Oral health status and treatment needs of a rural Indian fishing community.

A study was conducted to assess the oral health status and treatment needs of a rural Indian fishing community. The fishing community had poor access to dental care. The survey was carried out using the WHO 1997 criteria in natural daylight. Convenience sampling method was employed and all the subjects available were examined The results of this survey revealed that a large percentage of the population was afflicted with dental caries and periodontal disease. The unmet treatment need was found to be high in the study population. Appropriate oral health education and treatment is needed for this rural community.