Self-reported bleeding gums and oral hygiene habitsin rural areas of Peshawar

Abstract

More than half of Pakistan’s population resides in rural areas with lower average incomes than urban areas. Oral health issues are more prevalent in populations with lower economic status and are more prone to have periodontal problems. A cross-sectional study of the adult population of rural area chosen from among those present at the time of data collection. Sampling Technique was non-probability. A self-administered interview-based questionnaire concerning oral health behavior and attitudes.  56% of the participants reported bleeding from their gums, 51.6% had perceived halitosis and a majority, 78%, indicated that their teeth needed cleaning. Regarding the frequency of brushing, the majority (41.2%) cleaned their teeth once daily. The majority (36%) used Miswak followed by Soft Brushes (32%) as their preferred cleaning tool. 38% of the participating populous used their brush till it became useless 38%.The association of bleeding from gums with Type of brush, perceived halitosis and how often the participants changed their brush was found to be statistically significant. An association between halitosis and how a brush was changed was found to be statistically significant. The people of Pishtakhara Bala had a poor oral health status and while a part of the population practices oral hygiene maintenance, more than half of the population had bleeding gums and halitosis.