Assessment of the Periodontal Status among Kota Stone Workers in Jhalawar, India.

CONTEXT Periodontal disease is one of the most prevalent dental diseases which affects the adult population of the world, varying only in degree from mild to severe. Its prevalence, which was reported in various studies which were conducted in different parts of the globe, signifies its need for a control. AIMS To assess the periodontal status among the Kota stone workers in Jhalawar and to provide a baseline data for the planning and evaluation of the oral health care promotion programmes. SETTINGS AND DESIGN A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among the Kota stone workers who were working in the Kota stone factories which were located in the Ricco Industrial Area in Jhalawar. METHOD AND MATERIALS The study population comprised 420 subjects who were in the age group of 21 to 60 years. The data were collected by means of a close ended, self administered questionnaire and clinical examination with the use of the CPI index. Statistical analyses which were used: Chi-square, Student's t-test, One way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Multiple Logistic Regression. RESULTS The socio-demographic characteristics, except the gender, were found to be significantly associated with the periodontal status in the study population (P≤0.05). Multivariate analysis showed high CPI scores which were associated with males (OR=1.313), the 21-40 year age group (OR=0.548), education upto 10th class (OR=4.776), oral hygiene practices other than toothbrush with toothpaste (OR=0.774) and smoking (OR=3.994). CONCLUSION The observations of this study indicate the need for a reorientation of the dental care services, with further emphasis on the preventive care in such a population.