Oral Health Status and Treatment Needs among 6, 9 and 12 Years Old Rural and Urban School Children in India: An Epidemiological Survey

Aims and Objectives: This study was intended to assess the prevalence of dental caries and treatment needs, severity of dental caries and to record the periodontal health status in school going children in rural and urban areas of Ferozepur district and to compare the data between rural and urban areas and among 6, 9 and 12 years (±11 months). Methodology: The PUFA/pufa index was used to determine the severity of dental caries as it records the presence of severely decayed teeth. Plaque index (Silness and Loe) and gingival index (Loe and Silness) were used to assess the gingival status of the children. The data recorded from rural and urban area was statistically analyzed using Chi-square test and paired t-test. Results: The prevalence of caries was found to be more in urban area (71.8%) than the rural area (65.2%). Overall, treatment need was found more in rural (68.16%) than urban (61.6%), but the difference was non-significant. PUFA/pufa score was found more in urban area than rural area. Conclusion: Plaque and gingival indexes were found more in rural than urban population. The lack of dental health awareness, poor oral hygiene measures, socioeconomic status, gender variations, improper dietary habits, and less utilization of dental health-care services is the main reason for the high prevalence of dental caries.