Is Oral Health of the Sugar Mill Workers Being Compromised?
BACKGROUND
Occupational environment has an immense influence on the general as well as oral health. The specific exposure to sugar and its byproducts might influence the dental health of sugar mill workers.


OBJECTIVE
The present study was conducted to assess and compare the oral health status of production line workers and administration staff working in the sugar mills of Western Uttar Pradesh.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted in four Government aided and four Private sugar mills of West Uttar Pradesh, India among the production line workers and administration staff. Multistage random sampling methodology was employed to select total of 600 sugar mill factory workers (449 production line workers and 151 administration staff). The oral health status of the study subjects was assessed using the modified WHO Oral health survey Performa 1997.


METHODS
SPSS 19 Version was used for statistical analysis. Mean, Standard Deviation and proportions were calculated for each clinical parameter. Student t-test and Chi-square analysis was done to analyse inter group comparison.


RESULTS
Mean DMFT for production and non production line workers was 7.67± 2.99 and 0.15 ± 1.34 (p= 0.001) respectively. 80.17% of production line workers had maximum CPI score 2 in contrast to 63.57% of administration staff (p=0.324).


CONCLUSIONS
The dental health was found to be debilitated among the production line workers of Sugar mill as compared to the Administrative staff. It is therefore recommended to raise the awareness among the sugar mill workers regarding the same.
Tutor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, D. J College of Dental Sciences & Research , Modinagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India .
Khushboo
K
Singh
Tutor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, D. J College of Dental Sciences & Research, Modinagar , Modinagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India .
Venisha
V
Pandita
Professor & Head of the Department, Department of Public Health Dentistry, D. J College of Dental Sciences & Research , Modinagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India .
Basavaraj
B
Patthi
Reader, Department of Public Health Dentistry, D. J College of Dental Sciences & Research , Modinagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India .
Ashish
A
Singla
Tutor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, D. J College of Dental Sciences & Research , Modinagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India .
Swati
S
Jain
Tutor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, D. J College of Dental Sciences & Research , Modinagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India .
Hansa
H
Kundu
Tutor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, D. J College of Dental Sciences & Research , Modinagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India .
Ravneet
R
Malhi
Tutor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, D. J College of Dental Sciences & Research , Modinagar, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, India .
Vaibhav
V
Vashishtha
Administrative staff; India; Oral health status; Production line workers; Sugar factories