur
**Dr. Ashima Mahajan
The Journal
Prevalence of dental caries in school children of
Jalandhar : A Retrospective study
Background:
Dental caries is an infectious microbial disease of multifactorial origin in which diet, host, and
microbial flora interacts over a period of time in such a way so as to encourage demineralization of the
tooth enamel with resultant caries formation. Dental caries, the product of man's progress towards
civilization, has a very high morbidity potential and thus, is coming into focus of the mankind.
Aims and Objectives:
To assess the prevalence of dental caries among 10-13 year old government and private school
children of jalandhar city.
Materials and Methods:
The study was done on the school children who came to the Department of Dentistry , PIMS Medical
College and Hospital ,Jalandhar for a routine dental check up. The study was carried out on total
1400 school children, of which 700 school children were from government schools and 700 were from
private schools. Simple random sampling methodology was used to select the sample. The subjects
were examined for dental caries according to WHO 1997 assessment form. Significant Caries Index
was also used to assess the prevalence of dental caries.
Results:
The prevalence of dental caries was found higher among government school children, that is, 53%,
when compared to private school children, that is, 47% and this difference was found to be
statistically significant. The mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth were found to be higher in
government school children (7.61 ± 2.86) as compared to private school children (4.76 ± 2.42).
Conclusion:
Dental caries was found to be the major public health problems among both the government and
private school children of Jalandhar city, which need immediate attention. Regular dental checkups
and practice of routine oral hygiene procedures will enable them to lead a healthier life.
Introduction
Dental caries is the most prevalent chronic
disease affecting humans i rrespective of age,
sex, race and socioeconomic status. As around
90% of school children and most of the adults
have been affected by dental caries, hence it
has been considered as the most important
global oral health burden, Oral health is an
important component of general health, with
dental caries affecting a person's ability to eat,
speak or socialize. [1] Dental caries is an
infectious microbial disease of multifactorial
origin in which diet, host, and microbial flora
interacts over a period of time in such a way so
as to encourage demineralization of the tooth
enamel with resultant caries formation. Dental
caries, the product of man's progress toward
civilization, has a very high morbidity potential
* Associate Professor, Department of Dentistry, PIMS Medical College, Jalandhar.
** Senior Resident, Department of Dentistry, PIMS Medical College, Jalandhar.
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Vol. 13
12 No. 2
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May -August
Sept-Dec 2016
May-August
2016
2017