Oral health patterns among schoolchildren in Mafraq Governorate, Jordan

Little is known about the oral hygiene patterns among schoolchildren in Jordan. A school-based cross-sectional study was performed from January to March 2010. A simple random sampling method was used. Each student participant completed a detailed questionnaire regarding oral hygiene habits. Data were coded and analyzed using SPSS software version 16. The chi-square was used, odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence limits (Cl) for gum bleeding were estimated. The results showed that nearly one fourth of the children indicating that they brush their teeth twice or more daily (regular pattern). Furthermore, 17% of the schoolchildren never brush their teeth at all. There is a higher proportion, 22.1%, of rural children that never brush their teeth compared to 14.6% of the urban students. Dental flossing among primary schoolchildren in Mafraq Governorate is very rare: 97.2% of the children stated that they had never used dental floss in their life. Furthermore, one fourth of the schoolchildren did not have a tooth brush. While 15.0% of them have a shared toothbrush with their families. The findings of this study indicate that oral health habits in Mafraq Governorate are poor and need to be improved. Based upon these finding, community-oriented oral health programs should be established.