Self-medication for dental caries-associated toothache among dental outpatients attended at public health facilities in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Self-medication is a common practice worldwide, and its prevalence ranges between 20% and 80% among patients suffering from dental pain. The socioeconomic status of an individual plays a key role in self-medication practice, especially sex and education level. This study aims to investigate the extent of self-medication practice for toothache due to dental caries among adults in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

METHODS

This was an analytical cross-sectional study carried out over 6 months. It included adult patients presenting with toothache in public dental clinics. A questionnaire captured information on demography, self-medication practice, the substance used for self-medication, duration of self-medication, and reason for self-medication. Univariate analysis was carried out to assess factors associated with self-care remedies. The probability level of  < 0.05 was selected for statistical significance.

RESULTS

A total of 420 participants took part in this survey with a majority (54.3%) being females. The ages of the participants ranged between 18 years and 79 years, with a mean age of 33.37 (SD = 12.64) years. Nearly all (98.5%) participants used some sort of self-prescribed remedies for managing toothache before attending a dental clinic for appropriate treatment. The sociodemographic status of the participants did not influence the practice of self-medication.

CONCLUSION

About 98% of patients suffering from toothache in Tanzania practice self-medication, and it cuts across all social strata of the adult dental population.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Patients with toothache secondary to dental caries participated in the pilot study and were consulted on the suitability of the study tool.