Dental caries and periodontal diseases--a hospital based study.

Two thousand children aged 3 to 12 years, attending the Pediatric Outdoor and Well Baby Clinic were examined to find the prevalence of dental caries (DC) and periodontal diseases (PD). DC was detected in 55.75% whereas PD were present in 9.35% children. Even 3 to 5 years old were found to have a significant prevalence of the diseases. Children with an urban background, irregular brushing habits and malnutrition had significantly higher prevalence of both the diseases.