Oral hygiene status and practices of hypertensive patients attending a tertiary facility in south-south Nigeria

Background: Hypertension is a prevalent chronic condition and a major contributor to morbidity and mortality globally. Poor oral hygiene (OH) and periodontal disease have been linked with hypertension and its complications. OH status and practices were assessed among hypertensive patients to identify associated sociodemographic and behavioral factors.
Methods: 236 hypertensive patients aged 18 years and above, dentate, and diagnosed with hypertension for at least one year were recruited using interviewer-administered questionnaires and oral examinations. OH status was evaluated using the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S), and data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25. Associations were assessed with Chi-square and ordinal logistic regression, with significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: The mean age of participants was 55.06 ± 14.17 years, Male:Female ratio was 1:1.2. 83.5% and 78.4% used toothbrushes and fluoridated toothpaste respectively; 34.3% brushed twice daily, and effective interdental cleaning was performed by just 16.5%. OH status was good, fair, and poor in 31.4%, 47.0% and 21.6% respectively. Significant associations were found between OH status and age group (p = 0.000), ethnicity (p = 0.025), educational status (p = 0.043), employment (p = 0.006), dentifrice type (p = 0.010), brushing frequency (p = 0.014), interdental cleaning (p = 0.004), and duration of hypertension (p = 0.009). Logistic regression confirmed tribe and educational status as significant predictors.
Conclusion: The study revealed suboptimal OH practices and status among hypertensive patients, influenced by education, employment, ethnicity, and duration of hypertension.