Original Article

Year : 2018 | Volume : 6 | Issue : 2 | Page : 30 - 35

Oral Habits and Sociodemographic Factors as Determinants of Tooth Wear Lesions among the Elderly Population in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Omoigberai Bashiru Braimoh, Grace Onyenashia Alade

Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Address for correspondence:

Dr. Omoigberai Bashiru Braimoh,

Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Choba,

Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. E‐mail: omoigberai.braimoh@uniport.edu.ng

Abstract

Background:

Knowledge of the risk factors of tooth wear is necessary for the prevention and effective treatment of tooth wear lesions. The objective of this study was to investigate sociodemographic factors and oral habits associated with tooth wear in the elderly in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.

Subjects and Methods:

The study was an observational research design in which participants were selected by systematic random sampling. Data were collected using pilot‐tested questionnaire and tooth wear recorded using tooth wear index of Smith and Knight. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20. Multiple regression analysis and Chi‐Square test was used to test association between variables. Significance was inferred at P < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval.

Results:

Tooth wear was significantly higher in males than in females (P = 0.03). There was a significant increase in tooth wear with increasing age (P = 0.001). Individuals with a lower level of education had significant higher tooth wear than those with a higher level of education (P = 0.01). There was a significant association (P < 0.05) between tooth wear lesions and tooth cleaning technique, materials used for cleaning the teeth, toothbrush texture, and consumption of carbonated soft drink. However, the association between tooth wear and teeth grinding as well as frequency of teeth cleaning was not significant (P > 0.05).

Conclusion:

Consumption of carbonated soft drinks, toothbrushing technique, toothbrush texture, and materials used for tooth cleaning were risk indicators of tooth wear among the elderly population. Therefore, oral health education of the elderly and the general population on appropriate diet and oral hygiene practices is advocated.

Keywords: Oral habits, risk factors, sociodemographic variables, tooth wear lesions

Financial support and sponsorship

Nil.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

How to cite this article:

Braimoh OB, Alade GO. Oral habits and sociodemographic factors as determinants of tooth wear lesions among the elderly population in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Int J Community Dent 2018;6:30-5.