A Comparative Evaluation of Self-Reported Oral Hygiene Practices Among Medical and Engineering University Students with Access to Health-promotive Dental Care (2025)

A comparative evaluation of oral health status and oral hygiene habits between dental students, interns and staff in a dental college India

Archives of dental research, 2023

The main objective of conducting this survey is to compare oral hygiene between dental students and dental staff. Materials and Methods: A self-constructed questionnaire collecting data for the survey was circulated among the participants (275 participants, out of which 210 were undergraduate students, 50 Interns, and 15 BDS staff members) via the Google forms platform. This questionnaire consisted of 11 multiple choice-type questions based on oral health status and oral hygiene maintaining habits. The questions were distributed among the participants and the responses were collected. Results: A number of 210 dental students as well as 50 interns and faculty members 15 were investigated. It was noted that staff members were more concerned about dental hygiene than students. Conclusion: In conclusion, our study revealed that BDS Staff members are more conscious about their oral hygiene status and habits than interns and undergraduate students. Maintenance of oral hygiene is an important aspect in human life and important for overall health. Education plays an important role in realising these goals. Hence the, oral hygiene awareness programmes should be conducted regularly to promote oral health and healthy oral hygiene practices. This is an Open Access (OA) journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as appropriate credit is given and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.

Oral Hygiene Practices of First and Final Year Dental Students at Foundation University: A Comparative Study

PAFMJ

Objective: To compare personal oral hygiene practices between first and final year dental students of Foundation University College of Dentistry (FUCD). Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Foundation University College of Dentistry, Islamabad, from Mar to May 2019. Methodology: A pre-structured questionnaire was distributed to students of first and final year BDS classes with questions related to seven basic oral hygiene practices. These included frequency of teeth cleaning, time spent in cleaning teeth, tools used for cleaning teeth, frequency of changing toothbrushes, use of secondary plaque control methods, whether or not students cleaned their tongue, and how often they visited a dentist. Results: Only 2 out of 7 practices, (i.e. more frequency of brushing, 45/52 (86.5% in final year vs 25/47 (53.1% infirst year and usage of floss 22/52 (42.3%) in final year vs 9/47 (19.1%) in first year) were found to be significantly better in final year students ...

Awareness of Oral Hygiene among Dental College Students in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India: A Cross-sectional Analysis

2020

Ab s t r Ac t Aim and objective: To assess the influence of educational level and gender on oral hygiene knowledge, attitude, and behavior among undergraduate dental students. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out, including 357 students and interns of a dental college in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India. A self-administered anonymous and close-ended questionnaire based on the Hiroshima University–Dental Behavior Inventory was designed and administered voluntarily to students and interns in October 2019 to survey their oral hygiene knowledge and attitude. The questionnaire consisted of 20 questions. The study group consisted of 1st-year students (98), 2nd-year students (91), 3rd-year students (62), 4th-year students (47), and 59 interns. Collected data were coded and analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. Participants’ responses were assessed according to their educational level and gender using the Chi-square test, and the significance level was set at p ≤ 0.05. Resu...

Knowledge and Practices of Oral Hygiene among Undergraduate Students of Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra

Indian Journal of Dental Sciences, wolter Kluwer - Medknow, 2021

Background: Healthy and well‑functioning teeth in all phases of life is a necessity. Teeth help in proper mastication of food as well as in word pronunciation. It gives fullness to the face, thereby helping in the social appearance of a person. Oral health and systemic health are interconnected. Past studies indicate that oral diseases cause or increase the severity of noncommunicable diseases. The general public is unaware of this connection. Thus, the present research work was planned to assess the oral hygiene practices of students and their awareness for maintenance of oral health. Research Methodology: The presentsurvey was conducted among 510 students(135 boys and 335 girls) in the age group of 17–30 years studying in Dayalbagh Educational Institute. Data were collected through a questionnaire adapted from the standard tool of oral health questionnaire by the WHO. Results and Discussion: The result of the present study showed that 93% of the students were using toothpaste and toothbrush for cleaning teeth, but only 31% and 2% of the students were using other measures such as mouthwash and floss. Data also showed that only 44% of the students brush twice a day and only 27% visit dentist for routine checkup. Conclusion: Majority of the students were aware of the linkage between oral health and systemic health. Thus, it is essential to organize oral health education program at mass level to create awareness in public so that not only their oral health but also their general health can be improved.

