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Table 2 Oral health–related behaviors of children at Areka town, Woliata zone 2020

From: Prevalence of dental caries and relation with nutritional status among school-age children in resource limited setting of southern Ethiopia

Variables

 

Frequency

Percentages (%)

Ever cleaning teeth (n = 761)

Yes

552

72.5

No

209

27.5

Frequency of teeth cleaning in a day (n = 552)

 ≤ 1 daily

416

75.3

 ≥ 2 daily

136

24.7

Way of cleaning teeth (n = 552)

Toothbrush with paste

209

37.9

Toothbrush without paste

24

4.3

Mouthwash / rinse with water

249

45.1

Mefakia (twig brush)

70

12.7

Time of tooth cleaning (n = 552)

Morning before breakfast

288

52.2

Morning after breakfast

138

25

Noon before lunch

10

1.8

After each feeding

13

2.4

Whenever remember

74

13.4

When think teeth is dirty

26

4.7

Others

3

0.5

Time spent teeth cleaning (n = 552)

Less than one minute

153

27.7

One minute

217

39.3

Two minutes

121

21.9

More than two minutes

61

11.1

Flossing practice (n = 761)

Yes

387

50.9

No

374

49.1

Tools use for flossing (n = 387)

Professional

15

3.9

Traditional

372

96.1

Time of flossing (n = 378)

Regularly

64

16.5

Something enters in to teeth

193

49.9

When feel should

130

33.6

Time of toothbrush renewed (n = 294)

Every 3 month

182

61.9

Every 6 month

76

25.9

Every 1 year

32

10.9

Other

4

1.4

Tooth cleaning helps in preventing caries (n = 761)

Yes

640

84.1

No

68

8.9

Don’t know

53

7.0

Dental clinic visit during the past 1 year (n = 761)

Yes

58

7.6

No

703

92.6

Frequency of dental visit (n = 58)

Regularly every 6–12 months

3

5.2

Occasionally

31

53.4

When have dental pain

24

41.4

Reason for visiting dentist (n = 58)

Dental pain

52

89.6

For extraction

5

8.6

For tooth cleaning

1

1.73

Dental pain/toothache history (n = 761)

Yes

55

7.2

No

706

92.8