Self-rated oral health status, oral health service utilization, and oral hygiene practices among adult Nigerians

Abstract

BackgroundThere is scarce information available on oral health service utilization patterns and common oral hygiene practices among adult Nigerians. We conducted the 2010–2011 national oral health survey before the introduction of the national oral health policy to determine the prevalence of oral health service utilization, patterns of oral hygiene practices, and self reported oral health status, among adults in various social classes, educational strata, ethnic groups and geopolitical zones in Nigeria.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey in North-Central, North-West, South-East, South-South and South-West geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Multi-stage cluster sampling method was used for the sample selection. We administered a structured questionnaire to a total of 7,630 participants. Information on the socio-demographic characteristics, oral hygiene practices and oral health services utilization pattern of participants was obtained.ResultsWe interviewed 7, 630 participants (55.6% female). The participants ages ranged between 18 and 81 years, mean age was 37.96 (SD = 13.2). Overall 21.2% of the participants rated their oral health status as very good, 37.1% as good and 27.4% as fair. Only 26.4% reported having visited the dentist at least once prior to the conduct of the survey. More than half of these visits (54.9%) were for treatment purpose. Utilization of oral health services was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with being older, more educated and being engaged in a skilled profession. More educated persons, females and younger persons used toothbrushes for daily tooth cleaning. Age, sex, marital status, level of education and occupation were significantly related to daily frequency of tooth cleaning (p < 0.05).ConclusionOur results show that while most Nigerian adults have a positive view of their oral health status, majority reported poor oral health utilization habits. Older persons resident in the northern zones of the country and less educated persons displayed poorer oral hygiene practices. The study findings suggest that there is low oral health service utilization among adult Nigerians and that socio-demographic variables influence oral health utilization habits and oral hygiene behavior among adult Nigerians Further studies to identify other factors influencing oral health behavior are suggested.

Oral Health Related Illness and Associated Factors among Bank Workers and Teachers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Cross-Sectional Study

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Oral and Dental Status of Bulgarian Patients – A 5-Year Study

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Assessment of Oral Hygiene Habits and Knowledge of Caries Among University Students in Taif City.

“…Regarding tooth brushing about 44.33% of the sampled students follow the international guidelines that indicate brushing at least twice a day , and our result is in the range of other studies which reported such tooth brushing frequency by 19-46% of patients in Lithuania, Saudi Arabia(Riyadh), and Japan [13][14] . It's also noticed that women had higher odds of brushing teeth twice a day than men and that is parallel with other findings [17][18] ; 34.17% brush their teeth once a day and 17% brush more than two times a day. A minor percent (approximately 9%) of sampled students do not use the toothbrush on a daily basis and we should consider them without hesitation.…”