A study on prevalence of oral morbidities in an urban slum of Kishanganj district, Bihar, India

Background: Good oral health reflects the overall health status of an individual. Gingivitis and periodontal diseases are the leading causes of oral morbidities. Wide range of factors cause oral morbidities like adopted changes in dietary patterns, lifestyle factors, faulty oral hygiene practices, addiction, neglect and ignorance towards dental hygiene. Few inevitable factors like aging, socioeconomic status also affect oral morbidity. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of oral morbidities and determine the factors associated with it along with providing appropriate health education on related and relevant issues. Methods: 110 study subjects were selected by simple random sampling and they were interviewed using a predesigned pretested semistructured questionnaire. A thorough clinical assessment was also done by an expert. Results: The study revealed that 70.9 %, 30.9 % and 36.4% of study subjects had dental caries, periodontitis and bleeding gums respectively. Further 55.6% were addicted to pan, tobacco or smokeless tobacco and 53.6% had habit of sweet/junk food intake and 64.5% had poor oral hygiene practices. Oral morbidities were found to be significantly associated with factors like addiction, poor oral hygiene, intake of sweet/junk foods and age. Conclusion – Oral morbidities in various forms are substantially present in the area. Addressing to the causal issues may lead to their decline. However, a larger study with more representative sample is needed.