Knowledge and Behavior of Oral Hygiene among New Intake of Medical and Dental Students

Oral health information is considered to be an essential prerequisite for health-related knowledge and behavior. This study included 73 professional students of 1 st Year Medical and Dental students of SEGi University. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to each. The questionnaire contained questions about information on their attitudes towards dental care, oral health practice, and knowledge of oral health. The aim of this study was to determine the oral health knowledge and behavior among new medical and dental students. The results showed that 27(37%) female medical students learnt brush teeth by family, 23(32%)) learnt use of floss by self. 17(23.3%) female answered, that there is association between poor oral hygiene and heart disease. Majority of female 43(58%) agree that the brushing teeth might prevent gum problems. The visit to dentist showed highest response in the female 40(54.8%) and 27(37.5%) female disagreed to visit dentist if they have tooth pain. The behavior of of medical students' for oral health care showed that majority of female 41(56.2%) brush the teeth more that once a day, while 27(37.0%) female used the dental floss every few days.The results also showed that 40(54.8%) of female did not need to treat their teeth, while 30(41.1%) female agreed for dental check up. 40(54.8%) of female required new fillings for their teeth and 40(55.6%) female thought that they do not need treatment for gum diseases. Meanwhile, 36(50%) of female students scored the highest on the knowledge of gum disease. Thus this survey shows that the female had higher knowledge and behavior than the male students

Assessment of Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among the Pre-clinical and Clinical Dental Students of Three Dental Colleges in Calicut District-A Questionnaire Based Cross- Sectional Study

Background: Education of oral health of the individual and community has a major impact from the knowledge of the dentists, which ultimately depends on the knowledge, attitude and practices of the dental students. Dental students are the future leaders in oral-health care, and have a significant role to play in public oral health education and its promotion.Increased awareness of the oral health care among the dental students through academic learning can motivate their patients for the maintenance of the oral health and prevention of the development of the different oral diseases. Dental students in general have been found to have oral health knowledge, but their attitude and oral hygiene practices needs improvement if they are to serve as positive models for their patients, families, and friends.Therefore this present study aims to assess the oral health knowledge, attitude and behaviour among the Pre-clinical and Clinical dental students in the three Dental Colleges in Calicut district. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional 25 point Questionnaire was distributed among the dental students of the three dental colleges in Calicut district. The scores obtained from the responses were entered and analysed using the statistical analysis software SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics was calculated, and mean scores, standard deviation, and frequency distribution was obtained. The difference of the oral health knowledge, attitude and practices between dental students was assessed by Student's t-test Results: A statistically significant knowledge and Attitude Scores was observed for clinical students when compared with preclinical students. But when oral hygiene practices are analyzed it is seen that the preclinical students have higher scores when compared to clinical students. A statistically significant higher mean score of knowledge and oral hygiene practices for female students was observed when compared to male students. But in relation to the attitude scores, the male students showed higher mean scores than female students Conclusion: The findings of the present study shows that the knowledge of the preclinical dental students is low compared to the clinical students. The oral-health attitude and practices of dental students' needs improvement with the increase in the level of education. So, adequate measures should be undertaken to reinforce positive attitude and oral hygiene practices in clinical students, so as to motivate their patients for maintenance of oral health and prevention of different oral diseases.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Adjunctive Oral Hygiene Aids Brushing Among Medical and Dental Students in UCMS, Nepal

Journal of Universal College of Medical Sciences, 2022

Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection that affects tissues that support the teeth and bacterial plaque is the primary cause of this disease. In the interdental spaces, periodontal disorders are more common as a result, removing plaque from these regions is critical. This can be managed by using various interdental cleaning aids such as dental floss, interdental brushes, and chemical agents such as mouth washes. Thus, the aim of our study is to assess the knowledge of other oral hygiene aids except brushing among medical and dental students in a Teaching hospital. This is a knowledge, attitude, and practices model of analyzing the knowledge of adjunctive oral hygiene aids performance and measures other than tooth brushing among medical and dental students. MATERIAL AND METHODS A Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) survey was designed for the present cross-sectional study which was conducted for a period of three months from July 2021 to September 2021 among a sample of 275 medical and dental undergraduates in a Teaching hospital. Pre-tested structured 22-item closed-ended questionnaire was given to each on survey tool and the link was passed to the participants. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS (version 21.0) software. RESULTS The response rate for the present survey was 98.9% (272 participants). It was seen that, 29.78% participants reported that poor oral hygiene is the main cause of bleeding and 59.19 % believed that poor oral hygiene is responsible for bad breath. A total of 65.81% reported that most widely recommended interdental aid to be used is dental floss. On gender wise comparison, significant positive response (p< 0.05)was seen among females for items (2,6,11) as compared to males. On stream wise comparison, significant positive response (p< 0.05) was seen among dentists for items (16,17,20) as compared to medical students. CONCLUSION The study concluded that dental and medical students must be encouraged to be good role models in practicing as well as promoting oral health for their patients, families, friends and ultimately the society.

