title: Gingival recession, oral hygiene and associated factors among Tanzanian women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Females are generally more motivated with regard to oral hygiene practices and thus brush their teeth more frequently than males.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of gingival recession, oral hygiene status, oral hygiene practices and associated factors in women attending a maternity ward in Tanzania.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Maternity ward of Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and forty six women were interviewed on oral hygiene practices and maternal factors, and a full-mouth examination was done to determine the presence of plaque, calculus, gingival bleeding and gingival recession at six sites per tooth.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of gingival recession (GR) > or =1 mm was 33.6%, calculus 99.3%, plaque 100%, and gingival bleeding 100%. Oral hygiene practices included toothbrushing (98.9%), brushing frequency > or =2 times/day (61.2%), horizontal brushing method (98%), and using a plastic toothbrush (97.8%). Factors that were significantly associated with gingival recession were age (OR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.3-3.2), presence of calculus (OR(a) = 3.8, 95% CI=2.5-7.1), and gingival bleeding on probing (OR = 4.2, 95% CI = 2.5-7.1). Tooth cleaning practices and maternal factors, especially the number of pregnancies or deliveries were not significantly associated with gingival recession.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study population, oral hygiene was poor and gingival recession was associated with age, calculus and gingival inflammation rather than with tooth cleaning practices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, P.O. Box 65014, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: E G S
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Mumghamba
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Honkala
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Honkala
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Manji
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005881:Gingiva / Q000473:pathology*; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult