iDentistry The Journal Volume 14 No.1 | Page 25

The Journal *Dr. Nupur Trivedi **Dr. Sanjana Desai General Oral Health status of children of the trans Himalayan Region BACKGROUND : Caries is a public health problem due to its high prevalence and its impact on the children’s’ health and wellbeing. The objective of this study was to evaluate the oral health status of the children of the Trans Himalayan region aging between 5-10 years. METHOD:A cross-sectional survey was undertaken on 3024children aged 5-10 years from a random sample of kids in schools and villages in Trans Himalayan region, Himachal, India. Dental caries experience was recorded in more than 60%of the children.RESULTS:The massive attack of caries on most children was a raising concern in the schools. Fluoride pollution is observed in spring water of Himachal Pradesh ranging from 1-4mg/l which is above the accepted fluoride levels in drinking water – 1.5mg/l.CONCLUSION: The regional disparities in the delivery system and the absence of an adequate community oriented prevention system that add to the poor access to the dental facilities in rural areas further aggravates the huge unmet treatment needed. Introduction We are living in an era that witnesses revolutionary changes in dental technology. Though we have progressed in leaps and bounds in our daily dental practices what we have forgotten is how primitive it still is in the regions that are beyond our local access. Lack of adequate and affordable oral health care facilities has resulted in its apparent neglect. Poverty and illiteracy, coupled with the notion that tooth loss is a part of aging, has compounded it.The regional disparities in the delivery system and the absence of an adequate community oriented prevention system that add to the poor access to the dental facilities in rural areas further aggravates the huge unmet treatment needed.To top it all is the concentration of dentists in the urban areas. A large percentage of people are still unaware that oral health is an integral part of overall health of an individual and its high time that we, as part of a developing country, make our contribution to improve the health of our people. “Dental cariesisan irreversible microbial disease of the calcified tissues of the teeth, characterized by demineralization of the inorganic portion and destruction of the organic substances of the tooth,which often leads to cavitation 1 . It has been known as the major cause of dental pain and tooth loss in populations all over the world 2 throughout the history of mankind and is still a major public health problem in India. Various studies have been done over caries prevalence in children of 3,4,5,6 different ages in various parts of the country Hence, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the caries prevalence of the children of the Trans Himalayan region varying in age between 5-10 years. Materials and Methods A study on the prevalence of dental caries in 5- 10 year old children of the Trans Himalayan region, Himachal Pradesh was undertaken through the Himalayan Health Exchange Program. *Consultant Dental Surgeon, Cure Smile Dental Centre, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. **Assistant Professor, Dept. of Orthodontics, Karnavati School of Dentistry, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. 24 Vol. 14 No. 1 Jan-Apr 2018