RESUMEN
Context: Dental caries is the most common dental disease of childhood. India with a population of more than 135 crores accounts for a high proportion of dental morbidity. Poor oral health has a significant impact on quality of life, especially in rural areas. The consequences of untreated dental caries include pain, abscess, and space infections which may lead to loss of function and school hours. These consequences are of utmost important while planning a community dental care program. Aims: To assess the prevalence of dental caries, caries experience, and severity of dental caries among 6–12 years old schoolchildren in the rural areas of Kollam District, Kerala State. Settings and Design: A community school-based, descriptive, cross-sectional study in the rural areas of Kollam District. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried among 2194 schoolchildren in the rural areas of Kollam District in the age group of 6–12 years. Children from eight randomly selected schools were examined for pufa/PUFA and dmf/DMF indices. Statistical Analysis Used: SPSS version 17.0, Mann-Whitney, t-test, KruskalWallis test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results and Conclusions: Overall caries prevalence among the total population was found to be 74%. The prevalence of caries in the deciduous dentition was 61% and a mean decayed, missing, filled teeth value of 2.74 ± 3.200 and for the permanent dentition the caries prevalence of 26.8% and a mean Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth of 0.66 ± 1.360 were observed. The prevalence of untreated dental caries (pufa/PUFA) was 40.8%. The pufa prevalence in deciduous dentition was 38.3% with a mean pufa of 0.99 ± 1.679. Moreover, the PUFA prevalence in permanent dentition was 4.1% with a mean PUFA of 0.06 ± 0.349. The highest prevalence of untreated dental caries (pufa/PUFA) was found in the 7 years' age group (52%) and the lowest in 12 years' age group (22.4%).