Awareness about Dental Hygiene Practices and Oral Health Among Salt Pan Workers in Tuticorin - A Survey

Abstract

Oral health & general health go hand in hand as one influences the other. The oral cavity can be called as the gateway to the body as it serves as an entry point to all forms of infection. To attain good oral health, one needs to have knowledge of dietary habits and oral hygiene practices. The extreme weather and hard labour conditions in the salt pans cause a lot of morbidities among the salt workers. These morbidities are aggravated if the salt workers do not protect themselves with personal protective measures. ​From the study, we can infer that the understanding of the mindset of daily wage workers can be key to providing them with dental treatment for their needs. ​The study aims to measure the knowledge and attitude about oral health maintenance and habits among salt pan workers in Tuticorin district. This survey was carried out among salt pan workers in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu to assess their awareness about common dental health problems and data was collected using a pre-designed questionnaire and samples were assigned using convenience sampling methods. Data were collected after obtaining informed consent and steps were taken to ensure confidentiality at all stages. A maximum of 10 people was asked to visit the clinic to take the survey. It was conducted over a period of 10 days. Both male & female workers were involved in the study. The data was collected and tabulated in an excel sheet. Then the raw data was later transferred to SPSS Software. Salt pan workers generally have dental problems, dermatological problems and musculoskeletal problems as the most common morbidities among them. This study showed that more than 50% of the salt pan workers in Tuticorin have good awareness towards oral health.