Dental pain care-seeking, management and self-reported outcomes among older adults attending primary healthcare centres in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria

Abstract 

Background: Dental pain can impair eating, sleep, oral function and quality of life in older adults. In
settings with limited dental personnel and equipment, care may be restricted to temporary symptom
control and referral. This study assessed dental pain care-seeking, reported treatment and self-reported
outcomes among older adults attending selected primary healthcare centres in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from April to September 2025 in five
purposively selected primary healthcare centres. Adults aged 60 years or older who reported dental
pain during the preceding 12 months completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The
minimum sample size calculated with Cochran’s formula was 196. A total of 187 complete
questionnaires were analysed. Categorical variables were summarised using frequencies and
percentages.
Results: Among 187 participants, 100 (53.5%) were male and 63 (33.7%) were aged 75 years or older.
Primary healthcare centres were the first source of help for 92 (49.2%) participants. Analgesics alone
were the most frequently reported treatment during the dental pain episode, 133 (71.1%), while 15
(8.0%) reported extraction, restoration, or scaling and polishing. Complete pain relief was reported by
34 (18.2%), pain recurred in 123 (65.8%), and 12 (6.4%) reported satisfaction with care.
Conclusions: Among older adults attending the selected centres, dental pain episodes were commonly
managed with analgesics alone, while complete relief and satisfaction were uncommon and recurrence
was frequent. The findings support basic oral assessment in primary health care, safer initial
management and clearer referral links with dental services. Because treatments and outcomes were not
linked to individual providers, the results should not be interpreted as provider-specific estimates of
primary healthcare effectiveness