PERIODONTAL ISSUES; TOOTH LOSS AND ORAL HYGIENE MEASURES AMONG TOBACCO USING DRIVERS IN BENIN CITY

Tbbacco is known to exert adverse effect on general and oral health. The objective of the study was to assess gxngivodental problems, tooth loss and oral hygiene status of tobacco using commercial drivers in Benin-City, Nigeria.This study was conducted between November 2011 and January 2012 among male drivers of a private transport company principally involved in lone distance commercial passenger travel with buses and taxis whose head office is in Benin-City. Data was collected through interview and clinical oral examination. A total of 65 drivers whose mean age was 47.2years participated in the study. Of which, 24 (38.9%) were tobacco users and 41 (63.1%) non tobacco users. Tobacco users were more kolanut chewers and significant alcohol consumer than non tobacco users. Preventive dental visit and more than once-daily teeth cleaning especially using toothbrush and paste were lower among tobacco users than non users. Tbbacco users reported more gingival swelling, longer teeth, food packing and dental caries but less gingival bleeding, tooth mobility and dentinal sensitivity than non users. Tbbacco users had higher mean missing (0.83±0.32 versus 0.37±0.12) and carious teeth (0.38±0.29 versus 0.17±0.09), debris score (1.30±0.15 versus 1,14±0.09), calculus score (1.01±0.15 versus 0.80±0.07) and oral hygiene score (2.30±0.28 versus 1.93±0.15) than non users.Overall, tobacco users had non significant higher prevalence of gingivodental problems, tooth loss and poorer oral hygiene than non tobacco users.