To determine the factors which influence the choice of toothpaste among mothers in Lagos.
METHODS:
210 self administered questionnaires were answered by mothers who attended the ante-natal clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.
RESULTS:
Age range of the respondents was 19-57. All the respondents brush their teeth with toothpaste. 67.6% use Close up, 7.8% use MacLean, 7.4% use Colgate, 6.4% use Dabur, and other brands account for 8.8%.
Majority (78.6%) were responsible for purchasing toothpaste for their families. Taste (58.4%), content (67.1%) and availability in the market (39.1%) were the major determining factors in the choice of toothpaste for the adults while taste/flavor (74%), cartoon characters on the tube (18.3%) and colour of the tube were the important factors in the choice of children's toothpaste.
CONCLUSION:
It was concluded that taste, active ingredients (content) and availability of toothpaste in the market were the important factors considered by mothers in their choice of toothpaste.