Positive Oral Health Research Articles

Elevating Oral Health Interprofessional Practice Among Pediatricians Through a Statewide Quality Improvement Learning Collaborative.

Because of persistent effects of early childhood caries and impacts of dental health professional shortages areas, the integration of oral health in primary care settings is a public health priority. In this study, we explored oral health interprofessional practice (OHIP) as an integrative pathway to reduce oral health disparities. OHIP can include performing oral health risk assessments, describing the importance of fluoride in the drinking water, implementing fluoride varnish application, and referring patients to a dental home. To conduct a formative evaluation of how 15 pediatric primary care practices implemented the adoption of OHIP in their clinical settings. Using an ecological framework, we conducted a qualitative process evaluation to measure the factors that inhibited and facilitated OHIP adoption into pediatric settings. Document review analysis and qualitative interviews were conducted with pediatric practices to contextualize challenges and facilitators to OHIP adoption. A total of 15 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act pediatric practices located in 13 South Carolina counties participated in this study. Outcomes of interest were the facilitators and challenges of OHIP adoption into pediatric primary care practices. Thematic analysis revealed challenges for OHIP adoption including limited resources and capacity, role delineation for clinical and administrative staff, communication, and family receptiveness. OHIP training for clinical practitioners and staff and responsiveness from clinical staff and local dentists were facilitators of OHIP adoption. Twelve key recommendations emerged on the basis of participant experiences within OHIP, with developing an active dental referral network and encouraging buy-in from clinical staff for OHIP adoption as primary recommendations. We demonstrated the effectiveness of a learning collaborative meeting among pediatric primary care providers to adopt OHIPs. This work reveals an actionable pathway to support oral health equity advancement for children through an additional access point of preventive oral care, reinforcement of positive oral health behaviors, and interaction between parent and child for overall health and wellness of the family.

Dental caries experience among preschool children from anganwadi centers of Mangalore taluk: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Anganwadi worker is the most periphery functionary of the Integrated Child Development Services scheme. They deliver services to children below the age of 6 years who form a very potential group that can be targeted for inculcating positive oral health values. Most of the anganwadi children are from rural communities who experience poverty, poor knowledge of parents, and underutilization of health services that result in poor oral as well as general health. Aim: To collect the baseline data on the dentition status of preschool children in anganwadi centers of Mangalore taluk. Methodology: The study population comprised of 530 preschool children in the age group of 3–6 years. After obtaining informed consent, dentition status was examined according to the WHO 1997 criteria. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 17. Mann–Whitney U-test was used to statistically analyze the data. The level of significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: The dentition status among preschool children was poor with mean decayed, missing, filled teeth score of 2.74 ± 3.44. Gender-wise comparison did not show any statistically significant difference although girls showed a higher caries experience than boys. Conclusion: High caries experience in this study revealed that there is a great need to plan and conduct oral health promotion initiatives and treatment activities for preschool children from rural communities. Dental health services should be made available in the peripheral areas along with oral health education among parents and teachers to inculcate a positive attitude toward oral health among children.

Oral health knowledge, attitude, and practices among secondary school teachers and students in Ekiti State

Background: The important role of teachers in oral health education of their students cannot be ignored. Regrettably, many teachers especially in secondary schools in Nigeria lacked the knowledge and skills to play this part. This study was carried out to assess the oral health knowledge, attitude, and practices among secondary school teachers and students in Ekiti state. Materials and Methods: A self-structured questionnaire was used to collect the necessary information. Results: A total of 100 teachers and 180 students participated in the study. The participants displayed a pattern of incomplete oral health knowledge, inappropriate oral health practices but positive oral health attitude. Females demonstrated better oral health-care practices than their male counterparts. Furthermore, the oral health knowledge, attitude, and practices of the teachers were average while that of the students are less than satisfactory. Conclusion: Therefore, health educational programs to encourage healthy dental habits among teachers and students should be introduced into the school curriculum.

Prevalence and correlates of perceived teeth health status and oral health behavior among school-going adolescents in Cambodia.

