Health Professionals Oral Health Knowledge and Practice: Unleashing the Hidden Challenges

Figures & data

Table 1 Socio-Demographic Characteristics of The Study Participants (N=281)

Socio-Demographic Characteristics		Frequency	Percentage (%)
Sex	Male	148	52.7
	Female	133	47.3
Age	18-25	46	16.4
	26-35	204	72.6
	>35	31	11
Profession	Doctor	36	12.8
	Pharmacist	69	24.6
	Nurse	77	27.4
	Midwife	72	25.6
	Dentist	12	4.3
	Radiographer	15	5.3
Experience	<5 years	155	55.2
	5-10 years	96	34.2
	>10 years	30	10.7
Type of health facility	Specialized hospital	59	21
	General hospital	145	51.6
	Primary health center	15	5.3
	Drug retail outlets	15	5.3
	Private hospital/clinic	47	16.7

Figure 1 Health professional’s responses to the question “Which dental problem needs a dental intervention; dental plaque or dental calculus?”.

Figure 2 Health professional’s responses to the question “Do you think fluoride toothpastes and mouthwash are important in maintaining dental hygiene?”.

Table 2 Comparison of Oral Health Practice Across Different Health Professionals, N=281

		Gender	Profession	Training on Oral Health
Do you brush your teeth	Chi-square	3.00	5.49	0.50
	Df	1	5	1
	Sig.	0.223	0.359	1.000
How often do you brush your teeth	Chi-square	1.65	20.41	8.12
	Df	2	10	2
	Sig.	0.438	0.026	0.017
How much time do you spend brushing your teeth	Chi-square	3.094	22.265	2.010
	Df	2	10	2
	Sig.	0.213	0.014	0.366
What material do you use for brushing	Chi-square	3.036	43.454	90.23
	Df	5	25	5
	Sig.	0.694	0.012	0.100
Have you ever visited a dentist	Chi-square	1.871	14.178	5.906
	Df	3	15	3
	Sig.	0.600	0.512	0.116
Reason for the visit	Chi-square	4.953	24.346	11.299
	Df	4	20	4
	Sig.	0.292	0.228	0.023

Table 3 Barriers To Oral Health And Dental Care Services, N=281

Barriers			Profession						Chi-square value	p-value
			Doctors	Pharmacists	Nurses	Midwives	Dentists	Radiographers
Limited finances	Yes	Freq.	32	56	61	55	10	11	2.959	0.706
		%	88.9	81.2	79.2	76.4	83.3	73.3
	No	Freq.	4	13	16	17	2	4
		%	11.1	18.8	20.8	23.6	16.7	26.7
Lack of adequate health/dental insurance	Yes	Freq.	26	54	54	48	8	9	3.452	0.631
		%	72.2	78.3	70.1	66.7	66.7	60.0
	No	Freq.	10	15	23	24	4	6
		%	27.8	21.7	29.9	33.3	33.3	40.0
Limited awareness of available dental care	Yes	Freq.	28	57	65	55	9	13	2.501	0.776
		%	77.8	82.6	84.4	76.4	75.0	86.7
	No	Freq.	8	12	12	17	3	2
		%	22.2	17.4	15.6	23.6	25.0	13.3
Fear of pain	Yes	Freq.	29	48	53	50	8	12	2.631	0.757
		%	80.6	69.6	68.8	69.4	66.7	80.0
	No	Freq.	7	21	24	22	4	3
		%	19.4	30.4	31.2	30.6	33.3	20.0
Work schedules	Yes	Freq.	30	48	49	46	8	11	5.422	0.367
		%	83.3	69.6	63.6	63.9	66.7	73.3
	No	Freq.	6	21	28	26	4	4
		%	16.7	30.4	36.4	36.1	33.3	26.7
Limited dental professionals	Yes	Freq.	18	48	49	44	10	9	6.206	0.287
		%	50.0	69.6	63.6	61.1	83.3	60.0
	No	Freq.	18	21	28	28	2	6
		%	50.0	30.4	36.4	38.9	16.7	40.0
Mistrust of health care professionals	Yes	Freq.	21	51	47	47	8	10	3.674	0.597
		%	58.3	73.9	61.0	65.3	66.7	66.7
	No	Freq.	15	18	30	25	4	5
		%	41.7	26.1	39.0	34.7	33.3	33.3
Inability to recognize signs of dental disease	Yes	Freq.	26	55	54	49	11	11	4.947	0.422
		%	72.2	79.7	70.1	68.1	91.7	73.3
	No	Freq.	10	14	23	23	1	4
		%	27.8	20.3	29.9	31.9	8.3	26.7
Lack of transportation	Yes	Freq.	23	49	52	44	10	11	3.525	0.620
		%	63.9	71.0	67.5	61.1	83.3	73.3
	No	Freq.	13	20	25	28	2	4
		%	36.1	29.0	32.5	38.9	6.7	26.7