Self-perceived satisfaction with dental appearance and associated factors among secondary school students in Iringa, Tanzania

Abstract

Introduction: Oral health is not only the absence of oral ailments and dysfunctions but also includes other components that influence a person's social life like satisfaction with one's dental appearance and beauty. This study was done to determine the self-perceived satisfaction with dental appearance and associated factors among secondary school students in Iringa, Tanzania. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was done in the Kilolo district of the Iringa region on the southern highlands of Tanzania. It involved students from four private and four government secondary schools. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding students' perceptions of their teeth and satisfaction with their dental appearance. Data were entered in a computer program SPPS version 23.0 for analysis. Frequency distribution of different variables was generated, the association between variables was assessed by the Chi-square test, the P value was set at P