ABSTRACTThe purpose of the study was to investigate perceived teeth health status and oral health behavior, as well as their correlates, among adolescents in Cambodia. The analysis included 3806 Cambodian school children (mean age 15.7 years, SD=1.8 years) who took part in the “Global School-based Student Health Survey” (GSHS) in 2013. Overall, 7.8% of the students reported poor perceived teeth status, 18.0% had missed school in the past year because of a toothache, 26.7% engaged in combined oral health behavior (brushing teeth twice daily or more often = 79.8%, using fluoride toothpaste = 59.9%, and drinking soft drinks less than once a day = 53.6%), and 59.9% had never visited a dentist for a routine examination or other dental work. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, older age, being female, missing school because of a toothache, having a toothache in the past 12 months, poor oral health behavior and sedentary leisure time were associated with poor perceived teeth status. Older age, good perceived teeth status, having had a dental check-up, washing hands before eating and after toilet use, and not eating fast food were associated with a positive oral health behavior (brushing teeth twice daily or more often, using fluoride toothpaste, and drinking soft drinks less than once a day). Significant proportions of poor perceived teeth status and poor oral health behavior were found among school children in Cambodia. Various risk factors (sociodemographic, dental variables, general health risk behaviors) for perceived poor teeth status, oral health behavior and never having had a dental check-up were identified, which can be utilized for intervention programs.

The effect of education on oral health students' attitudes in Australia and New Zealand.

Objective:The aim of this study was to evaluate the oral health attitudes and behavior of students in the oral health curriculum in Australia and New Zealand.Materials and Methods:The Hiroshima University - Dental Behavioral Inventory was administered to students in the first (year 1) and final years (year 3) of the oral health curriculum at Charles Sturt University in Australia and the University of Otago in New Zealand. A total of fifty-two year 1 students and forty-five year 3 students completed English version of the questionnaire in 2013. The responses were statistically analyzed by Fisher's exact tests and exact logistic regression models.Results:The responses of students in years 1 and 3 differed significantly for “I worry about the color of my teeth” at Charles Sturt University and at the University Otago, for “I think my teeth are getting worse despite my daily brushing,” “I put off going to the dentist until I have a toothache,” and “I don't feel I've brushed well unless I brush with strong strokes.” The estimated odds ratios from the exact logistic regression models showed that year 1 students were more likely to agree with above-mentioned four questions.Conclusions:Oral Health students who had been educated in a 3-year oral health curriculum in Australia and New Zealand had more positive attitudes and behaviors related oral health than did students at the beginning of their curriculum.

Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Pregnant Kuwaiti Women: A Qualitative Study.

Good oral hygiene is known to prevent maternal gingivitis, but little is known about Kuwaiti pregnant women's understanding and beliefs about maintaining and improving oral health during pregnancy. This qualitative study investigated perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes about oral health among Kuwaiti pregnant women and explored beliefs about maintaining and improving oral health during pregnancy. In-depth one-to-one interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 19 Kuwaiti pregnant women across 7 government primary health care centers in Kuwait. A topic guide framed the questions, which explored pregnancy, oral health, oral health and pregnancy, oral health knowledge, and oral health behaviors. All interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed by thematic analysis. The key themes emerging from the data related to low oral health knowledge, unhelpful cultural beliefs concerning oral health during pregnancy, and lack of awareness about the effect of pregnancy on oral health. Pregnant women lacked motivation to seek dental care even when they considered dental treatment safe during pregnancy. Dentists' purported incorrect beliefs about providing dental treatment to pregnant women and the women's lack of motivation were identified as barriers to accessing oral health care and seeking oral health knowledge. Pregnant women in this study had not received the necessary oral health information to undertake appropriate oral health behaviors. Cultural beliefs and practices about oral health were identified that need to be tackled to improve and maintain positive oral health behaviors during pregnancy. Behavioral interventions must acknowledge the cultural sensitivity around beliefs during pregnancy and, as a first step, focus on correcting oral health knowledge among Kuwaiti pregnant women. Knowledge Transfer Statement: The results of this qualitative study can be used by oral health care workers and researchers to plan and design more targeted dental health education interventions with pregnant women. The information in this study might be helpful to public health decision makers to make more appropriate decisions about implementing dental health education with pregnant women.

Oral health behaviours of children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland 2013.

