Introduction

Oral health is an integral component of general health and plays a vital role in maintaining the overall well-being and quality of life of children. School-going children are particularly susceptible to oral diseases such as dental caries and gingival diseases because of inadequate oral hygiene practices, frequent consumption of sugary foods, and limited awareness regarding preventive oral health measures. Assessment of oral health knowledge along with clinical oral health status provides valuable information for planning effective preventive and educational programs.

Aim

To assess the correlation between oral health status and oral health knowledge among school going children aged 12–15 years.

Methods

A cross-sectional correlation study was conducted among 89 school-going children aged 12– 15 years to assess their oral health status and knowledge. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising 11 knowledge-based questions related to oral hygiene and oral health awareness. Oral examinations were performed by investigators under natural daylight. Dental caries experience was assessed using the DMFT Index, and oral hygiene status was evaluated using the OHI-S Index. The collected data were analysed using SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were used to determine the relationship between oral health knowledge and oral health status. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Among the 89 participants, most demonstrated fair oral health knowledge (75.28%) and fair oral hygiene status (44.94%), while 37.08% exhibited poor oral hygiene. The mean DMFT score of the study population was 5.20 ± 2.00. No statistically significant gender differences were observed in either oral hygiene status or DMFT scores. Pearson's correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between oral health knowledge and DMFT score (r = -0.02, p = 0.864). However, a significant weak negative correlation was observed between oral health knowledge and OHI-S score (r = -0.24, p = 0.025), indicating that better oral health knowledge was associated with better oral hygiene status.

Conclusion

The study found that most participants had fair to poor oral hygiene and a considerable prevalence of dental caries. Although females showed slightly higher OHI-S and DMFT scores, no significant gender differences were observed. The findings highlight the need for improved oral health education and preventive dental care among adolescents.