Oral Health Behavior Factors Associated with Dental Caries among Adults in Jizan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study.

AIM: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of dental caries and its associated factors among adults in Jizan, Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 567 adults aged 19 years and above recruited from governmental hospital dental clinics. Data were collected via a questionnaire consisting of 17 questions. It included nine questions on sociodemographic characteristics and eight questions on oral health behaviors, such as toothbrushing, toothpaste containing fluoride, tongue cleaning, visiting the dentist, and smoking, along with direct oral examinations using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. Adjusted odds ratio (aOR) was used as a measure of association, with 95% confidence interval (CI). A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of dental caries was 79.4%. Multivariable analysis revealed significant associations between prevalence of dental caries and residing in rural areas (aOR = 4.45, 95% CI: 2.32-8.55, p < 0.001), having a high school education or below (aOR = 11.66, 95% CI: 3.55-38.31, p < 0.001), not brushing teeth (aOR = 3.60, 95% CI: 1.77-7.32, p < 0.001), not using fluoride-containing toothpaste (aOR = 5.36, 95% CI: 2.48-11.55, p < 0.001), delayed toothbrush replacement (more than 2 months: aOR = 23.25, 95% CI: 8.05-67.13, p < 0.001; when bristles flared: aOR = 3.09, 95% CI: 1.42-6.72, p = 0.004), infrequent tongue cleaning (aOR = 11.53, 95% CI: 5.04-26.40, p < 0.001), and smoking (aOR = 2.77, 95% CI: 1.41-5.42, p = 0.003).

CONCLUSION

A high prevalence of dental caries (79.4%) was found among adults in Jizan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Key contributing factors included rural residence, lower education, not brushing/fluoride toothpaste, delayed toothbrush replacement, infrequent tongue cleaning, and smoking.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The significant variation and limited current data on dental caries prevalence and associated determinants in the Jizan region of KSA indicate a crucial need for this study. Identifying key factors behind this public health issue is essential for guiding effective local and national oral health strategies. The findings provide vital data that can be used for the clinical translational value of designing targeted interventions and informing local oral health policy to ultimately improve oral health outcomes for adults in the Jizan area. How to cite this article: Shubayr MA, Boreak N, Alhuraysi SM, et al. Oral Health Behavior Factors Associated with Dental Caries among Adults in Jizan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2026;27(1):59-66.