Determinants of preventive oral health behaviour among senior dental students in Nigeria

Exploring Knowledge, Awareness, and Practices Regarding Periodontal Health Assessment and Mechanical Plaque Control Among the Shillong Population of Meghalaya, India: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Investigation

Background Periodontal diseases are widespread oral health conditions. However, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the knowledge, awareness, and practices related to periodontal health assessment and mechanical plaque control among specific populations, such as those residing in Shillong, Meghalaya. Shillong, being the capital city of Meghalaya in northeastern India, represents a diverse demographic and cultural landscape. Aim This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, awareness, and practices related to mechanical plaque control among the population of Shillong City. Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional online survey was conducted among the residents of Shillong City, Meghalaya. Data collection involved the administration of an 18-item, closed-ended, self-structured questionnaire. Before the main data collection, a pilot study was conducted involving 63 individuals. Data analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0 (Released 2019; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA), employing the chi-square test and ANOVA with a significance level of 0.05. Results Study participants were categorized into five age groups spanning from 21 to 64 years old, with the age group of 41 to 50 years demonstrating the highest mean knowledge score. Age exhibited a statistically significant influence on knowledge scores. Conclusion The study reveals a commendable level of knowledge, awareness, and adherence to practices regarding the primary tool for oral hygiene maintenance, the toothbrush, among the residents of Shillong City.

Are Dentists Hypocrites? Oral Self-care Habits and Self-reported Oral Health Status among Dentists and Non-dentists in Croatia

Objectives

Dentists provide dental care to their patients and educate them on their oral hygiene and how to maintain oral health. This paper aimed to determine whether dentists are hypocritical when advising their patients on oral hygiene procedures and dental treatments because they do not apply to themselves what they recommend to others.

Material and methods

This is a self-reported study conducted through an online survey questionnaire completed by 1001 participants, of whom 551 were non-dentists and 450 dentists. This is the first study on oral hygiene habits and oral status among dentists in Croatia. This research included almost 10% of the total number of working dentists in Croatia.

Results

In terms of dental hygiene habits, dentists brushed, flossed and used interdental brushes more frequently, and they also changed toothbrushes more frequently, whereas they attended check-ups less frequently. Dentists also reported a smaller number of teeth with cavities, a greater number of teeth with fillings, a greater number of extracted teeth, and a greater number of dental crowns, but a smaller number of healthy teeth compared to general population. However, dentists had a much higher proportion of participants over 30 years of age, and when sub-analysis of participants over 30 years of age was performed, dentists had a greater number of healthy teeth compared to the general population.

Conclusions

The results showed that dentists are aware of the importance of their oral health and that they do not pay attention only to their oral hygiene habits, but also apply advice they give their patients. Therefore, they cannot be considered hypocritical.

Dental Health Knowledge Attitude and Practice Among University of Calabar Students

Introduction Oral health has been linked to aspects of individual knowledge, attitude, and practices. In Nigeria, the increased prevalence of poor oral hygiene has been attributed behavioral factors. Behavioral aspects that include the increased intake of sugary foods and beverages, and lack of proper oral hygiene have been touted as the main causes of poor oral hygiene among university students. The knowledge of oral health is vital owing to its contribution to better oral health; however, unless students develop good oral habits and attitudes and subsequently put them into practice, very little will be realized with regard improvement in oral health and hygiene. Objective This research aimed to explore the knowledge, attitude, and practice of dental care among the University of Calabar students. Method This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted between 2016 and 2017. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data from 430 student participants in a university using a multi-stage random technique. An inferential statistical approach was adopted to test the relationships represented in the tables. Data were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences, version 20.0. Result The study included 430 participants, 239 (55.6%) females and 191 (44.4%) males. The survey revealed that 94% of the 404 respondents agreed that poor dental care can cause dental diseases, while only 6% disagreed. Regarding excessive drinking of water, 91% of the respondents agreed that it cannot cause dental disease, 4.2% agreed it could, and 4.8% did not know. Furthermore, 60.2% of the 430 respondents acknowledged that genetic inheritance could cause dental disease, while 21.4% disagreed, and 18.4% did not know. Finally, 74.9% of the respondents knew that trauma to the teeth could cause dental disease, while only 9.3% thought that trauma could not cause illness to the teeth. Regarding attitude to dental care, 232 (54%) respondents agreed that visiting the dentist was necessary, while 164 (38.1%) strongly agreed. Only eight (1.9%) strongly disagreed, while five (1.2%) disagreed that visiting the dentist was necessary. Moreover, 82% of the respondents agreed that bad breath was associated with poor dental care, with 195 (45.3%) respondents strongly agreeing and 158 (36.7%) agreeing. However, 37 (8.6%) disagreed, and 16 (3.7%) strongly disagreed, while 24 (5.6%) were indifferent. As regards practice, most respondents used the up-down technique when brushing their teeth (62.8%), while 17.4% brushed left-right and 19.8% used both methods. Moreover, 67.4% of the respondents brushed twice daily, 26.5% brushed once daily, and only 6.1% brushed after every meal. About half of the students spent one to three minutes brushing their teeth (50.5%), while the other half spent more time. Over half of the students replaced their toothbrushes every three months (57.7%), with the most common reason for replacement being the fraying of bristles. However, the use of dental floss was found to be low. Conclusion The utilization of dental care facilities was low among most University of Calabar students, who did not see the need for dental clinic visits unless they had dental needs. The lack of dental visits was attributed to perceived high dental costs and a lack of time. Targeted interventions and educational programs that address these barriers could promote better oral hygiene practices among the students.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of medical and dental students about maintaining and disinfecting toothbrushes

