BELIEFS, ATTITUDES AND ORAL HYGIENE PRACTICES AMONG SCHOOL CHILDREN IN NIGERIA: The Case of Idikan Community

The oral hygiene of school children in Idikan, an inner-city neighbourhood in Ibadan, Nigeria, was observed to be poor. In order to better understand the reasons for this and be able to plan an appropriate strategy to improve the situation, a questionnaire survey as well as a focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted Elders within the community were asked to discuss the oral hygiene practices of their children with specific reference to materials used and the frequency of cleaning undertaken by the minors. In general, the children were said to start cleaning their own teeth about the time of school enrolment (i.e. around age six). Results show that the majority brushed once in a day using chewing-sticks. Also gingivitis emerged as the most frequently occurring oral lesion among the children. Furthermore, the survey showed that most children were reluctant to brush at any other time apart from the morning. A few said they would definitely not brush at night for fear of the consequences of a taboo. The study identified the need to design a health educational package that will specifically addressed the observed negative beliefs and practices among children of school age.