Impact of sociodemographic factors on oral health among 35- to 44-year-old adults of Sri Ganganagar City

Abstract

Background: Dental caries and periodontal diseases are the most prevalent dental diseases and important contributors to the global burden of oral disease, and socioeconomic factors are recognized as being the key determinants of oral health inequalities. Aim: To assess the impact of sociodemographic factors on oral health among 35- to 44-year-old adults of Sri Ganganagar city. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted among the index age group of 35–44 years as recommended by the World Health Organization, and the total sample comprised of 995 adults. Data collection was carried out with the help of a predesigned and pretested questionnaire, and the clinical assessment of dental caries and periodontal status was done using the guidelines of WHO Oral Health Assessment form (2013). The data were analyzed statistically using the SPSS Version 22.0 software with tests such as Student's t-test, Chi-square test, and Kruskal–Wallis test, and level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Males had a higher prevalence of periodontal disease and dental caries compared to females (P = 0.03). The mean decayed teeth component (5.50 ± 1.91) was higher among the participants those having lower socioeconomic status (SES) (P = 0.02). The gingival pocket depth (4–5 mm) and loss of attachment was seen maximum among lower SES (P = 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease was higher among the study participants. In light of the high treatment needs of the study population, the health policy that emphasizes oral health promotion and prevention would seem more advantageous in addition to the traditional curative cure.

Keywords

• dental caries
• loss of attachment
• periodontal
• socioeconomic status