To evaluate the oral health status and dental treatment needs of flood-affected and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of interior Sindh, Pakistan. Methods- A descriptive cross-sectional study was done by the department of Community Dentistry, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro. The study participants included the flood-affected and internally displaced persons of Sindh. An oral examination was carried out using a portable light source and a wooden tongue depressor. Diagnosis of dental caries was done according to World Health Organization criteria and visual inspection was done to detect oral lesions/conditions. Treatment need of each individual was also evaluated. The data was recorded in a modified WHO oral health-assessment tool. Results- A total of 400 subjects were evaluated to examine dental and oral status, in which, the prevalence of dental caries was most abundant at 77.8%, while the DMFT score for caries was found very highly significant with p value of <0.001. Periodontal disease including gingivitis and periodontitis was evident in 31% and 23.5% respectively. The majority of patients needed preventive or routine dental treatment which was 54% while prompt treatment was needed by 22.5% and immediate treatment due to dental pain or infection was needed by 11.3% while only 2% of the individual were referred for comprehensive evaluation due to systemic condition. Conclusion- There was a high incidence of dental disease in individuals residing in interior areas of Sindh and they also had minimum access to seek dental treatment.

Keywords- Dental Caries, Floods, Oral Diagnosis, Oral Health, Pakistan, Periodontal Diseases