The Role of Dental Health Education on the Quality of Life Among Adolescents in Kibra Sub-County, Nairobi City County, Kenya

The objective of this study was to investigate the role of dental health education on the quality of life among adolescents in Kibra Sub-County, Kenya. The population figures for Kibera range widely, from 500,000 to 1,000,000, and it is estimated that one in four Nairobi residents reside here. Disproportionate stratified simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to come up with 100 respondents and 5 key informants. From the findings, all the respondents agreed to have been trained with 78% and 85% stating to have been trained by their parents and teachers at school respectively on dental hygiene. Further, 89(89%) were aware of tooth brush as tooth cleaning device. Tooth/gum pain 56(73.2) was the major dental problem which made study participants seek medication. On teeth cleaning techniques on the quality of life among adolescents in Kibra Sub-County, 92% of the respondents used tooth brush device to clean their teeth, while 21% of the respondents used chewing stick to brush their teeth. 85% brushed the teeth daily while 12% of the respondents brushed their teeth 2-3 times a week. 41% said dental problem makes them unable to bite hard foods, 42% stated that dental discomfort created pain and lack of sleep. It was recommended that the County government of Nairobi through ministry of health are recommended to address problem facing dental health care services and mostly in informal settlement by allocating more equipment and human personnel and also Nairobi County should put preventive and promotive health care programs in order to address the oral health disease at early stages. Further study was recommended on the burden of selected oral diseases, their determinants and oral health related quality of life. Key Words: Dental health education, quality of life, adolescents