Evaluation of the Oral Health Knowledge Among Undergraduate Students

Abstract

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 brushing to maintain oral hygiene.290 participants (58%) believe visiting the dentist after every 6 months can help in prevention of oral diseases, while 159 (32%) participants believe in fluoride application and getting scaling done once a year. 64.4% participants believe scaling is the removal of deposits on teeth and it should only be done when required. 63% participants visited the dentist only when they suffered from an oral disease. Conclusion: The findings of this study will be helpful in making strategies for awareness programs related to oral hygiene practices.