Prevalence of dental caries in public and private primary schools in Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State, Nigeria
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Date
2018-06
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Arch. Clin. Res.
Abstract
Abstract
Dental caries is one of the commonest oral diseases in children, severe caries detracts from children’s quality of
life: they experience pain, discomfort, disfigurement, acute and chronic infections, and sleeping and eating
disruption as well as higher risk of hospitalization, high treatment costs and loss of school days with consequently
diminished ability to learn. All of which can be prevented by good oral hygiene. The study compared the
prevalence of dental caries and practice of oral hygiene among public and private primary schools’ pupils in
Ilorin south LGA.
Study was a cross sectional analytical study involving Primary School Pupils in both Private and Public Primary
Schools (from primary 2-5) within the age of 5-15 in Ilorin South LGA, Kwara State, Nigeria. Multistage
sampling technique was used to recruit 800 participants, 400 from public primary schools and 400 from private
primary schools. Interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data and evaluation
technique using DMFT index. Data generated from the study was analyzed using” SPSS version 16. The level of
significance was set at P< 0.05 and confidence level at 95%.
Prevalence of dental caries was among all respondents was 11.0%; and significantly higher among pupils from
public schools compared with private schools (68.2% versus 31.8%). There is urgent need for promotion of
health education on oral health to reduce the prevalence of dental caries especially among public schools.
Description
Keywords
Dental caries, School, Ilorin, Nigeria