Abhishek Mehta ,Shahnaz Mansoori

ABSTRACT

Context: Street children are considered to be a high risk group for dental diseases especially dental caries and periodontal diseases. Objective: Assessment of oral health status and oral hygiene practices of street children in Delhi, India Methods: A cross sectional exploratory study was conducted on 583 institutionalized street children residing/visiting eight shelter homes across Delhi. Duration of data collection was two months. WHO oral health assessment form 2013 was used for recording oral health status of these children. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS -17. Results: In total 583 street children of the age group 5-15 years were examined, out of which 340 were males and 243 females. Dental caries prevalence ranged from 20% in primary dentition to 36.5% in permanent teeth. Mean caries experience in these children ranges from 0.53 to 0.91. Periodontal conditions were more severe as majority of them were suffering from bleeding gums or calculus deposits on their teeth. Dental fluorosis was also observed in 15% of the subjects. Conclusion: Oral health status of the examined street children was quiet poor especially the periodontal (gingival) condition. Reasons for such findings can be lack of awareness regarding dental problems and financial constraints to afford oral hygiene aids and timely dental treatment.