Oral hygiene status of elderly population in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Background: The value of good oral hygiene practices has increased over the years, and the removal of bacteria plaque and other deposits from the teeth is essential for the prevention of dental caries and periodontal disease. Aims: The objectives of this study were to assess the oral hygiene status of the elderly population in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and investigate the influence of sociodemographic variables on oral hygiene. Subjects and Methods: The research was cross-sectional study. A total of 543 old people were selected by systematic random sampling. Data were collected with a self-developed oral health assessment questionnaire designed in two sections (A and B) and analyzed using SPSS version 20 (IBM SPSS Armonk, New York, USA). The relationship between variables was established using independent t-test and analysis of variance, and significance determined at 0.05 alpha level. Results: The overall mean oral hygiene score for the sample was 2.55 (standard deviation = 0.85). Most of the respondents had poor 245 (45.1%) and fair 254 (46.8%) oral hygiene. Females had significant better oral hygiene than males, while there was a significant increase in the oral hygiene score with increasing age. Educational status and retirement grade level were inversely and significantly associated with the oral hygiene score of the pensioners. Conclusion: The oral hygiene score recorded among the pensioners in this study was inadequate; therefore, the study participants need to be educated on the role of plaque in the development of dental caries and periodontal diseases, and the need to keep good oral hygiene.