Caries prevalence in Chikar, Kashmir, post-earthquake: implications for service provision.

Aim: To conduct a preliminary assessment of the level of dental caries among school children in Chikar.

Design: A cross sectional epidemiological survey (following WHO standard protocol) of children in Chikar with convenience sampling from five schools was utilised.

Setting: Schools in Chikar.

Participants: 311 school children (boys and girls); 35 5-9-year-olds, 41 10 year-olds, 39 11 year-olds, 48 12-year-olds, 65 13-year-olds, 35 14 year-olds, 21 15 year-olds, and 27 16-20-year-olds were examined.

Results: Overall, children had a Decayed, Missing, Filled Tooth (DMFT) mean of 3.3; girls had a DMFT of 3.0, while boys had a DMFT of 3.4. Since the October 2005 earthquake in Chikar, oral health services had not been functionally restored. With limited equipment and materials, the local dental technician was treating, on average, 112 patients monthly since January 2006; he was performing approximately 50 extractions and providing 62 medication prescriptions and referrals to dentists in the main city of Muzaffarabad every month.

Conclusions: Traditional curative oral health care is in demand in Chikar; health care authorities should integrate basic oral health care into Chikar's health services. The pilot survey suggests that Chikar children have a high caries rate; oral disease prevention and oral health promotion programmes should be created and encouraged throughout the community and be integrated into school curricula.