Background The 2013 Children's Dental Health Survey is the fifth in a series of national surveys.Aim To describe the oral health behaviours in children and adolescents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.Method A representative sample of children (aged 5, 8 12 and 15 years) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were invited to participate in dental examinations. Children and parents were also invited to complete a questionnaire about oral health behaviours.Results Overall, the majority of children and young people reported good oral health behaviours. For example, more than three quarters of the 12- and 15-year-olds reported brushing their teeth twice a day or more often. However, a sizeable proportion of the sample reported less positive behaviours. Nearly 30% of 5-year-olds first started to brush their teeth after the age of one year. Among 15-year-olds, 11% were current smokers and 37% reported that they currently drank alcohol. Sixteen percent of 12-year-olds reported to consume drinks containing sugar four or more times a day. Of particular concern was the marked differences that existed by level of deprivation. Children living in lower income households (eligible for free school meals) were less likely to brush their teeth twice a day, more likely to start brushing after six months, more likely to be a smoker and more likely to consume frequent amounts of sugary drinks.Conclusion Despite some encouraging overall patterns of good oral health behaviours, a sizeable proportion of children and young people reported behaviours that may lead to poorer oral and general health. Preventive support should be delivered in clinical dental settings to encourage positive oral health behaviours. Public health strategies are also needed to reduce inequalities in oral health behaviours among children and young people.

Predicting Oral Health Behavior using the Health Promotion Model among School Students: a Cross-sectional Survey

teeth and T=permanent teeth) has been increasing from 1957 to 2015 years in Iran. The current survey aimed to test the power of health promotion model for predicting the oral health behavior among high-school students. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 482 high school students in Gorgan city, Iran. Multi-cluster sampling was used to recruit the samples. A researcher-made questionnaire based on HPM was implemented to collect data. To analyze, SPSS-18 and statistical tests, including t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient and univariate and multivariate regression models were used. Results: A total of 482 high-school students including 255 (52.9%) male and 227 (47.1%) with mean age of 16.02 ± 0.5 were investigated. The highest and lowest prevalent positive oral health behavior were tooth brushing (73%) and using fluidized oral irrigator (3.6%), respectively. Except for perceived barriers (with negative correlation), all constructs of HBM were positively related to oral health behaviors. Self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of oral health behavior (β=0.653) (r=0.541, P<0.05). Conclusion: HPM seems likely beneficial to design and develop oral health behaviors among students. Self-efficacy and perceived benefits should also be noticed to promote students oral health behaviors.

Identification of barriers and beliefs influencing engagement by adult and teen Mexican-Americans in oral health behaviors.

To identify barriers and beliefs influencing oral health and dental care-seeking among Mexican-Americans. Interviews and Likert-scale survey questions were utilized to explore urgent and preventive dental care-seeking, oral hygiene habits and lifestyle practices. Thirty-three interviews were conducted with 16 adults (ages 33-52), and 17 adolescents (ages 14-19). Teens identified the same main barriers to accessing dental care as adults: high cost, financial limitations and lack of insurance. Most Mexican-Americans agreed with the belief that everyone will need urgent dental treatment and the majority believed that going to a dentist in private practice instead of the Emergency Room was important. Although adults recognized the importance of preventive dental care, half reported being unlikely to seek such care while half of teens reported that they were likely to do so. Adults reported relying equally on themselves and on peers to make dental care decisions, while teens mostly depended on others to make decisions about urgent and preventive care. Virtually all respondents believed regular brushing to be important and many flossing too. A major barrier to flossing was being unsure of the proper technique. Another barrier to better oral health was not having seen messages encouraging changes in lifestyle. This study found that Mexican-American teens and adults may experience oral health similarly. Teens do not have more positive oral health beliefs and encounter mostly the same barriers to care as adults.

Primary Care Dentistry: What and Why of oral health practices of dental OPD attendees from Saurashtra region in Gujarat

Introduction: Oral health and diseases receive little concern in India though their consequences affect the body as a whole. A prerequisite of progress towards optimal oral health is to understand where we stand today. So present study was carried out to evaluate oral hygiene awareness and associate barriers to avail oral health curative services among cross section of patients attending our centre. Materials and Methods: 276 subjects who gave informed consent were included out of 300 in this cross sectional study conducted at dental trust hospital, in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. A pretested, semi structured, self-administered questionnaire was given to each of the participant. Data so collected was calculated in terms of percentages and proportions. Results: 261 (94.5%) subjects were of the view that oral hygiene is mandatory for overall health of the body, whereas hundred ninety-five (70.7%) of the subjects visited a dentist only for symptomatic reasons. 216 (78.3%) of the subjects cleaned their teeth only once in a day and reasons for not brushing teeth twice were being lazy, tired and forgetfulness as mentioned by them. Having no serious dental problem and expensive dental treatment were marked as the major barriers in receiving oral health care services and regular visit to dentist. Conclusion: This study illustrates the peoples’ neglective attitude towards their own oral health. Although majority of the respondents were aware about the necessity to maintain oral hygiene, very few of them translated it into practice. People need to be motivated for positive oral health care seeking behaviour through various campaigns and educational interventions. Key Words: Awareness, Practices, Oral hygiene, Dental health, Gujarat

Validation of an innovative instrument of Positive Oral Health and Well-Being (POHW).

