Prevalence of Periodontal Diasease among Chewing and Non-chewing Stick Users

The differences in efficacy of a toothbrush and chewing stick remain undecided. Darout (2000) found the chewing stick efficient in Sudan, while Olsson (1978), found no difference in Ethiopia. In Uganda cattle keepers in Rakai District have been observed to spend hours chewing on the sticks while grazing animals. The oral diseases of these communities have not been assessed in relation to their oral hygiene practices. OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of periodontal disease among habitual users and non-users of the chewing stick. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study, purposely targeting adults above 18 years old. Three sub counties engaged in cattle and crop farming in Rakai district were selected. The upper and lower jaws were divided into three sextants according to WHO recommendation. Conditions assessed were calculus deposits and gingival bleeding. A questionnaire was administered to collect background information in addition to clinical examination, which was done with respondents lying on a couch in a supine position. Indirect sunlight was the source of illumination. Data were analysed with SPSS. RESULTS: 301 subjects were examined -169 males, 132 females. Use of chewing stick increased with age, the majority using Hibiscus Juscus plant. The Prevalence of gingival bleeding increased with use of the chewing stick but showed no trend to increase with age in both groups. All showed an increased prevalence of calculus with age though it was significantly lower among toothbrush users. 30% smoked. The younger smoked more than older ones. Gingival bleeding showed no trend but the prevalence of calculus fell with age in this group. CONCLUSIONS: The results seem to agree with other studies. The fall in calculus prevalence among smokers with age probably was due to the increase of stick use with age removing these deposits. Acknowledgements to SIDA-SAREC.