Methods: Seventy-eight of the patients provided useful information recorded on a prepared form containing a researcher- administered questionnaire and diagnostic record. DMFT and CPITN indices were used for clinical assessment. Analysis was done with SPSS software version 10.
Results: Mean age was 33 years (SD= 15.6). Age range was 69 years (75-6). Fifty of the patients (64%) were females while 28 of them (36%) were males. The mean DMFT was 3.3 (SD= 4.1), no filled tooth seen, only 28% of subjects were caries- free and mean CPITN score was 2.4 (SD= 1.07). Hand –dug well (87%) accounted for the major source of drinking water. Only 18% had knowledge of dental caries, 10% of periodontal disease while 30% claimed a previous dental visit/ contact. Fifty-nine percent needed filling, 64% dental extraction, 95% scaling and polishing while all needed oral hygiene instruction/education.
Conclusions: This study points out the poor oral health status, poor dental awareness and relatively high treatment needs among dental patients in rural communities where regular dental clinics are not available. This may not be a true reflection of the oral health of the general community. Primary oral health care services are however urgently recommended for such areas. There is also a need to determine the fluoride content of the well drinking water.