A survey of oral hygiene practices amongst dental students

Pakistan Orthodontic Journal, 2017

Introduction: Oral hygiene measures are put into practice in order to maintain an oral environment free of germs and diseases. Oral diseases have a high prevalence and they pose a great threat to an individual’s quality of life. Oral self-practices of dental students allow them to become a role model to others, thus propagating the importance of oral hygiene. Aim was to investigate the awareness of oral hygiene habits and practices amongst the dental students. Material and Methods: All undergraduate students enrolled at the dental section of Islamabad medical and dental college were given a self- administered structured, anonymous questionnaire after taking verbal consent. The answers of the filled questionnaires were entered and analyzed through SPSS version 22. Results: Out of a total of 196 dental students included in the study many were not practicing the oral hygiene etiquette properly. No noteworthy differences were found when comparing the results for students in the pre-clin...

Practice and problems regarding oral hygiene: study among female medical undergraduate students of tertiary care hospital, Pune, India

International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, 2016

Background: As a health provider to community, a doctor should himself be aware of his oral health and undergraduate medical students who are future health professionals should also be well aware of their dental hygiene. Hence with an aim to assess the practice and problems about dental hygiene amongst female medical undergraduate students, this study was planned. Objective of the study was to assess the practices and problems regarding oral hygiene among female undergraduate medical students and efforts taken by them to solve these problems. Method: A cross-sectional study was undertaken among female undergraduate medical students residing in a hostel of a medical college. Results: 56.7% girls were using soft tooth brush, 69.3% students change their tooth brush every 6 monthly and 63.3% of them were brushing only once in a day. 79.3% were rinsing teeth after snack or meal. The percentage of students who were using mouth wash and tongue cleaner was 27.3% and 52% respectively. Bad breath was faced by only 9.33% of students, 39.33% were having cavities and 49.33% were having problem of plaque. 25.3% had never visited dentist. Scaling was performed by only 24.7% students and among them only 1.33% did it 6 monthly. It was observed that students using mouth wash 22.2% had significantly less problem of bad breath as compared to students who were not using 6.7%. Significantly larger numbers of students, with problem of cavities were observed to use mouth wash 60% and floss 68% as compared to those who did had this complaint. The study highlights the fact that preventive behaviour among medical students increased after they experienced some or the other oral health problem for which they were advised to follow these preventive practices so that the severity and extent of the disease does not progress. Further research is required on a larger scale so that the ways to increase the promotive and preventive oral health practices can be identified (e.g. behaviour change communication) to prevent the occurrence of oral health problems.

Evaluation of oral-hygiene awareness and practice among dental students

2017

Aim: The aim of this study is to compare oral-health knowledge, attitudes, and self-care practice behaviors among dental students. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was prepared regarding oral-health attitudes and behaviors. The survey was carried out at Narayana Dental College and Hospital, Nellore. Three hundred sixty-seven questionnaires were responded by the dental students (208 clinical and 159 preclinical students). The data were tabulated and analyzed by using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v.17.0. Chi-square tests were also used. Results: A more significant knowledge ( P &lt; 0.001) of oral-hygiene procedures are noticed in clinical students than in preclinical students. The responses varied mainly regarding the type of brush they are using, the brushing technique, motivating people to consult a dentist (clinical — 95.2%, preclinical—78%), and educate people about oral hygiene procedures (clinical — 98.6%, preclinical — 80.5%). oral hygiene practices...

Assessment of preventive dental care among dental students and dental professionals in India: A knowledge, attitude, and practice study

Aim: Knowledge and oral health behavior of dental students and professionals play an important role in oral health education of patients and community at large. It is therefore important that their own oral health behavior conforms to expectations of the population. Hence, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the oral health knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) among dental students and dental professionals. Materials and Methods: In the present study, KAPs of 560 dental students and professionals (postgraduate [PG] students and dental faculty) was explored. The participants were divided into three groups based on their level of education. Group 1 included undergraduate students and interns, Group 2 included PG students, and Group 3 included teaching faculty. Group 1 was further divided into UG1 (BDS 1 st year), UG2 (BDS 2 nd year), UG3 (BDS 3 rd year), UG4 (BDS 4 th year), and UG5 (Interns). A number of participants in each group were 80. Statistical Analysis: Kruskal-Wallis test was used for intergroup comparison and Mann-Whitney test was used for intragroup comparison. Result: Results showed that as the education level increased from junior students to senior students to teaching faculty, the mean score of positive responses increased in all the components (KAP), and the values are statistically significant (P < 0.005) and this increase in the KAP was not up to the expected level. Conclusion: The finding of the present study indicated the poor oral health behaviors (KAP) among dental students and dental professionals, which should be improved in order to serve as a positive model for their patients, family, and friends.