Most existing measures of oral health focus solely on negative oral health, illness, and deficiencies and ignore positive oral health. In an attempt to commence exploration of this challenging field, an innovative instrument was developed, the "Positive Oral Health and Well-Being" (POHW) index. This study aimed to validate this instrument and to explore an initial model of the pathway between oral health attributes and positive oral health. A cross-sectional, multicenter study (Israel, USA, and Germany), was conducted. Our conceptual model suggests that positive oral health attributes, which integrate with positive unawareness or positive awareness on the one hand and with positive perception on the other hand, may result via appropriate oral health behavior on positive oral health. The 17-item self-administered index was built on a theoretical concept by four experts from Israel and Germany. Reliability, factor, and correlation analyses were performed. For external correlations and to measure construct validity of the instrument, we utilized the oral health impact profile-14, self-perceived oral impairment, life satisfaction, self-perceived well-being, sociodemographic and behavioral data, and oral health status indices. Four hundred and seventy participants took part in our three-center study. The combined data set reliability analyses detected two items which were not contributing to the index reliability. Thus, we tested a 15-item construct, and a Cronbach's α value of 0.933 was revealed. Primary factor analysis of the whole sample indicated three subconstructs which could explain 60 % of variance. Correlation analyses demonstrated that the POHW and OHIP-14 were strongly and negatively associated. The POHW correlated strongly and positively with general well-being, moderately with life satisfaction, and weakly with the perceived importance of regular dental checkups. It correlated moderately and negatively with perceived oral impairment, and marginally and negatively with dental caries experience (DMFT) and periodontal health status (CPI) scores. When DMFT and CPI clinical measurements were categorized, a higher score of POHW was revealed for better oral health. Our study introduced a new instrument with good reliability and sound correlations with external measures. This instrument is the first to allow measurability of positive instead of impaired oral health. We utilized subjective-psychological and functional-social measures. The current results indicate that by further exploring our conceptual model, POHW may be of importance for identifying patients with good and poor oral health, and building an effective and inexpensive strategy for prevention, by being able to evaluate the effect of interventions in a standardized way.

청소년의 구강건강 통제의 소재와 구강건강증진행위와의 관계

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between oral health locus of control and oral health behavior promotion in the adolescents. Methods: A self-reported questionnaire was completed by 493 high school students in Jeonju by convenience sampling from March to June, 2014. The questionnaire consisted of fourteen questions of oral health locus of control, fifteen questions of oral health behavior promotion, and seven questions of the general characteristics of the subjects. Data analysis was done by frequency analysis, t-test, ANOVA, and Duncan's multiple range test. Results: Oral health behavior promotion and oral health behavior index of internal locus of control showed a positive correlation, Higher internal locus of control showed a positive oral health behavior promotion. The higher propensity of oral health on the external locus of control showed the negative effects. Conclusions: The oral health internal locus of control was closely related to better oral health behavior in the adolescents.

Impact of Sense of Coherence on Oral Health Behaviors: A Systematic Review.

ObjectivesThe aim of this review was to critically analyze the empirical evidence on the association between Sense of Coherence (SOC) and oral health behaviors through a systematic approach.MethodsA systematic search up to April 2015 was carried out using the following electronic bibliographic databases: PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE; ISI Web of Science; and Ovid PsychInfo. Studies were included if they evaluated the relationship between SOC and oral health behaviors including tooth cleaning, fluoride usage, dietary habits, dental attendance, and smoking. We excluded studies that only assessed the relationship between oral health status and SOC without evaluating oral health behaviors. The New Castle Ottawa (NOS) quality assessment checklist was employed to evaluate the methodological quality of included studies.ResultsThirty-nine potential papers met the preliminary selection criteria and following a full-text review, 9 papers were finally selected for this systematic review. Results provided by the included studies indicated different levels of association between SOC and oral health behaviors. The most frequent behaviors investigated were tooth brushing and dental attendance pattern. The impact of SOC on performing positive oral health behaviors, to some extent, was related to demographic and socio-economic factors. In addition, mothers’ SOC influenced children’s oral health practices.ConclusionsA more favorable oral health behavior was observed among those with a stronger SOC suggesting that the SOC can be a determinant of oral health-related behaviors including tooth brushing frequency, daily smoking, and dental attendance.

