Self-reported oral hygiene habits and oral health problems of Kuwaiti adults

Objective: The aims of this study were to examine self-reported oral hygiene habits and oral health problems of a sample of adult Kuwaitis.

Materials and methods: A self-administered, anonymous, structured questionnaire was distributed to 2,400 adult Kuwaiti nationals from all 6 governates of Kuwait assessing socio-demographic variables, oral hygiene habits, and oral health problems.

Results: Of the 2,400 questionnaires, 1,925 (80.25%) responded. Of these, 62% reported brushing their teeth at least twice daily, while daily use of dental floss was uncommon (11.8%). Adequate toothbrushing habits were significantly associated with female gender, educational level, non-smoking status, and history of recent preventive dental visits (p = 0.001). The majority of subjects reported multiple oral health problems (64.7% with 2 or more and 41.8% with 3 or more). Factors associated with multiple oral health complaints included younger age, smoking, not having a recent preventive dental visit, and brushing the teeth less than twice daily.

Conclusions: Less than two-thirds of the sampled adult Kuwaitis followed the recommended toothbrushing frequency of twice daily or more, and the majority of subjects have not had a preventive dental visit in the previous 6 months. Furthermore, most subjects reported multiple oral health problems that are mostly preventable through adequate oral hygiene habits and regular preventive dental visits.