Mouthwash Prescribing Patterns Among Dentists in Nairobi And Mombasa

Objective: To determine the prescribing habits and knowledge about mouthwashes among dentists practising in Nairobi and Mombasa. Method: A descriptive cross sectional study. Results: A total of 106 dentists practising in Nairobi and Mombasa participated in the study. Of these, 68 were male while 38 were female. 77 dentists were based in Nairobi while 29 were based in Mombasa. The study showed that all the dentists had heard about mouthwashes with all of them mentioning at least three brands of mouthwashes they knew. 78.5% of the respondents knew of the active ingredient in Remidin but only 45.8% knew of the active ingredient in Listerine. Most dentists do not prescribe mouthwashes routinely with 55.1% prescribing to less than 10% of the patients everyday. 85% felt that mouthwashes had a role to play in the inhibition of plaque formation. A considerable number of respondents prescribe their preffered brand of mouthwash due to its effectiveness following clinical trials. Most of the dentists (65.4%) of the dentist advise their patients to use mouthwashes twice a day. As regards the long term use of mouthwashes, 67.3% of the dentists felt that it was not safe. Extrinsic staining of teeth (35%) and risk of oral cancer (13.2%) were the reasons cited most. Conclusion: Generally, most dentists were aware of the different brands of mouthwashes available and prescribe them correctly for the right conditions although their knowledge on the mechanism of action was wanting. Kenyan dentist do not routinely prescribe mouthwashes because of the side effcets of the latter on long term use.