MUMBAI, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Eight out of 10 Indian children suffer from oral health issues, according to a survey conducted by Kantar-IMRB, a market research organization and released late Thursday in India's Mumbai.
Some of the major oral health problems found in children surveyed include visible plaque accumulation, white spots on teeth, visible caries, gum inflammation, bad breath and gum bleeding, the statement said.
"The high incidence of cavities and oral health problems in children has its roots in poor care of milk teeth," said Dr. Meenakshi S. Kher, member of the Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry (ISPPD).
The survey was conducted by KANTAR IMRB among 2,030 adults and 1,080 children belonging to diverse socio-economic backgrounds across 12 cities in India, including New Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, etc.
Among adults, 76 percent Indians either have cavities or are at a high risk of developing them, while 89 percent suffer from a major oral health problem, the study said.
"Numerous other scientific studies also strongly interlink poor oral health to several other health conditions such as diabetes, preterm low-birth-weight and atherosclerosis, among others," Dr. V Gopikrishna, president of the Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry (IAPHD), said, expressing concern about the insights brought up by the survey.
Some of the Indian cities with high incidence of oral health issues in children include Kolkata at 93 percent, Mumbai at 90 percent, Hyderabad at 82 percent, Delhi at 79 percent, Chennai at 60 percent and Bengaluru at 46 percent, the study said.
