Oral hygiene practices among adolescents in Surulere, Lagos State, Nigeria

To determine the oral hygiene practices of adolescents attending schools within Surulere, a Local Government Area in Lagos, Nigeria.

A questionnaire enquiring about oral hygiene practices such as method of oral cleansing and frequency, and attitude to professional prophylaxis was administered to 600 adolescents. Demographic data such as sex, age, social class and ethnic group was also obtained.

The majority (96.3%) of the subjects used toothbrush and paste only for oral hygiene. The use of the chewing stick combined with toothbrush/paste was practiced by nearly 4% of the subjects seen. A significant difference in the method of oral hygiene was observed among the social classes, with the use of chewing stick in combination with toothbrush/paste being more prevalent among the lower social classes than the higher social classes. Oral hygiene was carried out at least once a day by 97% of the subjects. Nearly all subjects (95.5%) had never been to the dental clinic for professional prophylaxis (scale and polish), with less than 1% routinely visiting the dental clinic for professional prophylaxis once or twice yearly.

The use of toothbrush and paste appears to have increased slightly when compared to previous studies among this group. There is need for oral health education on the frequency of use of the toothbrush and the importance of routine dental visits and professional prophylaxis among the population especially the lower social classes.