Oral Health Needs Amongst School Children in the Rural Mountainous Regions of Maseru, Lesotho

Objectives: To identify the oral health needs amongst school children in the rural regions of Maseru, Lesotho.
Methods: A self-reported oral health survey was administered and clinical oral examinations were conducted amongst school children in Maseru, from August 10 to August 25, 2016.
Results: Five hundred and twenty-six surveys and examinations were completed. The median age of participants was 15 years of age, with almost 90% between 12 and 18 years of age. More than two-thirds of participants were female (68%). Quality of life was reported as good to excellent in 84%; the majority (81%) also reported their general health as good to excellent. However, 92% did not have a regular physician. While 95% reported that oral health was very important, only 11% reported their personal dental health as excellent. Only 3% reported having a regular family dentist, with the majority receiving dental care in a hospital or clinic setting; only 14% had seen a dental professional within the previous 2 years. The majority of participants did not have dental insurance (78%). Clinical examination revealed decay on 30% of mandibular and maxillary molars; with none (0%) were identified with any filling on them. 65% had some form of gingivitis. Further inferential analysis is underway.
Conclusions: Early descriptive results suggest that access to oral health care is limited. Dental decay on molars was prevalent. Further patient oral health education and regular dental care may make an impact on this population.