Dental ailments a major problem, says study

Dental caries, or tooth decay, affected 63.1 per cent of those under 15 years old and 80.20 per cent among adults in the age group 35-44 years, according to a report published based on survey during 2002-03 , by Dental Council of India (DCI) in association with Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a 3 or less score in DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth), but the study said the mean DMFT score was 2.4 in 15 years old category and 5.4 in the 35-44 age group.

The significant caries index (SiC index) was nearly double of the mean DMFT score in case of children below 5 years reflecting the skewed distribution of dental caries experiences in this category. Complex treatment will be necessary for this age group in future.

Periodontal diseases or gum problems are prevalent in 67.7 per cent in teenagers and 89.6 per cent among adults.

Stoppage of use of tobacco would help in checking disease like oral cancer, periodontal disease and cardio-vascular diseases, the study added.

It pointed out that 0.4 per cent in 65-74 years age group and 0.3 per cent in the 35-44 age group reported oral cancer. This could be linked to frequency of smoking.

The survey covered 91 regions across 25 states. It questioned over 28,000 rural and urban households.

The survey followed guidelines given in the World Health Organisation (WHO) publication, ' Oral Health Survey : Basic Methods'.

WHO has recommended of a 1:7500 dentist to population ratio. In India, the dentist to population ratio was 1:36, 538 in cities and a shocking 1: 2,50,000 in rural areas.