Child oral health concerns amongst parents and primary care givers in a Sure Start local programme.

To conduct an oral health promotion needs assessment amongst parents and primary care givers of pre-school children in a South East London Sure Start Local Programme (SSLP). To explore the oral health concerns and oral health literacy with regard to children's oral health amongst parents and primary care givers in a South East London SSLP. A qualitative study using four in-depth focus groups with a purposive sample of 20 participants. Data were analysed using the framework method. The SSLP was identified as an important source of information, support and social interaction for participants. Participants rated the informal networks of the programme as equally authoritative as other formal sources of information. Oral health concerns included: introducing healthy eating, establishing tooth brushing, teething and access to dental care. While participants had adequate knowledge of how to prevent oral disease they cited many barriers to acting on their knowledge which included: parents' tiredness, lack of confidence in parenting skills, confusing information, widespread availability of sugary foods and drinks, and lack of local child friendly dentists. Parenting skills and the social support provided by the SSLP appeared to be integral to the introduction of positive oral health behaviours. SSLPs were seen as a trusted source of support and information for carers of pre-school children. Integration of oral health promotion into SSLPs has the potential to tap into early interventions which tackle the wider support needs of carers of pre-school children while also supporting the development of positive oral health behaviours.

EVALUAREA ATITUDINII ŞI COMPORTAMENTULUI FAŢĂ DE PROPRIA SĂNĂTATE ORALĂ LA UN GRUP DE STUDENŢI LA MEDICINĂ DENTARĂ

Aim. The purpose of this study was to examine and health attitudes/behavior of Romanian dental students (n = 110). Materials and methods. A questionnaire known as HU-DBI (Romanian version) was administered to 110 students in the last year of studies. In the same time was evaluated the prevalence of dental caries and some correspondence between the HU-DBI index and oral health status for every student. The questionnaire was administered after their written informed consent. Dental caries status was evaluated using the world health Organization (WHO) caries diagnostic criteria for decayed, missing and filled teeth and surfaces (DMF-T and DMF-S, respectively). Data were statistically analyzed. Results. The prevalence of dental caries was 60% only 6.7% (8 students) had DMF-T = 0. The mean DMF-T recorded was 7.3 (± 0.35). When relating the different DMF values to the HU-DBI responses, a statistically significant relation was found between seven items and DMF scores of their components and indices. The HU-DBI score ranged from 6 to 12 (mean 9.8). Low DS and DT values significantly correlated with a high total HU-DBI score (p &lt; 0.05); that is subjects with low levels of dental disease had more positive oral health attitudes and behavior. Conclusions. The positive attitude of dental students towards the care of their own teeth and gums is important in determining the oral health conditions of their patients. In passing through the curricles the dental students should be able to set a personal example in oral health.

Assessment of dental erosion status among battery factory workers in Mandideep, India

Introduction: Occupational factors may be considered responsible for dental erosion among battery factory workers since they were exposed to sulfuric acid fumes created by the harmful processes known as forming and charging.Methods: A sample consisted of 138 battery factory workers (85 acid exposed workers and 53 controls) drawn as a convenient sample from 3 different battery factories of Mandideep, India. A pre-tested proforma, completed by interview, was used to collect information on medical and dental histories. Clinical examination of battery factory workers was done to assess dental erosion using tooth wear index given by Smith and Knight. Data related to dental erosion score of acid worker and control group was compared using Mann Whitney U test. Categorical data was analyzed by chi-square test.Results: The battery factory workers showed a propensity for higher erosion scores. The result of present survey showed a total of 74 percent of acid exposed workers had erosion compared to 37.7 percent of the controls. Statistical difference in erosion scores between acid exposed group and control group was found significant (p value&lt;0.05).Conclusion: Present study revealed that long term exposure of sulphuric acid mists in the working environment significantly increased the chances of dental erosion among exposed workers. There is urgent need for surveillance and routine monitoring of acid fumes at workplace coupled with education about occupational hazards, positive worksite oral health promotion and training for standardized behaviors such as use of personal protective equipment to decrease occupational erosion. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v4i1.12165

What do parents say about their children′s oral health on twitter?

