Oral Health Conditions and Hygiene Practices of School-Going Children in Rural Sylhet

Authors

  • K M Abdullah Al Harun Lecturer, Department of Dental Public Health, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Sylhet, Bangladesh
  • A S M Sadman Sakib Shan Intern Doctor, Dental Unit, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Sylhet, Bangladesh
  • Md Nurul Amin Miah Assistant Professor, Department of Dental Public Health, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, Sylhet, Bangladesh
  • Farzana Akter Post Graduate Trainee, Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, Sylhet, Bangladesh
  • Mohammad Nurunnabi Assistant Professor, Department of Community Medicine and Public Health, Sylhet Women’s Medical College, Sylhet, Bangladesh. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9472-9369

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3329/updcj.v15i1.76851

Keywords:

Oral health, children, Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Oral health is essential for physical well-being and has a significant influence on an individual's quality of life. All age groups, including children, are prone to develop oral conditions due to a lack of information and awareness about oral health.

Objectives: To explore the oral health practices and conditions of school-going children in the rural Sylhet.

Materials and Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional study with a purposively selected group of 290 children attending Dhupagul Government Primary School in Sylhet, Bangladesh. From October 2023 to March 2024, we used a semi-structured questionnaire to interview the participants and performed oral examinations.

Results: Most students brushed their teeth twice a day (56.6%), with 49.0% brushing before breakfast and 75.2% using toothpaste and brushes for cleaning. The mean DMFT score was 2.55±2.90. A statistically significant association was found between the total DMFT scores and the mean number of decayed teeth (p<0.05).

Conclusion: The study identified that, while oral hygiene practices were good, and the overall oral health status was poor.
Update Dent. Coll. j: 2025; 15(1): 1-5

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Published

2025-04-29

How to Cite

Harun, K. M. A. A., Shan, A. S. M. S. S., Miah, M. N. A., Akter, F., & Nurunnabi, M. (2025). Oral Health Conditions and Hygiene Practices of School-Going Children in Rural Sylhet. Update Dental College Journal, 15(1), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.3329/updcj.v15i1.76851

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 1 (2025)

Section

Original Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 K M Abdullah Al Harun, S. M. Sadman Sakib Shan, Md. Nurul Amin Miah, Farzana Akter, Nurunnabi Mohammad

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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