The State of Oral Health and Dental Condition in Sindh's Rural Areas

Abstract

Aims: To ascertain the prevalence of dental caries using DMFT scores, to characterize the oral health status and associated factors of patients attending the Nasirabad Rural Health Center Dental Clinic, and to develop tools and strategies for collecting data for rural oral hygiene statistics. The district collects baseline data to aid in the improvement of dental health initiatives in rural Sindh. Design: From August 2018 to May 2019, convenience sample research was undertaken. Patients aged 15 or older met the requirements. Adult Oral Health Assessment Form (WHO) was used to gather data on oral health examinations. The Nasirabad Rural Health Centre's Dental Unit used a basic mouth mirror and an explorer to interview and clinically examine all subjects. The tools are sterile. On proformas collected biographic and DMFT data. Microsoft Excel 2016 was used to enter and analyses data. The sample comprised both genders and ages. In this study, dentists calculated the mean DMFT score. Items from an adult oral health questionnaire were modified and categorized as Demographics and Clinical evaluation. Demographic data included the patient's age and gender. The dentition was examined for healthy, decaying, missing, and filled teeth (Ft). Results: Microsoft Excel was used to organize and analyses the data. Males made up 41% of the population, while females made up 59%. Caries prevalence was 96 percent overall, with 204(22%) having a low caries status, 250(26%) having a moderate caries status, and 451(48%) having a high caries status. The mean DMFT score was 11.1424017, the standard deviation was 8.0937, and the Significant Caries Index (SiC) was 20.99363057 based on the DMFT value and the number of participants. Conclusion: The research population had poor oral hygiene and dentition. The mean DMFT Score was 11.1424017 and the frequency of dental caries was 96%, with a female bias. Pakistan is a poor nation with little dental health resources and awareness. Providing public oral health education and motivation, water fluoridation, and adopting newer research-based treatments of remineralization of dental caries must be prioritized. It is a major job for the health profession and the government. This issue is critical for dental health and requires immediate care. Keywords: Dental Caries, DMFT Index, Oral Health, Prevalence, Rural Areas