An Analysis of Gender Differences and Assessment of Oral Health Status among the General Population Residing in Kanyakumari District: A Pathfinding Scientific Study

AIM: The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence oral health status among the general population residing in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the general public of index age groups to analyze the oral health status in the Kanyakumari district. A total number of 400 samples were selected and were equally divided among urban (200 samples) and rural areas (200 samples). The samples were further divided randomly based on the index age groups 5, 12, 15, 35–44, and 65–74 years using the multistage random sampling method. The data regarding oral health status was recorded using the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) Oral Health Assessment Form 2013 and 1997. Collected data were tabulated and analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-squared test. RESULTS: The prevalence of periodontal diseases (88.75%) was found to be highest in Kanyakumari district, followed by dental caries (63.7%) and malocclusion (63.1%). There was a statistically significant difference found between oral health status and index age groups. CONCLUSION: Oral disorders such as dental caries, periodontitis, and dental fluorosis are more prevalent among the Kanyakumari district population. Oral health policies should be targeted to the populations in the Tamil Nadu region.