State of Oral Health of Women in Rural Areas in an Underdeveloped Country: A Prospective Observational Descriptive Study

Abstract

Introduction: Oral health is important in rural areas. It is necessary to have the good health of the women who have an axial role in the Tunisian rural economy. The objective of this study was to describe the state of oral health of women in rural areas. Materials and methods: We conducted a prospective observational descriptive study carried out at the delegation of Graïba in Sfax Tunisia within the framework of the medical caravan of the pink train. The form proposed by the World Health Organization for adults was used. Results: We included 121 women. The general sample's characteristics have been described. The prevalence of caries was 37.1%. The DMFT index is 2.5. Consumption of sweets concerned 9.1% of patients. Women had a bad brushing method at 77.7%. Periodontal inflammation affected 91.7% of women (111 patients). Conclusion: The state of oral health of women from rural areas in Tunisia was bad and it is necessary to act to improve it and raise awareness in rural areas by more supervision.