Oral hygiene status of adolescents in a local government area of Oyo State Nigeria.

Physical examination was carried out in the oral cavity of adolescents in Ibadan North LGA of Oyo State Nigeria in order to determine their oral hygiene status. The dental plaque score was used to classify the oral hygiene status of the adolescents, while the presence of holes in the teeth was used to indicate tooth decay. Six hundred and twenty one adolescents between the ages 11 and 19years, drawn from 10 schools located within Ibadan North LGA of Oyo State Nigeria, participated in the study. Oral hygiene status was fair in majority (74.6%) of the adolescents. Percentage occurrence of tooth decay among the adolescents was 6.3% and this was found to be prevalent among: the females (69.2%), those within ages 14 and 16 years (61.5%) and those attending public schools (76.9%). Significant gender, age and type of school difference (p< 0.05) existed in oral hygiene status of adolescents. Good oral hygiene status is capable of reducing tooth decay.