Prevalence of Dental Caries and Oral Hygiene Status of Children Aged 12–15 Years in Government vs Private Schools in Jammu City

and private schools in the Jammu region.In addition to this, the findings of the present study will help in designing a cost-effective population-based approach for reducing the oral disease burden among schoolchildren by keeping in mind the oral health needs of the schoolchildren.In order to assess the oral health status and prevalence of caries in school-aged children, the following research was undertaken.The aim of this research was to contrast and assess the levels of oral IntroductIonThe general health and well-being of an individual include their oral health, which is now acknowledged as being equally essential in relation to general health.Dental caries is one of the most common oral pathologies that continue to be ubiquitous and impact all populations at all ages. 1 Despite the decrease in dental caries in developed nations, oral diseases remain highly prevalent.The findings of the various studies demonstrate that, in contrast to developed countries, dental caries is becoming more prevalent in children in developing nations like India. 2 It has been observed that 75.4% of children aged 15 and under and 72.5% of children aged 12 years had oral caries. 3Inadequate dental awareness makes the children and parents believe that the discomfort will go away once the deciduous tooth exfoliates, which further aggravates the oral health burden in a developing nation.Meeting the oral health needs in a densely populated nation like India is difficult. 3Thus, understanding the prevalence of oral health issues is important.Individuals under the age of 18 comprise about 40% of India's population.In our state, Jammu and Kashmir, there is a lack of specific school health programs. 4When it comes to health promotion campaigns aimed at modifying lifestyles, school-aged children are relatively easier to approach than other demographic groups.Examining children's oral health in government vs private schools is an efficient way to get baseline data on their oral health. 5,6he findings of the present research will provide insights into whether the oral health status differs among government 1,