Oral status and oral health-seeking behaviour among patients with inherited bleeding disorders at Kenyatta National Hospital

Abstract

Objective: To assess the oral status, oral health-seeking behavior, and oral hygiene practices among patients with inherited bleeding disorders.

Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.

Setting: Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) hemophilia clinic and wards.

Subjects: A total of fifty-four patients were recruited.

Materials and Methods: Convenience sampling method was used to collect data using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, which included sociodemographic data: (gender, age, area of residence, bleeding disorder, socioeconomic status), independent variables: (oral hygiene status, oral health seeking behavior, oral hygiene practices), and dependent variable: (oral health status). Data was analyzed using Social Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25 and Microsoft-Excel. Frequencies and inferences using Chi-square were done to check on the association between variables.

Results: Majority of the participants were male, 98.1%, with 88.9% being below 18 years. Hemophilia A constituted 83.3%, Hemophilia B 14.8% and 1.9% lacked Factor VII and X. The mean DMFT/dmft was 0.8519 and 0.4815 respectively with a mean plaque score of 2.13. Majority (51.9%) reported brushing once a day. Most of the study participants (51.9%) reported visiting the dentist only when necessary while 46.3% had never visited a dentist.

Conclusion: There was poor oral hygiene practices and poor oral health seeking behaviors which did not translate to a poor oral status.