A Cross-sectional Study on the Prevalence of Dental Caries among the Representative Subjects of the State of Tamil Nadu, India

in the morphology of teeth and jaws which affects the quality of life of people, in a vast and densely populated country like India.Many studies reported the prevalence rate of dental caries in Tamil Nadu, India for a particular place or region only.The epidemiological data on the overall prevalence of dental caries in Tamil Nadu, India, a state with a population of 72,147,030 people, 6 is outdated, as there have not been any national or state oral health surveys conducted in Tamil Nadu, India in recent years.In 2007, the Government of India conducted a "multicentric study comparing oral healthcare needs in different states of India along with the World Health Organization (WHO)," but the state of Tamil Nadu was not included in that study. 7An insight into the struggles oral IntroductIonDental caries is the most prevalent oral disease in the world. 1 Dental caries is a chronic disease, and anyone is susceptible to dental caries in their lifetime.Worldwide, it is estimated that 2 billion people suffer from dental caries of permanent dentition and 520 million children suffer from dental caries of primary dentition. 2 In most developing countries, the prevalence of oral diseases like dental caries continues to increase due to changes in lifestyle and urbanization.India faces an alarming increase in the prevalence of dental caries.A community-based approach to dental caries prevention has recently gained traction in India.According to the "2002-2003 National Oral Health Survey conducted by the Dental Council of India," the prevalence of dental caries in India was indicated to be 49.8%.The prevalence of dental caries in Tamil Nadu was reported as 65.58% in the 2002-2003 National Oral Health Survey. 3 Dental caries may lead to difficulties in eating, sleeping, and communication, thus influencing everyday routine life.Dental caries causes damage to the tooth enamel, dentin, or even pulp in severe cases.Inadequate removal of plaque by tooth brushing, high intake of free sugars, and lack of exposure to the required amount of fluoride can lead to caries, infection, pain, and tooth loss. 4,5Dietary and economic changes in the last few decades in India have led to the compromised oral health status of the general population.Lack of early detection of dental caries poses challenges like compromised oral health status and changes