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