Assessment of oral health status among schoolteachers in Dharamshala City, Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

Background: The study aimed to assess the oral health status among schoolteachers in Dharamshala city, Himachal Pradesh. Methods: The cross-sectional study design with probability stratified random sampling was used. The data were collected by Type III examination recorded on a structured pro forma adapted from the WHO oral assessment for adults 2013 (by tooth surface) form. Results: The overall prevalence of dental caries by surface (primary and secondary caries) among teachers was 1.6%. The mean decayed-missing-filled teeth (DMFT) were 3.79 ± 2.52 and the mean decayed-missing-filled surfaces (DMFS) were 9.68 ± 7.95. Loss of attachment (LOA) per sextant for score 1 was higher for index tooth 31 among all sextants and in all teacher groups, and the difference was statistically significant in all sextants. Similarly, LOA per sextant for score 1 was higher among female school teachers consuming mixed diet, and the difference was statistically significant for all sextants except for 31 for gender and 11 for type of diet with statistically nonsignificant association. Conclusion: The mean DMFT were reported higher in private school teachers than government teachers which were due to higher filled component in the DMFT indicating better utilization of health services among private teachers. The DMFS were reported higher in government elementary teachers, and the difference was statistically significant with government secondary teachers which is due to higher missing component probably due to lower educational qualification among government elementary teachers with low awareness and reduced utilization of health services. Loss of Attachment indicating the destructive and degenerative periodontal status was a predictor of periodontitis in the study among school teachers in the age group of 41–50 years.

Keywords

• decayed-missing-filled surfaces
• oral health status
• who oral assessment for adults (2013)