ABSTRACT
Dental caries remains the most common oral disease affecting a considerable proportion of people worldwide. It not only causes damage to the tooth, but is also responsible for several morbid conditions of the oral cavity and other systems of the body. Without treatment, caries can proceed and destroy the tooth leading to infection of dental pulp. We wanted to evaluate the prevalence of dental caries and treatment needs among adult rural population. METHODS619 participants aged 18 years and above from peripheral health centres were examined to determine the prevalence of caries and treatment needs. A pretested proforma was used for data collection. Collected data was analysed using Chi Square test. P<0.05 was considered as significant. RESULTSNo significant difference was found in the mean number of teeth affected by caries between the two age groups (<40 years & >40 years) (p= 0.352), between genders (p=0.704) and education levels (p=0.983). When treatment needs (TN) was considered, maximum 2 surface fillings were needed in both the age groups (<40 years 45.6% & >40 years 54.4%). Various treatment needs prevailed among participants of different education level. CONCLUSIONSOral health educative programs may change the attitude of an individual and population as a whole towards maintenance of oral health.