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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

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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