Does any Relationship Exist between Self Reported Gingival Bleeding; Oral Health Perception; Practices and Concerns?

ABSTRACT

Background: The objective was to determine the relationship between self-reported gingival bleeding; oral health perception; practices and concerns. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey among undergraduates of University of Benin; Benin City; Nigeria was conducted between April and May; 2011 using a self-administered 21-item structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences and P0.05 was considered significant. Results: Out of the 400 questionnaires that were distributed; 338 were returned filled giving a retrieval rate of 84.5 . About three-quarters (71.3) of the respondents were younger than 22 years. Males constituted 65.1 while the remaining 34.9 were females. The prevalence of self-reported gingival bleeding among respondents in this study was 12.7 . Individuals with gingival bleeding were significantly more likely to rate their dental and gingival health as fair/poor; use strong brushing stroke during tooth brushing and report worsening condition of teeth despite daily tooth brushing; express worry about the gingival color and less likely to be satisfied about the appearance of their teeth and to have received professional instruction on tooth brushing. Conclusion: Data from this survey revealed an established relationship between gingival bleeding; perceived dental and gingival health; tooth brushing force; professional instruction on tooth brushing; perception of the condition of teeth in relation to daily tooth brushing; worry about the color of gingiva; and satisfaction with the appearance of the teeth