Retrospective Evaluation of Scaling and Polishing Performed in a Nigerian Secondary Healthcare Setting.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the proportion of the patients 
who had scaling and polishing as part of preparation for 
other dental treatment and to determine the 
sociodemographic factors that predicted such treatment 
need. This study also assessed the oral hygiene status and 
caries experience among the studied patients.
Methods: The study is a retrospective review of dental 
records of patients who had scaling and polishing at the 
Dental Centre, Central hospital Benin City, over a 12-
month period. Data included the demographic 
characteristics of the patients, presenting complaints, past 
dental visit, daily teeth cleaning frequency, smoking and 
alcohol intake, caries experience estimated with the DMFT 
and oral hygiene status estimated with simplified oral 
hygiene index and definitive treatment.

Results: A total of 322 patients were seen during the period 
with a mean age of 48.7±16.6 years. About three-quarters 
(73.9%) of scaling were performed as preliminary care and 
35.4% of the patients had poor oral hygiene. There was 
significant association between age, marital status and 
reason for presenting in the S &P clinic. Binary regression 
revealed age as the only predictors of scaling and polishing 
performed as preliminary care. About three-quarters 
(72.7%) of the patients reported cleaning their teeth oncedaily teeth cleaning and about half (56.8%) of the patients 
were visiting dental clinic for the first time. The mean 
DMFT was 2.89±3.22. Tobacco smokers and patients with 
poor oral hygiene had significantly higher mean DMFT 
than their counterparts 

Conclusion: Data from this study revealed that majority of 
scaling and polishing performed as preliminary care and 
only age emerged as a significant predictor of scaling and 
polishing performed as preliminary care. One third of 
patients had poor oral hygiene status. Tobacco use/alcohol 
consumption status and oral hygiene status were 
significantly associated with DMFT.