Oral health status among kenyans in a rural arid setting: dental caries experience and knowledge on its causes

ABSTRACT

Objective: To determine the dental caries experience and knowledge on the causes and preventive measures for dental diseases. Design: A community based cross-sectional descriptive study.Setting: Elwak sub-district hospital; North Eastern Province; Kenya. Subjects: One hundred and forty one adults who presented themselves during a dental check up at a sub-district hospital and gave written consent. Main outcome measures: Dental caries status and knowledge on its causes and preventive measures. The importance of outreach programmes in obtaining information as well as helping to alleviate the pain and suffering caused by dental diseases among communities living in remote areas is also revealed. Results: Of the one hundred and forty one individuals; who were included in the study; 63.1