Oral Hygiene Status and Dental Awareness of Non – Dental Health Professionals in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background and Aims:The oral hygiene status of individuals may be a strong indication of the extent of their dental awareness. The level of awareness can make a great difference in the quality of oral health care that can be rendered to patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the oral hygiene status and dental awareness of non-dental health professionals in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, Nigeria.Methodology:A total of 425 participants selected by multistage sampling technique fulfilled the inclusion criteria for this study. They included 238 males and 187 females. Each respondent completed an informed consent sheet and a modified questionnaire on dental awareness. They were examined immediately after to assess oral hygiene status using the Simplified Oral Hygiene index by Greene and Vermillion (1964).Results:Majority of study participants displayed moderate dental awareness. Dental awareness was categorized as poor, low, moderate, high and excellent using a researcher's analysis index. 56.5% displayed moderate awareness. Using the simplified oral hygiene index by Greene and Vermillion (1964), 60.94% were found to have fair oral hygiene. A strong statistically significant difference was observed in dental awareness among the professional specialties and ethnic groups. A very strong statistically significant difference was seen in the oral hygiene status.Conclusion:The dental awareness of the cadre of health professionals included in this research is considered unsatisfactory while the oral hygiene status of majority of the respondents needs improvement. These findings will therefore necessitate interventions to upgrade their awareness level and oral hygiene.