Comparison of oral hygiene practice and awareness in rural Lahore

ABSTRACT

This study was aimed at assessing the improvement in the dental hygiene practice and subsequently the oral health among the population in outskirts of Lahore aged 12 - 79 years following the changes made in educating the population regarding oral health and its diseases, a year ago. The survey was conducted on World Oral Health Day at a Camp held in a private Dental college OPD in Lahore. A cross-sectional survey was held in the Oral Diagnostics Department in September 2012. All new patients aged between 12 and 79 years of age, who came for the World Oral Health Day Camp were included in the sample. All other age groups and patients who were undergoing treatment in the hospital previously were excluded. The data for this study were collected by carrying out an interview with the patients using a pre-tested questionnaire. Following the interview patients also underwent an oral examination. The disease status of the patient was recorded which included oral disease and conditions such as caries, periodontal disease, attrition, TDI, oral lesions and all combinations. Data analysis was done using the IBM SPSS version 20. The results showed the nature of dental hygiene as practiced by all patients and their current oral health status. The final sample size was 185 [male 89 and female 96]. The largest group was of 30-39 years. It was observed that 93% of the sample practiced daily tooth brushing and 46% had an intake of one teaspoonful of sugar in their regular tea. It was established that despite following regular regime of tooth brushing, regular dental checkups and reduced sugar consumption, the level of caries was the highest [36.2%] in all oral conditions observed. Chi-square analysis revealed a statistically significant association between gender and sugar consumption [p=0.001] and also between Tooth brushing and education [p=0.001]. There was significance between education and gender and disease and tooth brushing while a high significance in gender and sugar, age and education, education and tooth brushing, and age and tooth brushing / was observed in 2 -tailed significance of Pear son's correlation. It can be understood that positive changes brought in the dental hygiene knowledge and practices of the far flung and rural population can establish a marked difference in the improvement of their oral health and subsequently impact the disease trends overtime