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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · European Journal of General Dentistry 2014; 3(02): 125-128
DOI: 10.4103/2278-9626.134838
Original Article

Burden of oral diseases and dental treatment needs of an urban population in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Authors

  • Braimoh Omoigberai Bashiru

    Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

  • Soroye Modupeoluwa Omotunde

    Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
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Abstract

Objectives: The objective of the following study is to determine the burden of oral disease and oral hygiene practices among urban population in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Individuals who attended the free screening exercise as part of activities to mark 2013 World Oral Health Day were recruited for this study. Data were collected through self and interviewer-administered questionnaire and clinical oral examination. Results: One hundred and sixty subjects between the ages of 5 and 78 years participated in the study. Females (59.4%) were significantly (P = 0.005) more than males (40.6%). Most of the participants (57.5%) were between 16 and 30 years. Only 33% of the screened population had visited a dentist and most of the previous visits (91%) were to the Dental Center of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. All the participants cleaned their teeth using toothpaste and toothbrush with 83.4% doing it once a daily. The prevalence of gingival bleeding and dental caries was 91.9% and 23.1%, respectively. Conclusion: The burden of oral disease and unmet dental treatment needs among the study population were high. Majority of the participants cleaned their teeth once daily; this falls short below the internationally recommended twice daily. There is a need to advocate for the creation of an enabling environment for oral health through government policies that will be focused on preventive and restorative care.

Keywords

Gingival bleeding - oral hygiene practices - screening - unmet treatment need - urban population


Publication History

Article published online:
01 November 2021

© 2014. European Journal of General Dentistry. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.)

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