ISSN : 2663-2187

Correlation of dental caries and brushing frequency among government primary school children of Kohka –Kurud bhilai-A cross sectional study

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Dr. Jagdish Kumar Singh, DR Naveen N, Dr Aakash Sharma, Dr Naval Kant Jogi, Dr. Chandan Kumar Matsyapal
» doi: 10.48047/AFJBS.6.7.2024.1604-1610

Abstract

The World Health Organization reports that 60–90% of schoolchildren worldwide have experienced caries, with the disease being most prevalent in Asian and Latin American countries. Caries can lead to poor performance in school and, if left untreated, can cause abscesses and even death. Aims &Objective: To assess the association between dental caries and tooth brushing frequency among primary school children Kohka – Kurud villege bhilai. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 6–11-year-old schoolchildren of the schools in Kohka – Kurud village Bhilai. Brusing frequency was assessed through a pre-tested, structured questionnaire. Dental caries assessment was done by using the DMFT/def index. The clinical examination was performed using a sterile mouth mirror and an explorer. The recording of data was done by a single assistant throughout the study. Descriptive statistics were used for age, sex, and frequency of brushing, and the Chi square test was used to determine the association between the dental caries score and tooth brushing. Results. Among the 300 schoolchildren who participated in the study, the caries prevalence was found to be 75.7%. The mean and standard deviation of DMFT were found to be 0.42% (+-0.68) for boys and 0.35% (+1.39) for girls, while the mean and deviation of def were found to be 1.19 (+1.25) for boys and 1.39 (+1.39) for girls. The comparison of brushing frequency and DMFT was found to be 0.47 (+-0.63) for those who do not brush, 0.28 (+-0.56) for those who brush once a day, and 0.18 (+-0.35) for those who brush more than once a day. When the Chi square statistic was applied, a highly significant association was found across all the groups: (p =0.001 ) Conclusions: From this study, we can suggest that the provision of oral health education in schools with proper instructions on oral hygiene practices and school-based preventive programs will probably be important for the maintenance and further improvement of oral health in primary school children.

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