The Oral Health Situation in Rural Ilembula in Southwest Tanzania

Introduction: Dental care facilities are rarely located in rural Tanzanian areas and do not meet the standard of western industrial nations. Objective: The aim of the study is to record the oral health situation of the local population of a non-urban region of Tanzania. Material and Methods: Two cohorts were examined. The first cohort comprises 164 children and adolescents (age 12.34 ± 0.66 years, range 12 to 16 years; 71 female, 93 male). In the second cohort 109 study participants with a minimum age of 18 years were included (age 34.09 ± 12.49 years, 65 female, 44 male). Participants were examined in schools and at the dental clinic in Ilembula. Clinically, DMF/T index, edentulous arches, oral hygiene index (OHI-S), and Angle classification were recorded. General conditions, eating habits, socioeconomic factors, and oral hygiene habits were surveyed. Results: DMF/T index of the adults was 2.93 ± 4.23 (female 3.66 ± 3.98, male 1.93 ± 4.38) and for children and adolescents 0,22 ± 0.58 (female 0.31 ± 0.71, male 0.16 ± 0.44). In addition to neutral occlusion (66.67%), there was an increased incidence of Angle III (23.81%). The oral hygiene index was 1.18 ± 0.94. Discussion and Conclusion: Compared to western countries, the prevalence of caries in Ilembula is not increased. However, caries usually remains untreated, which is reflected in higher tooth loss rates. In both age cohorts, a significantly higher DMF/T was found in female subjects. Further studies should follow to document the course over several years. Keywords: caries incidence, Tanzania, general oral health, epidemiology