Oral Health Status among Madrasa going Children in Selected Areas of Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Abstract

Dental caries affect humans of all ages, including all regions of the world and is a disease of the complex interplay of social, behavioral, cultural, dietary, and biological risk factors. The objective of this study was to determine the oral hygiene status and the prevalence of decayed, missing, and filled number of teeth (DMFT index) among madrasa going children of selected area of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. A descriptive type of crosssectional study was conducted by a purposeful selection of some madrasa with a sample size of 251. Data collection were done by four sections. Section one, two and three consist of structured questionnaire and section four resembles to DMFT index which were measured by clinical examination using an examination form. Seventy percent of children had experienced dental caries with mean DMFT score of 1.94. Female children had higher DMFT score than male children. There was a highly significant association between tooth brushing frequency and family income of respondents with caries. We conducted this study in madrasa because up till now such study has not been performed. These data on oral health status and prevalence of DMFT will certainly helps to determine the appropriate treatment plan for madrasa going children. For the benefit of a community, dental health programs need to be conducted repeatedly in order to reach the goals of the World Health Organization (WHO).