An insight into oral health practices among 1 st year medical students of Karad, India: A questionnaire study

Attitude and Behavior of Oral Hygiene among Taif university students - A questionnaire study

2019

The attitude, behavior and the oral hygiene of health care providers reflect their understanding of the importance of preventive dental procedures and improving the oral health of their patients. These findings differ among the students pursuing various programs and such studies are very important in the present global trend of standardization of dental education and require inclusion of oral health promotion in dental practice. Students of health care are the future professionals who are expected to be teacher of hygiene as well as role models of self-care regimens for their patients. There is very little information or research about the oral hygiene attitude and behavior or practices that influence oral health among university students of various programs from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Hence, this study was aimed to add to the limited literature documenting the oral hygiene practices and attitudes among students pursuing programs in various streams of medical and allied sciences at Taif University, KSA. A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire study was carried out among 500 students of streams of Medical, Dental, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy and Nursing colleges at Taif University, KSA, with the English version of the preformed set of modified questionnaire consisting of 27 questions as per Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI). A quantitative estimate of oral health attitude and behavior is provided by the total of the appropriate responses. The data was computerized and analyzed. Differences in responses were assessed using chi-square. The level of significance was set at P< 0.05. The responses were recorded and analysed. The difference in responses to all the questions was statistically significant (P<0.05). In comparison of the streams the medical students had the highest mean score. The differences in the mean scores were statistically significant (Kruskallwallis test). The difference in the mean scores of clinical and preclinical students was not statistically significant (Man Whitney U test). In the present study, the overall, significant differences of the mean HU-DBI scores of students of dental, medical, pharmacy and other allied sciences were observed. Higher scores indicate better oral health attitude and behavior. The data might help and may be used to improve practice of students' oral hygiene and serve as a positive model for the patients, their family and friends.

Assessment of Oral Hygiene Awareness among College Students in Surat City

National Journal of Community Medicine, 2018

Introduction: The mouth is regarded as the mirror of the body and the gateway to good health. Oral health care for the young adult has potential to contribute to the wellbeing of both child and family. Hence, a survey was carried to know the oral hygiene practice awareness amongst the college students. Methodology: By using a predesigned, pretested semi structured, self administered questionnaire, a survey was conducted among 231 college students. Results: Out of the 231 students, 79.4% were males. Majority (63.6%) of the students cleaned teeth, 105 students always used fluoridated toothpaste, one third have habit of snacking between meals, and 34.6% of the students changed their toothbrushes once in 2 months. 61 students had never visited a dentist in their lifetime. Around 43.7% of the students were thought that poor brushing habit is the reason of tooth decay. Conclusion: Knowledge with respect to oral health among the college students of Surat city is adequate; however, an unhealthy snacking habit, over usage of toothbrushes and practicing tobacco habit show the lack of oral health knowledge in these students.

Evaluation of the Oral Health Knowledge Among Undergraduate Students

NUST Journal of Natural Sciences

Objective: Objective of the study is to evaluate the oral health knowledge, attitude and oral hygiene practice behavior among undergraduate students of biomedical sciences in Punjab, Pakistan. Method: Methodology consisted of a questionnaire study of 501 sample size (182 males and 319 females). The mean age of the participants was 19 years. The data collected by the study was analyzed by IBM SPSS Statistics v. 25.0. Pearson’s Chi-square test was used to compare the data. P-value less than 0.05 were considered to be statistically significant. Result: Results showed 284 (56.6%) participants brushed their teeth only once a day,253 (50.4%) brushed their teeth right after waking up, for no less than 2 minutes. 342 (68.2%) participants replaced their tooth brush after every 3 months and 367 (73%) participants do not feel an obligation to brush teeth after consuming sugary foods. 203 (40.5%) participants only use horizontal motions for brushing and 234 (46.7%) participants rely only on bru...

