It was conducted among 5,302 participants as part of the Kumbh Mela surveillance project in collaboration with the Maharashtra Government Public Health Department and the Harvard School of Public Health.
Findings of the dental screenings conducted during Kumbh Mela, that was held in Nashik in 2016, has thrown up alarming results. Close to 70 per cent of the patients had some kind of oral or dental problems including chemical burns. A whopping 50 per cent had signs of a pre-malignant lesion which could indicate oral cancer, while close to 18 per cent had a high-risk lesion.
It was conducted among 5,302 participants as part of the Kumbh Mela surveillance project in collaboration with the Maharashtra Government Public Health Department and the Harvard School of Public Health. The Indian Dental Association (IDA), along with the MGV Dental College based in Nashik, helped during the study.
Dr Ashok Dhoble, Hon Secretary General of the IDA said, “As many as 80 per cent of those screened reported one or more habits of substance abuse.
Many showed dental diseases like severe tooth decay, bleeding gums, calculus and periodontal pockets.”
The pre-cancer lesions when unchecked can go on to become oral cancer. “If we interfere at this stage and get the patient to quit tobacco, the damage can be reversed,” Dhoble added.
With 50 per cent of the people showing poor oral hygiene, the results indicate a general effect on their overall health. A majority of patients were from remote and rural locations and their diet was found to be low in protein and essential nutrients.
According to the WHO, the incidence of oral cancer is very high in countries such as Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
In numbers
About 70 per cent had oral or dental problems
50 per cent had signs of pre-malignant lesion
18 per cent had high-risk lesion
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