A cross-sectional study on oral hygiene among Santhal tribal adults in a rural area of West Bengal

CONTEXT: Oral health is a key indicator of overall health and wellbeing. Despite adequate medical advancements in global oral health, problems still persist in many communities in India especially in the hard to reach areas of the vulnerable population. AIMS: This study aimed to assess the oral hygiene status among adults of Santhal tribe in a rural area of West Bengal and to find out the factors associated with their oral hygiene status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among adults of Santhal tribe in a rural area of Paschim Bardhhaman district, West Bengal. Data was collected from 103 participants by simple random sampling (without replacement) technique using a predesigned pretested structured schedule. Data analysis was done using Microsoft Excel 2010. RESULTS: The mean age of the study participants was 32.17 ± 12.72 years. Half (50.5%) were female participants. The proportion of poor oral hygiene status was 38.8%. Significant predictors of poor oral hygiene status on univariate logistic regression were age group (P = 0.011), gender (P = 0.013), alcohol consumption (P = 0.001), use of “datun” (P = 0.011), smokeless tobacco (SLT) use (P = 0.000), and both smoking Tobacco (ST)-SLT use (P = 0.000). In multivariable model, “datun” use (P = 0.013), SLT use (P = 0.001), both ST-SLT use (P = 0.004) retained their significant association with poor oral hygiene status. CONCLUSION: The present study findings emphasize on necessity of awareness generation regarding oral hygiene and strategic implementation of essential oral care in tribal communities residing in this area of West Bengal.