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

JOURNAL TITLE: Journal of Health Sciences & Research

Author
1. Surya Thangam
ISSN
2229-3655
DOI
10.5005/jp-journals-10042-1096
Volume
11
Issue
2
Publishing Year
2020
Pages
5
Author Affiliations
    1. Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, KSR Institute of Dental Science and Research, Attur, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Article keywords

    Abstract

    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. Results: In this study, the response rate was 100%. Responses to some of the questions showed significant variability. The oral health behavior of participants varies not only with their gender but also with their educational level, i.e., the amount of clinical exposure and experience. Conclusion: We conclude that knowledge and information play a crucial role in modifying one's psychology, despite gender-based variation in behavior. Therefore, we recommend that the government includes chapters on some basic knowledge related to oral health in the school syllabus, such as basic science subjects, or a compulsory dental awareness program in the school curriculum.

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