Oral health status, self-assessment and risk among tribes and narikuravars of Villupuramdistrict, Tamil Nadu - An epidemiological study.

BACKGROUND

Irular and Narikuravars, are the oldest Dravidian ethnic group and a semi-nomadic community people located in Tamil Nadu. Both the indigenous groups are relegated to the margins of society and face limited access to oral health care. Thus, we aimed to assess the normative need by assessing their oral health status and risks of Narikuravar and Irular tribes residing in Villupuram District, Tamil Nadu.

METHOD: ology: A cross-sectional epidemiological study with convenience sampling technique was conducted for 936 Irular and Narikuravar community people in Marakanam and Valavanur town panchayat of Dindivanam taluk of Villupuram district. Oral health status and self-assessment of oral health and risks was assessed using World Health Organization (WHO) oral health assessment form, self-oral health assessment form (2013).

RESULT: Narikuravar constitutes 32.8 % whereas Irula's constitute 67.2 % of the study population. Nearly 39.9 % of the study population had no formal schooling. Irular females with no formal schooling had high DMFT scores (3.27 ± 1.60). Also, the prevalence of gingivitis and periodontitis are high in Irular females with no formal schooling (32.3 % and 26 %) with no significant difference from Narikuravars. About 5.2 % of Narikuravar communities had high use of smoking and smokeless tobacco. Irulars consumed high cariogenic diet compared Narikuravars (p = 0.000).

CONCLUSION

Narikuvar community had more oral lesion compared to Irula's community people. Both communities had high prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease. Females with no formal schooling of both communities had high caries experience, periodontitis.