Knowledge of and attitudes towards erosive tooth wear among students of two Chinese universities

Abstract

Background: To assess the knowledge of and attitudes towards erosive tooth wear among dental, medical, and non-medical university students of two Chinese universities. Methods: A questionnaire containing 15 questions on knowledge of erosive tooth wear and 10 questions on attitudes towards erosive tooth wear was designed, and its psychometric properties (reliability and validity) were analysed in a pilot study (n = 120 students). The following 3 groups of university students (n = 635) were recruited based on a convenience sampling technique and were distributed the questionnaire via an online survey system: dental students (DSs), medical students (MSs), and non-medical students (NSs). Differences in the scores between groups and genders were analysed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the association between the knowledge and attitude scores (P < 0.05). Results: The questionnaire was found to be reliable, valid and reproducible. A total of 435 students participated in this study (response rate: 69.6%). The knowledge score of the DSs (11.5 ± 3.4) was significantly higher than those of the NSs (5.5 ± 4.0) and MSs (6.1 ± 4.0) (P < 0.001). The attitude score of the DSs (45.2 ± 6.5) was significantly higher than those of the NSs (41.1 ± 6.9) and MSs (41.8 ± 6.4) (P < 0.001). The majority of DSs expressed attitudes that were more accurate and positive than those expressed by the other 2 groups. The attitude score was positively correlated with the knowledge score (r = 0.237, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Dental students had more accurate knowledge of and more positive attitudes towards erosive tooth wear than medical and non-medical students. In this population, a positive correlation was established between knowledge of and attitudes towards erosive tooth wear.

Do University Students Adhere to WHO Guidelines on Proper Use of Face Masks during the COVID-19 Pandemic?—Analysis and Comparison of Medical and Non-Medical Students

“…Moreover, medical students more commonly used single-use masks and wore face protection for longer periods of time [25]. This is not surprising, as the differences in health-related attitudes and behaviors between medical and non-medical students have been previously documented [26][27][28]. The criterion that non-medical students complied significantly better with was the disposure of single-use masks after their use at work.…”

Effect of erosive media on microhardness and fracture toughness of CAD-CAM dental materials

“…Acid-containing diets such as fizzy drinks, citrus fruits, and white wine represent an external source of acids the frequency of which might eventually lead to dental erosion [ 4 ]. In clinical practice, patients are asymptomatic to the early tooth hard tissue loss from dental erosion [ 5 ]. However, neglected cases might lead to a substantial tooth loss leading to complaints of dentin hypersensitivity, loss of vertical dimensions, loss of teeth anatomy, contour, and function [ 4 , 6 , 7 ].…”

“…However, neglected cases might lead to a substantial tooth loss leading to complaints of dentin hypersensitivity, loss of vertical dimensions, loss of teeth anatomy, contour, and function [ 4 , 6 , 7 ]. Dental erosion is more frequent in the age range of 9–19 years old with a prevalence of 39% around the world [ 5 ]. Management of dental erosion has gained more attention in dental practice due to the alarming rise in the variety of acid-containing food and beverages that are consumed heavily by the population [ 8 ].…”

Effect of erosive media on microhardness and fracture toughness of CAD-CAM materials

“…Acid-containing diets such as zzy drinks, citrus fruits, and white wine represent an external source of acids the frequency of which might eventually lead to dental erosion [4]. In clinical practice, patients are asymptomatic to the early tooth hard tissue loss from dental erosion [5]. However, neglected cases might lead to a substantial tooth loss leading to complaints of dentin hypersensitivity, loss of vertical dimensions, loss of teeth anatomy, contour, and function [4,6,7].…”

“…However, neglected cases might lead to a substantial tooth loss leading to complaints of dentin hypersensitivity, loss of vertical dimensions, loss of teeth anatomy, contour, and function [4,6,7]. Dental erosion is more frequent in the age range of 9-19 years old with a prevalence of 39% around the world [5]. Management of dental erosion has gained more attention in dental practice due to the alarming rise in the variety of acid-containing food and beverages that are consumed heavily by the population [8].…”