title: Assessment and treatment of dental caries in semi-urban school children of Tamilnadu (India).
abstract: The study was carried out with the purpose of evaluating the prevalence of dental caries, in semi urban school children. The sample comprised of 415 school going children. DMFT/dmft scores were recorded as per WHO 1987 criteria. Mean DMFT was found to be 0.17, 0.06 in male and female children at 3 to 6 age group which increased to 1.21 & 1.10 in males and female in 9 to 12 year age group. Mean dmft at 3 to 6 years was 1.36, 1.17 in male and female children which further increased at 6 to 9 years in both sexes but in the 9 to 12 year age group the value decreased to 1.48, 0.87 in male and female children respectively. The entire sample showed a dental caries prevalence of 58.1. It was noted that the children brushed once a day with toothpaste and toothbrush. Complete oral rehabilitation was undertaken through an incremental school health care programme.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Pedodontics, Meenakshi Ammal Dental College, Chennai.
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Gopinath
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Barathi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kannan
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D012571:School Dentistry; D014504:Urban Health