RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The study was to examine the prevalence of dental caries and treatment needs among the orphan children and adolescents of Udaipur district, Rajasthan, India. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the oral health status and treatment needs of orphan children. The lists obtained comprised of 13 orphanages consisting of 923 inmates including both sexes. The survey proforma was prepared using a self-administered structured questionnaire written in English validated through a pretested survey. The statistical software namely SPSS 15.0 was used for the analysis of the data. RESULTS: The prevalence of dental caries in primary teeth was found to be 49.6% and in permanent teeth was 41%. Most of the children need one surface filling followed by pulp care. CONCLUSION: The unmet needs for decayed teeth were also found to be high indicating a very poor accessibility and availability of any oral health care. Clearly, it can be concluded that this community has experienced a low utilization of preventive or therapeutic oral health services. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Orphanage children in India are usually taken care by NGOs or social workers who do not realize that dental care and oral health forms an integral part of children well-being. So, this paper enlighten the prevalence of dental caries and treatment needs among the orphan children and adolescents.