Dentition status and treatment need in urban slum dwellers in Indore city, Central India

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the dental caries experience and treatment needs of residents of slum area, in Indore.Materials and Methods: A survey was conducted in one of the largest slum areas, Panchsheel nagar of Indore, (M.P.). The sample size was estimated assuming the prevalence of dental caries to be 90% as found in the pilot study. The minimum sample required was 138. The dentition status was recorded according to the WHO guidelines. Examination was performed by the trained and calibrated examiner. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 16.5 software. Results: A considerably higher prevalence (76.2%) of dental caries in the residents of slum as compared to the general population of India (50-60%) was found. The mean decayed, missing and filled teeth recorded was 2.54. Statistically significant difference was found in the caries prevalence between different age groups and occupations. Males exhibited significantly higher caries experience as compared to females. Conclusion: The residents of slum have a high prevalence of dental caries. The prevalence of dental caries differed for different occupational groups and gender.

Keywords

• Dentition status
• slum
• treatment need