An epidemiological study of dentition status, treatment needs and correlation with the dietary and oral hygiene practices among school-going children population of West Bengal.

Introduction: The global burden of disease study 2016 estimated that oral diseases affected 3.58 billion people with dental caries. Severe tooth loss and total edentulous condition have been reported as one of the leading causes of years lived with disability in some high-income countries. Oral health inadequacies exist among and between different population groups, and social determinants have a strong impact on oral health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines oral health as "a state of being free from chronic mouth and facial pain, oral infections and sores, periodontal diseases, tooth decay, tooth loss and other disorders and diseases that limit individual capacity in biting, chewing, smiling, speaking and psychosocial well-being." National Oral Health Survey Report 2004 states that caries prevalence in India was 51.9%, 53.8%, and 63.1% at 5, 12, and 15 years, respectively. Literature on-caries research in eastern India is few, and reports related to West Bengal are sparse with respect to the dentition status and treatment needs.

Aim: To assess dentition status, treatment needs, and their association with diet and oral hygiene practices among school-going children population of West Bengal.

Methods: The survey was carried out after obtaining institutional ethics clearance. The state of West Bengal was divided into three zones, and random sampling method was employed to examine students using the WHO questionnaire and achieve the target sample size of based on the formula N = 4pq/L² and a sample size of 784 per zone.

Results: Significant Caries Index of 2352 respondents has been found to be 5.57 in this study, and the mean DMFT is 2.34. There was need for one surface filling in 384 (34.3%) children from Zone 1, 360 (32.1%) from Zone 2, and 377 (33.6%) from Zone 3. The need for two surface fillings was observed as 200 (32.4%) children from Zone 1, 223 (36.1%) from Zone 2, and 194 (31.4%) children from Zone 3. The association of brushing versus caries prevalence was not statistically significant (P = 0.0601).

Conclusion: Caries prevalence was found to be 53.3% in this study. The difference in caries prevalence across the zones is not statistically significant. Toothbrush and paste twice a day is used mostly as oral hygiene aid.