Prevalence of dental caries among 3-17 year old children studying in various government and private schools at Chandigarh

Oral health is an integral part of overall health and general well being. Untreated oral disease in children frequently leads to serious general health problems, significant pain, and interference with eating as well as lost school time. To plan for the optimum dental care facilities, it is essential to have a baseline data about the gravity of the problem in the existing system. The dental caries experience varies greatly among countries, even within a country and from region to region. In India, several studies have been carried out in the past on prevalence of dental caries and the treatment needs of varied populations. In the present study we have made an attempt to assess and compare the caries experience among government and private sector school going children in Chandigarh region.