Tooth cleaning frequency in relation to socio-demographic variables and personal hygiene measures among school children of Udaipur district, India.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine if frequency of tooth cleaning varies with social group, family size, bedtime and other personal hygiene habits among school children.

METHODS: Target population comprised schoolchildren aged 8-16 years of Udaipur district attending public schools. A two stage cluster random sampling procedure was executed to collect the representative sample, consequently final sample size accounted to 852 children. Data were collected by means of structured questionnaires which consisted of questions related to oral hygiene habits including a few general hygiene habits, bed time, family size, family income and dental visiting habits.

RESULTS: The results show that 30.5% of the total sample cleaned their teeth twice or more daily and there was no significant difference between the genders for tooth cleaning frequency. Logistic regression analysis revealed that older children and those having less than two siblings were more likely to clean their teeth twice a day than the younger ones and children with more than two siblings. Furthermore, frequency of tooth cleaning was significantly lower among children of parents with low level of education and less annual income as compared with those of high education and more annual income. In addition, tooth cleaning habits were more regular in children using tooth paste and regularly visiting to the dentist.

CONCLUSIONS: This study observed that tooth cleaning is not an isolated behaviour, but is a part of multifarious pattern of various social and behavioural factors.