Oral health knowledge, attitude and behaviour of dental students in a private university

BDJ Open, 2019

Introduction The positive attitude and behaviour of dental students can be improved during their undergraduate studies and is considered an essential factor in promoting the oral self-care habits of their patients and society in general. Aim This study was conducted to evaluate the oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours among undergraduate dental students at a private university, based on the year of undergraduate studies. Material and methods A self-administered questionnaire based on the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory was distributed among 783 undergraduate dental students from 1st to 5th year. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. The Mann–Whitney U test and one-way ANOVA tests (Kruskal–Wallis test) were used. Results The scores of oral health knowledge, attitude and behaviour between preclinical and clinical dental students were found to have statistically significant differences (P

Oral Hygiene Knowledge among Medical and Dental Faculty

European Dental Research and Biomaterials Journal

Objective Oral health reflects the physical and mental health of the individual as it is the first line of entrance of bacteria into the body. Knowledge regarding oral health is an essential component for dental as well as medical faculty as they are responsible for maintenance of health of the individual in clinical and nonclinical practices. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the predominance of oral hygiene with dental brushing, flossing, smoking, usage of mouthwash, and frequency of dental visits. Materials and Methods To achieve the aim of the study, a questionnaire was created to access the awareness of oral hygiene status among medical and dental faculty. The study was conducted at Sir Syed College of Medical Sciences and all the faculty staff from senior faculty to junior staff was included in the study. Results A total of 200 participants participated in the study of which 125 were females (62.5%). The results specify that the female faculty members have a bet...

Oral health attitude, knowledge, and behaviour of dental students of Jaipur, Rajasthan: A comparative study

Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry, 2015

The positive attitude and behaviour of dental students can be improved during their undergraduate studies and is considered an essential factor in promoting the oral self-care habits of their patients and society in general. AIM: This study was conducted to evaluate the oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours among undergraduate dental students at a private university, based on the year of undergraduate studies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire based on the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory was distributed among 783 undergraduate dental students from 1st to 5th year. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. The Mann-Whitney U test and one-way ANOVA tests (Kruskal-Wallis test) were used. RESULTS: The scores of oral health knowledge, attitude and behaviour between preclinical and clinical dental students were found to have statistically significant differences (P < 0.001). The variation of knowledge, attitude and behaviour scores from 1st to 5th year undergraduate studies was shown to be statistically significant with the year of study (P < 0.001). The study showed significant improvement in the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of the final year dental students as compared with the 1st year dental students. CONCLUSION: Preclinical students need properly designed oral health educational programs to increase their attitude and behaviour toward oral health.

Oral hygiene practices and factors influencing the choice of oral hygiene materials among undergraduates in selected universities in Osun State, Nigeria

Journal of Pre-Clinical and Clinical Research

Introduction and Objective. Oral health is a crucial part of general health and wellbeing to be maintained throughout a life, and the oral health status is usually determined by the level of oral hygiene practices. This study aimed at investigating oral hygiene practices and factors influencing the choice of oral hygiene materials among undergraduates in Osun State, Nigeria. Materials and method. A cross-sectional descriptive research design was adopted using a multistage sampling technique to select 440 undergraduates from two universities in Osun State. Osun State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria with an estimated population of about 4.7 million, as of 2016. The research instrument used was a self-structured questionnaire, data retrieved was coded, entered and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Results. More than half of the respondents 232 (52.7%) were between 21-25 years. Only 59% perceived that their oral health status was excellent. A small percentage of the respondents (3.2%) visit the dentist regularly and only 26% brush their teeth twice daily and change their toothbrush every six months. Less than half of the respondents (33.9%) exhibited good oral hygiene practices. Gender and institution attended had a significant relationship with oral hygiene practices with P value of.010 and.001, respectively. Conclusions. More than half of the respondents perceived their oral health status to be excellent and less than half of the respondents claimed they exhibited good oral hygiene practices. The most identified factor affecting their choice of oral hygiene materials was cost. Socio-demographic variables of significance for the practice of oral hygiene were gender and institution of study. There is need to promote oral health through health education about oral hygiene at various levels of learning and during campaigns to all age groups.

Oral Health Related Habits, Knowledge, and Frequency of Dental Floss use among Undergraduate Medical and Dental Students in a Public Health Sector University in Pakistan: A Comparative Study

Pakistan Journal of Medical &amp; Health Sciences

Objective: The current study aimed to evaluate oral health related habits, knowledge, and frequency of dental floss use among undergraduate medical and dental students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken at two institutes, Sindh Institute of Oral Health Sciences (SIOHS) and Sindh Medical College (SMC) of Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU), Karachi, Pakistan, between March to May 2022. All undergraduate medical and dental students irrespective of gender, cast, creed, or socioeconomic status were eligible to partake in the study. The data on demographics including the age, gender, primary way of cleaning teeth, frequency of dental flossing, general oral health habits, assessment of knowledge of interdental cleaning aids etc. were recorded in a structured questionnaire. Results: The majority of the students acknowledged the importance of the role of students in promoting dental floss use among the community. Years of study in Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students w...