Dental Visits among Intermediate School Children in Kuwait

Objectives: The aim was to describe dental visiting habits of children at intermediate schools in Kuwait. Methods: A sample of 2,312 schoolchildren between 11- and 13-year-olds filled a structured questionnaire anonymously in school classrooms during the school year 2002/2003. Representative samples of children from all six governorates of Kuwait were drawn into the study. Only government schools were included. Questionnaire of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children, a WHO Collaborative Study (HBSC study) was used after modification to Kuwait and translated and back-translated from English to Arabic. Chi-square test and logistic regression model were used for analysing the data. Results: Majority (77%) of children reported to have visited a dentist during the last two years. School Dental/Ministry of Health clinic was visited by 68%, private clinics by 20% and other clinics by 12%. Girls, those who brushed teeth more than once a day, those having own bedroom and access to PC at home, visited dentist clearly more often than the others (p<0.001). Also a very good school certificate was associated with dental visits (p=0.002) and a place of residence (p=0.012). Gender (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.12-1.78), having own bedroom (1.4, 1.13-1.82), more-than-once-a-day toothbrushing (1.4, 1.04-1.86), and very good school certificate (1.3, 1.01-1.79) were the only significant predictors for dental visits. Conclusions: Even though the School Oral Health Programme aims to check and treat annually all the children between 4 and 15 years, according to this study, every fourth child did not visit a dentist during the last two years. From those who did seek dental appointment, every third child visited other than Ministry of Health clinics. The high number of schoolchildren in Kuwait requires increase of dental manpower and facilities. Acknowledgement: This study was supported by Kuwait University Research Grant No. [DD1/02].