Volume 26, Issue 130, December 2022

Self-reported oral health behavior and dental attendance pattern between smokers and non-smokers in Saudi Arabia: A cross sectional study

Rabiya Basari Uppin^1♦, Abdulrahman Farraj Aldawsari², Shahad Abdullah Alsulaiman³, Ibrahim Abdullah Alotaibi⁴, Fahad Saad Almutairi³

¹Department of preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
²Dental Intern, College of Dentistry, Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia
³Dental student, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
⁴Private Dental Practice, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

^♦Corresponding author
Department of preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Introduction: This study aimed to determine smokers' and nonsmokers' self-reported oral health behavior and dental visiting patterns in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A structured, close-ended and self-reported questionnaire assessed the oral health behaviors and dental attendance patterns among study participants in Saudi Arabia. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and non-parametric tests were applied to the data. Hiroshima University Dental Behavioral Inventory (HUDBI), designed in Arabic and English, was shared on social media platforms to capture the data on oral health behavior among citizens and residents. Results: Seven hundred and thirteen subjects responded to the questionnaire, of which 486 (68.2%) were non smokers and (31.8%) were smokers. The mean HUDBI ranks of smokers ranged between 89.03 to 124.74, while for non smokers, it ranged from 202.70-265, indicating poor oral health behaviors of smokers. Smokers and non smokers showed a significant difference in having false teeth in old age (p=0.033), gum color (p=0.002) and worsening teeth despite regular cleaning (p=0.011). Similarly, more smokers than non smokers used hard tooth brush bristles (p<0.001). Most smokers than non smokers visit the dentist due to their dental problems. Conclusions: Smokers demonstrated poorer oral health behaviors than non smokers and visited the dentist whenever they had dental problems.

Keywords: Smokers, non-smokers, oral health behavior, HUDBI, dental visit pattern.

Medical Science, 2022, 26, ms516e2624

PDF

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v26i130/ms516e2624

Published: 08 December 2022