Evaluation of oral hygiene awareness and practices among medical students

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Oral health is an important aspect of general health and wellbeing. 1 Oral hygiene if adopted properly can help get rid of oral diseases 2. Many studies have proved that better knowledge in oral health practices and their attitude are linked to good habits with healthier oral cavity. 3-6 Oral diseases are major public health concern due to high prevalence and its impact on quality of life. 7 Many studies have shown that lack of knowledge among rural people and negligent behavior among urban people are causes of dental diseases. 8,9 Oral hygiene is compromised by unhealthy habits like tobacco use and lack of dental specialist care. 10 Improving oral health is still a dream come true in developing countries like India. 11 So WHO has set the goals for the year 2020 as Recommended Oral Self Care (ROSC) which includes tooth brushing more than once a day, lesser consumption of sugar containing snacks once daily or rarely and regular use of fluoride containing toothpaste. 2 Hence the present study was conducted to evaluate oral hygiene awareness and dental health problems in medical students. ABSTRACT Background: Oral diseases are major public health concern due to high prevalence and its impact on quality of life. Many studies have shown that lack of knowledge among rural people and negligent behavior among urban people are causes of dental diseases. Hence the present study was conducted to evaluate oral hygiene awareness and dental health problems in medical students. Methods: A Cross sectional study was carried out on 1st MBBS students. All the students (83) present on the day of data collection were included in the study. Data was collected by pretested questionnaire and analyzed using percentages. Results: Awareness among students about oral hygiene was good. All students in our study were brushing the teeth at least daily with toothbrush and paste. Only few students (13.2%) were using fluoride toothpaste and 67.4% were unaware of fluoride content. Nearly all students restrained from Alcohol Consumption and Tobacco Use. About 27.7% students had Pain /Discomfort in Past 12 Months and 18.1% consulted dentist. About 55% students visited dentist in last 5 years and most common reason was toothache. Conclusions: The better result among medical students could be due to their better knowledge and socioeconomic conditions. Developing countries show lack of awareness and poor oral hygiene habits among large sections of the population, increasing the risk of oral health problems. More awareness should be created among general population to improve the oral health.