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Updated: May 8, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Descriptive analysis of toothbrushing used as an aid for primary prevention: a population-based study in Sebha, Libya
Syed Wali Peeran1, A J A Ranjith Singh, G Alagamuthu
1Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology, Faculty of Dentistry, Sebha University, Sebha, Libya. syedwali720@yahoo.in
Abstract:
This study aimed to assess toothbrushing behavior and descriptively analyze the effect of age and gender. Two thousand and six people from the city of Sebha, Libya, aged 1 to 64 years (mean age 26.9 ± 11.6 years, 1,463 females and 543 males) constituted the study sample. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Overall, 85.3% were using a toothbrush and toothpaste as a cleaning aid, whereas 6.3% never brushed their teeth. Only 36.1% brushed twice daily. Age and gender were significantly associated with use of a toothbrush and frequency of toothbrushing. This data serves as a baseline to implement a "preventive self-care instruction program."
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