The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: Objectives: To study the prevalence and correlates of dental caries among 15 year old school children in Thiruvananthapuram district.

Methods: Methodology: It is a descriptive study. A representative sample of 1060 children in the age group of 15 years drawn from the 97 schools in Trivandrum district were examined by a dentist. Students were asked to fill up a structured questionnaire prior to the examination Independent Variables: Sex, religion, socioeconomic factors, diet, oral hygiene practices, passive smoking, use of smokeless tobacco etc .

Results:

Results: Total subjects were 1000 (551 boys, 449 girls). The prevalence of dental caries in the study population was 59.4 percent. The mean DMFT score was 1.3. Molars were the most commonly affected teeth. Sex, type of school, socioeconomic status, frequency and method of tooth brushing, oral hygiene, passive smoking and smokeless tobacco usage had a significant correlation with dental caries.