Oral Health Practices, Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs of Fijians

Abstract

This descriptive study identifies oral health practices, attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs about dental care among Fijians living in Vanua Levu. Using convenience sampling, people attending a free community dental clinic volunteered to complete a structured questionnaire. Oral health practices, knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes about dental care, identified included: more females (95%) than males (88%) practiced brushing their teeth after every meal; the majority (83%) had problems with their teeth and 56% were missing one to five teeth; and knowledge about dental health was higher in females than males. This study supports the need for ongoing education in dental care and will be used for planning future interventions in health education and prevention of caries and other preventable dental problems in this population.