Toothpaste utilization profiles of 6 to 8-year-old Nigerian children

Abstract

Background: In children, toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste is the  method of choice for preventing dental caries and it is influenced mainly by their mothers.
Objective: To provide descriptive information about toothpaste utilization profiles of 6 to 8-year-old Nigerian children.
Materials and methods: A cross-section of 130 mothers of 6-8 year-old Nigerians provided information on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of toothpaste use, tooth brushing habits and criteria for  selecting toothpaste for their child. Their 6-8 year-old children who attended the Dental Centre of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital North-Eastern Nigeria were examined for presence of dental caries and fluorosis. Data analysis included both descriptive and inferential statistics at p<0.05. 6-8-year-old school children who attended
Results: Forty-one (31.5%) mothers had good knowledge score of  toothpaste use. Fifty-six (43.1%) and 23 (177.7%) of children had fluorosis and dental caries respectively. There was no statistical significant  relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and occurrence of dental caries (p>0.05). Females (54.2%) and children of mothers who had no formal education (65.6%) had more fluorosis than their counterparts (p<0.05).
Conclusions: Many mothers had poor knowledge score of toothpaste use. Children who had fluorosis were more than those who had dental caries. Females and children of mothers who had no formal education had more dental fluorosis than their counterparts.

Keywords: Toothpaste, Utilization, Nigerian, Children, Dental caries, Dental fluorosis

Running title: Toothpaste utilization Nigerian children