Oral Health Status of Underground Coal Mine Workers of Ramakrishnapur, Adilabad District, Telangana, India - A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Standard of living and quality of life of people has been improved by the expanding industrial activity, but at the other end it has created many occupational hazards. Coal mining is one of the major age old industries throughout the world and in India. Till date very less literature is available worldwide and in India concerning the oral health status of laborers in this field. Aim: To assess the oral health status of underground coal mine workers, oral hygiene practices, alcohol and tobacco habits. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among the underground coal mine workers of a coal mine located in Adilabad district, Telangana, according to the criteria described in the World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Assessment form (2013). Statistical analysis: Descriptive statistics were done. Results: A total of 356 workers participated in the study. Ninety percent of the subjects were with tobacco and/or alcohol habits. Dental caries was prevalent in more than half (55.6%) of the study subjects with a mean DMFT of 2.32 +/- 2.99. About 48.3% study subjects were with untreated dental caries and 20.3% subjects were with missing teeth. DMFT <==6 was seen in 45.5% of subjects and 10.1% have DMFT scores <==7. Periodontal disease was the most prevalent condition seen in the population with 94.4% subjects having unhealthy periodontium in terms of gingival bleeding and/or periodontal pockets. About 186 (52.25%) and 145 (40.73%) of subjects were with 0-3mm and 4-5mm loss of attachment respectively. Fourteen percent of population showed dental traumatic injuries. Conclusion: The findings highlighted the high caries prevalence, higher periodontal disease, traumatic injuries which requires immediate intervention.