Oral hygiene practice among Saudi patients In Jeddah

Abstract EN

objectives: A survey of Saudi patients attending three dental offices was conducted to investigate the oral self-care habits (frequency of tooth brushing and flossing) and the attitude towards preventive dental visits.

Materials and Methods: A 10 multiple-choice questionnaire was given to Saudi patients attending dental offices at King Abdulaziz University Dental School and two private hospitals to answer.

A total of 109 patients participated in the survey (60 males and 49 females).

Results: Almost all of the patients (95.4%) reported that they use tooth brush.

Out of these, 24% brush their teeth three times a day, 38.5% brush twice a day, 23.1% brush once a day, 11.5% brush two to three times a week, and 2.9% brush once a week.

Only 32.1% of the patients use dental floss, out of these, 17.1% floss three times or more a day, 11.4% floss twice daily, 34.3% floss once a day, 8.6% floss two to three times a week, and 28.6% floss once a week.

56.9% of the patients reported that they visit the dentist only when they feel pain.

The remaining patients visit the dentist once every 2 years (12.8%), once a year (3.7%), every six months (20.2%), or every three months (4.6%).

The majority of the patients (36.7%) reported that they do not usually go to the dentist to clean their teeth, 1.8% make this cleaning visit every 3 months, 21.1% make it every 6 months, 28.4% every 12 months, and 9.2% go every 2 years.

64.2% of the patients reported that this was not their first cleaning visit.

Out of these patients, 68.6% cleaned their teeth less than five times, 21.4% cleaned less than ten times, 8.6% cleaned less than twenty times, and only 1.4% had cleaning more than twenty times.

When asking the patients for the cause of this cleaning visit, 43.1% answered that it is “Due to the request of my dentist”, because “we have gum problem” was the response of 17.4%, and 32.1% answered that “it was one of their regular cleaning visits”.

Conclusion: Professional plaque removal and regular follow-up combined with patient oral hygiene instructions can minimize the level of gingival inflammation and swelling.

So, the lack of patient compliance in home care and regular dental visit can therefore be seen as the key problem in the prevention of periodontal disease