Hyderabad: High priority must be given to dental screening among tribes, as according to a research paper published in BMC Journal of Oral Health it has been found that Koya and Lambada tribes in Telangana state have major oral health issues and need aggressive intervention.
Around 1,000 persons belonging to both tribes were studied and it was found that members of both tribes had poor periodontal health. The tribes follow traditional methods of oral hygiene, which were found to be inadequate and inaccurate.
The study found that the community periodontal index, which is used as a standard to evaluate oral health in people, was very low, as they had shallow and deep teeth pockets, loss of attachment to nerves was found to be as high as 4-5mm, leading to tooth decay and loss.
The study found that basic awareness about oral health was lacking in this group and it was very important that high priority was attached to creating awareness and also inculcating the habit of regular brushing to maintain oral health.
