SOME ASPECTS OF DENTAL-HEALTH IN YOUNG-ADULT INDIAN VEGETARIANS - A PILOT-STUDY

The effect of a vegetarian diet on oral health status could be manifol d, but reports have so far mainly appeared from within Western populat ions. This study reports the oral health status of southeast Indian ve getarians, obtained by means of a questionnaire, clinical examination, and study cast evaluations. The material comprised 30 vegetarians and 25 sex- and age-matched non-vegetarian controls. Comparison between t he samples included dietary and oral hygiene habits, health-related va riables, caries prevalence, acid dentoalveolar characteristics. The qu estionnaire showed significantly less consumption of between-meal swee ts and more widespread use of a soft toothbrush by the vegetarians. Th e vegetarians had a significantly higher degree of tooth wear than the non-vegetarians, but no difference in the degree of wear between wome n and men in either group was found. The vegetarians had a significant ly higher tendency towards crowding in the maxillary arch, numerically higher DMFT, and greater number of cervical buccal defects than the c ontrols. The results of this study suggest that the Indian vegetarian diet may produce certain effects on the oral health, associations that need to he studied further.