Knowledge of dental health care professionals in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, concerning teeth whitening

Abstract

Introduction: Tooth whitening has become one of the most frequently requested dental  procedures by the public, especially in the cities. The demand for this procedure has led to many teeth whitening products being made available. Dental health care professionals should have robust knowledge concerning the procedure so they can serve their clients better. However, this seems not to be the case.
Purpose: This study assessed the knowledge of dental health care professionals in Ebonyi state, Nigeria concerning teeth whitening, to contribute to the baseline data that may promote awareness regarding the procedure among them.
Materials and Methods: The study was conducted by distributing questionnaires among the 65 dental health care professionals that were involved with aesthetic improvements in the State during the period of the study. The questionnaires were filled and returned. Data obtained from the survey were analyzed using frequency tables and percentages. And the results were compared with the trends researched in some other places or reported by some other scholars.
Results: 59 dental health care professionals filled and returned their questionnaires (90.77% response rate). Results indicated that only a few of the respondents had experiential knowledge of teeth whitening (22%), and 14% did not encourage anyone to go for teeth whitening because of the side effects.
Conclusion: There is a need for more teeth whitening procedure awareness among dental health care professionals and sensitization about access to professional, safe, and approved techniques for teeth whitening in Ebonyi state, Nigeria.