Prevalence of oral hygiene aids and bleeding gums among the people visiting Private Dental Hospital in Gadap town, Karachi

Aim: The objective of the study to assess the prevalence of oral hygiene practices, types of tools using for cleaning teeth, and frequency of cleaning teeth associated with the self-reported bleeding gums in the residents of Karachi. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 364 sampled among the patients visiting outpatient dental clinic aged 17 years or above, mean age was 35 years. Information were collected by questionnaires related to cleaning of teeth, frequency of cleaning teeth, self-perceived bleeding gums, and betel nut chewing. Frequency and percentage used for descriptive analysis and Chi-square test was used for difference in categorical variable. Stata 11 was used for statistical analysis. Total number of 364 patients was surveyed. Results: Prevalence of cleaning teeth among the sample was 86.8%. Frequency of cleaning teeth once a day was 58.79%. Toothbrush used as an instrument for oral hygiene among population was 84.2%. 87.36% of the participants clean their teeth at morning. Self-perceived bleeding gums among the sample were 38%. Chewing of betel nut prevalence was 31.8%. Conclusion: Regular cleaning of oral cavity prevents the initiation of dental caries, gingivitis and periodontitis. Selection of tool for cleaning oral cavity was appropriate on the other hand <60% of the sample was practicing oral hygiene per day which was not satisfactory, further investigation and awareness programs are needed to evaluate the overall practices of oral hygiene among the population on larger sample size. Clinical Significance: The present study demonstrates the oral hygiene practices of a selected group of population. The results could be used to educate the patients about maintaining proper oral hygiene which could lead to a decrease in the prevalence of oral and dental diseases.