E-ISSN 2602-3164
EJMI. 2018; 2(1): 40-43 | DOI: 10.14744/ejmi.2018.21931

The Role of Nurses in Preventive Dentistry in School Going Children Islamabad Pakistan: A Cross Sectional Study

Ayesha Aleem Qureshi1, Shahzad Inayat2
1Department of Health Profession's Education, Isra University, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2Department of Nursing, Isra University, Islamabad, Pakistan

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the role of nurses in dental care awareness and the early detection of gingivitis in school children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2016 to May 2017 at a local intermediate level school in a rural area of Islamabad, Pakistan. The Census Method was used to enroll students for data collection. Gingivitis was diagnosed using a structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 380 students participated in the study. The data was compiled by trained nurses. Results: The results of the study showed that the overall prevalence of gingivitis in the study sample was 29%. The oral hygiene awareness assessment revealed that while 84% of the students used a toothbrush or a miswak to clean their teeth, 16% did not use any cleaning aid. The responses indicated that 71% of the students brushed their teeth once a day and 29% cleaned their teeth twice a day. Furthermore, only 19% of the students were familiar with brushing technique and only 3% had used mouthwash. Conclusion: Nurses can play a vital role in promoting oral health in the community, as a post survey revealed 70% improvement in the oral hygiene of the students.


Cite This Article

Qureshi A, Inayat S. The Role of Nurses in Preventive Dentistry in School Going Children Islamabad Pakistan: A Cross Sectional Study. EJMI. 2018; 2(1): 40-43

Corresponding Author: Ayesha Aleem Qureshi

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