Using twitter, a social networking platform, this study examined parents' perceptions and behaviors related to their child's oral health. Publically available tweets on twitter were extracted from 14 randomly selected nonconsecutive days in December 2012 and January 2013. A total of 1073 tweets meeting the search criteria were included and analyzed. Parents frequently described events related to their children's dental eruption, exfoliation, and grinding on twitter, which accounted for close to half of the tweets. One in three (32%) concerns that parents raised was related to one of these events. Concerns about dental esthetics represented the largest category of concerns (28%) that parents had. The most frequent actions described were related to dental visits (61%) and caries prevention (33%). More than half of the tweets contained an associated attitude of the parents themselves or their children (57%) with 2 in 3 attitudes related to dental settings, such as dental visits, being negative. Twitter can serve as a rich source of data on parental perceptions and behaviors related to their child's oral health. Future research is warranted to better understand how social media can facilitate parental positive attitudes and oral health promotion behaviors.

Improving maternal oral health knowledge and practices: an intervention from Sri Lanka

Background: Oral health is one of the most common chronic diseases among school children in Sri Lanka. However, there is little or no priority given for oral health preventive strategies. The role of mother or the primary carer of children was identified as significant in oral health promotion. In this context it was vital to empower mothers or care givers of preschool children to improve oral health of children. Objectives: To develop and implement an intervention to promote the oral health of preschool children. To assesses the oral health knowledge and selected oral health care practices of mothers or care givers of preschool children before and after the intervention. Methods: A community based quasi experimental study was conducted in the District of Colombo, Sri Lanka. An intervention in the form of a lecture discussion based on a booklet developed for this study was implemented. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to assess oral health knowledge and practices before intervention and six months after the intervention. Results: At pre intervention, both intervention and control groups were similar except for Oral health practices and house hold food practices. Oral health knowledge, Oral health practices, tooth brushing practices of preschool child and Household food practices were significantly higher in intervention group at post intervention(p <0.005). Conclusion: Mothers/care givers of preschool children were able to improve and maintain positive practical oral health care behaviours after an educational intervention. However, changes in food practices could not be achieved at the same level of significance.

Access to Dental Services and Related Factors in Adolescents from Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil, 2011

Objective: To characterize access of adolescents to dental services and identify its determinants. Material and Methods: This is a cross-sectional, population-based study conducted with a representative sample of 431 adolescents aged 15-19 years in a health district of Vitoria, ES. The interviews were guided by a structured questionnaire with socio-demographic questions, service utilization, and self-perceived oral health. SPSS statistical software version 15.0 was used. Statistical analysis consisted of the use of simple frequency with proportion and chi-square tests. Significance level of 5% was adopted. Results: Most respondents visit the dentist at least once a year, having as main reason routine visit, are attended in public services and positively evaluate the service provided. Factors associated with greater access to dental services (consultation once a year) were care in private service (p = 0.000), schooling (p = 0.019) and positive self-perceived oral health (p = 0.047). Conclusion: It was concluded that the prevalence of recent use of dental services among adolescents was high and access was related to service profile, self-perceived oral health and schooling.

Prevalence of dental caries and oral hygiene status of a screened population in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

Objectives:The study was designed to determine the prevalence of dental caries and partial edentulism, in addition to assessing the oral hygiene status and restorative care among adults in a community-based outreach program in Port Harcourt.Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among adults who participated in oral health screening program, which took place in Alakahia and Obigbo rural communities in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. After a brief oral health education, clinical examination was conducted and the diagnosis of caries was made based on the guidelines laid down by World Health Organization. Prevalence of caries was measured using decayed missing and filled teeth (DMFT) index, and oral hygiene status was assessed using the OHI-S. The restorative index [(F/F + D) ×100] was also calculated and the sociodemographic factors of the subjects were noted. Chi-square test, independent t-test and descriptive statistic were employed for analysis.Results:One fifty-five females (53.8%) and 133 males (46.2%) attended the events and their mean age was 29.3 ± 10.5 years. About one-third of the participants (35.1%) presented with dental caries. The mean DMFT for the whole group was 0.67 ± 2.0. The restorative index for the subjects was 26.8%. The oral hygiene status of most of the participants was fair. This was significantly better in females than in males (P = 0.002).Conclusion:Although about one-third of the participants had dental caries, only a quarter of them had received restorative care. Most of the respondents had fair and poor oral hygiene, this suggests the need to educate and motivate the community toward adopting and maintaining positive oral health attitudes and practices.