Kulsoom Fatima Rizvi, Raima Bashir.
Oral health status in public school children.
Pak Oral Dental J Jan ;35(4):649-52.

This study was aimed to evaluate the oral health status, oral diseases’ prevalence in public school children (which represent a section of the majority of our nation’s population) and to transcribe these results for assisting and directing oral health education campaign towards these less privileged public schools of Karachi. A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 470 students (279 males & 191 females) between 4-19 years of age in a government school in Karachi. A WHO oral health assessment form was filled with heed for each student by a dentist using CPITN probes and other examination instruments in daylight to assess the oral health status and disease conditions of the students. The data were formulated in frequency distribution as pie-charts using SPSS version 15. The oral health status was found unsatisfactory and dental decay was observed in n=287 (61%) participants. Periodontal diseases like calculus, bleeding gums and poor oral hygiene were observed in n=256(54%), n=56(8%) and n= 339(72%) respectively represented the major dental disease finding evaluated from the study group. In view of the results obtained, it can be concluded that the oral health status of children in this school was pitiful with the presence of common dental problems that can be alleviated by directing prompt health promotion policies and campaigns towards such public schools all over Pakistan for spreading education regarding basic oral hygiene method and mechanism.

PakMediNet -Pakistan's largest Database of Pakistani Medical Journals - http://www.pakmedinet.com