Association between dental caries, oral hygiene status and oral health practices of first year undergraduate students in a Nigerian Private University

Authors

  • Titus Ayodeji OYEDELE Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State. Nigeria; Dental Department, Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State. Nigeria.
  • Akinlolu Tolulope JEGEDE Loma Linda University, School of Dentistry, Loma Linda, California, United States.
  • Yewande ADEYEMO Bayero University, Kano
  • Adeola Mofoluwake LADEJI Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Lagos State University, College of Medicine, Ikeja, Lagos, Lagos State. Nigeria.
  • Adekunle Moses ADETAYO Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State. Nigeria: Dental Department, Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State. Nigeria.
  • Olanike OLADAPO Dental Department, Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State. Nigeria.

Keywords:

First year undergraduate, Refined sugar consumption, Oral health, Toothbrushing, Dental floss, Frequency

Abstract

Background : Oral health is a functional, structural, aesthetic, physiologic and psychological state of well-being which is essential to an individual’s general health and quality of life.
Aim: To determine the association between dental caries, oral hygiene status and oral health care practices among first year
undergraduate students in a private university in Nigeria and the association between demographic variables and utilization of oral health care practice among these students.
Methods : A cross sectional study that recruited first year undergraduate students in a Nigerian University during their mandatory
medical screening. Data collection was in two parts- a self-administered questionnaire followed by oral examination by qualified dentists.
Results : The prevalence of dental caries in this study was 10.6% while the oral hygiene profile showed majority had fair oral hygiene (58.9%).Frequency of tooth brushing morning after meal and night after meal was less than 6% across all age groups, and in both genders and about 50% of the study population across all age groups and gender had, at one time or the other, used dental floss.There was significant difference in the consumption of refined sugar between females and males (P=0.01) with 34.1% of females consuming refined sugars more than twice daily. Only 7.4% of the study participants visit the dental clinic once every 6 months. There was a higher prevalence of poor oral hygiene in students who brushed once daily (56.0%). In addition, participants that took no action after consuming refined sugars had higher dental caries experience (12.3%) compared to others.
Conclusion : This study recorded low “good oral hygiene” status and higher significance of refined sugar consumption in-between meals. The refined sugar consumption was statistically significant across gender and age groups. Students who brush once daily had poorer oral hygiene compared with others.

Downloads

Published

2026-08-03

How to Cite

OYEDELE, T. A., JEGEDE, A. T., ADEYEMO, Y., LADEJI, A. M., ADETAYO, A. M., & OLADAPO, O. (2026). Association between dental caries, oral hygiene status and oral health practices of first year undergraduate students in a Nigerian Private University. Ghana Dental JOURNAL, 23(1), 50–57. Retrieved from https://gdajournal.org/publications/index.php/gda/article/view/229

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 1 (2026): Ghana Dental Journal

Section

Original Research Article