Oral health knowledge and practices among Dar es Salaam institutionalized former street children aged 7-16 years.

Objectives: To find out level of knowledge on causes and prevention of dental caries and bleeding gums, oral hygiene and eating practices among institutionalized former street children.

Methods: A structured standardized questionnaire was used to collect data for this study. Chi-square test was used to test for significant differences.

Results And Conclusions: Eighty-eight per cent and 83% of the children knew the cause of tooth decay and bleeding gums respectively and 17-68% were aware of preventive measures. At the institutions visited, 92% of the children said they brush their teeth but 74% brushed when living on the streets, this difference was significant (chi2=4.40, P=0.05). About half did not use toothpaste during street life, whilst 8% do not use toothpaste at institutions, the difference was significant (chi2=5.081, P=0.025). Almost 22% use sweets and biscuits at institutions, about 44% used the snacks when living on the streets, the differences were significant (chi2=3.798, P=0.04, and chi2=3.893, P=0.04). Only 6% use sodas and sweetened juices at institutions, while 32-36% used the drinks during street life, the differences were significant (chi2=4.38 P=0.05 and chi(2)-12.87, P=0.01). The findings of this study show that most former street children are aware of the causes of dental caries and bleeding gums but have poor knowledge on prevention of the two diseases. Furthermore, children living on the streets are more likely to eat cariogenic foods and have poor oral hygiene practices.