Importance of Free Medical Camps in Exposing Rural Communities ' Dental Health Issues and Mitigating Morbidity Associated with Dental Caries

Abstract: Background: The study was conducted at IL-polei in Laikipia North, Kenya. The study aimed at determining the susceptibility to dental caries and oral health status, targeting children and teenagers between the ages of 3-17 years old attending a medical camp in the month of September in 2014. The study was designed as a community based cross-sectional descriptive study where questionnaires were administered to children, the guardians and parents of the children attending the dental section of the medical camp. The clean and verified data was then entered into an Excel computer database and later transferred into SPSS for analysis. Results: A total of 256 children and teenagers were interviewed, medically examined and saliva samples were successful transported to microbiology lab in KeMU. As observed none had a routine visits to a dentist and the practices related to oral hygiene were not satisfactory. The prevalence of dental caries gradually increased with age and those who were highly susceptible to dental caries were teenagers older than 12 years of age (71.9%). Males had a clinically higher prevalence of caries (75%) than females. Also noted was that an ancient practice of using stick brushes is still the preferred method of choice for cleaning teeth (75.6%). The physical observation of decayed teeth was collaborated by th