INTRODUCTION

Proper toothbrush care and maintenance play an important role in oral health. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice of medical and dental students regarding the maintenance and disinfection of toothbrushes.

METHOD

This cross-sectional descriptive study examined 824 medical and dental students of Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire and analysed using chi-square test and independent t-test. The level of statistical significance was considered to be <0.05.

RESULTS

Nearly 63.7% of the students had a good level of knowledge regarding toothbrush maintenance, 62.2% had a positive attitude toward toothbrush care, and 53.7% had a good practice. The mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice were significantly higher in dental, clinical, and female students as compared to medical, preclinical, and male students, respectively. Based on the results, about 54.3% of the students kept their toothbrushes outside the bathroom; 68% kept them vertically with the bristles upright; and 54% kept them in a separate container. Also, 50.6% of the students believed that toothbrush disinfection was necessary, while 31.9% believed that only certain groups of people needed toothbrush disinfection.

CONCLUSION

This study indicated the moderate level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of medical and dental students in maintaining and disinfecting their toothbrushes. The students' oral health habits were also at a moderate level; therefore, further improvements seem essential. To achieve this goal, educational intervention programs need to be developed in the future.

Risk indicators for dental caries, and gingivitis among 6-11-year-old children in Nigeria: a household-based survey

Background

There is little is known about the factors associated with caries experience and gingivitis among 6–11-year-old children in Nigeria. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and preventive oral health behaviors associated with caries and gingivitis among 6–11-year-old children in Nigeria.

Methods

A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. The dependent variables were caries and gingivitis. The dmft/DMFT index was used to assess dental caries experience (present or absent) and caries severity. The gingival index was used to assess the prevalence (present or absent) and severity of gingivitis (healthy gingiva/mild gingivitis versus moderate/severe gingivitis). The independent variables were preventive oral health behaviors (frequency of daily tooth brushing, frequency of consumption of refined carbohydrates in-between-meals, use of fluoridated toothpaste, and use of dental floss, history of dental service utilization). A series of logistic regression analysis models were constructed to determine the associations between the dependent and independent variables after adjusting for confounders (age, sex, and socioeconomic status).

Results

There were 69 (5.2%) children with caries. The mean (standard deviation) dmft was 0.08 (0.457) and the mean DMFT was 0.02 (0.159). There were 839 (63.3%) children with gingivitis with a mean (SD) gingival index score of 0.503 (0.453). Children who seldom or never used fluoride toothpaste had significantly higher odds of developing moderate to severe gingivitis (AOR; 1.671; 95% CI: 1.003–2.786; p = 0.049). Children with middle socio-economic status had significantly lower odds of developing moderate to severe gingivitis (AOR: 0.573; 95%CI: 0.330–0.994; p = 0.048). There were no risk indicators identified for caries.

Conclusion

The prevalence of dental caries was low while the prevalence of gingivitis was high in the study population. The daily used of fluoridated toothpaste seem to reduce the risk for moderate/severe gingivitis. Further studies are needed to understand these findings.

Oral self-care behavior and its influencing factors in a sample of school children from Central Iran

BACKGROUND

Oral health is an important part of public health and crucial to health promotion and enhancing the quality of life. This research examined childhood oral self-care behavior and their related factors using extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).

METHOD

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 368 sixth-grade elementary school students in Saveh city, Iran, in 2019. The students were selected using a random multi-stage sampling method. The instrument included the socio-demographic questions, TPB constructs, and action and coping plan items. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (Version 21) at alpha level p ≤ 0.05.

RESULT

Overall, 24 (6.6%) students have never used toothbrushes, 222 (62.7%) have never used dental floss, and 298 (82.7%) students have never used mouthwash. The stepwise multiple linear regression analysis results indicated that the TPB with action and coping planning constructs had better predictive power than the original model. In the final model, coping planning (β = .28), intention (β = .24), action planning (β = .23), and perceived behavior control (β = .15) were the most important predictors of oral self-care behavior.

CONCLUSION

The results indicated that the oral self-care behavior status in Iranian elementary students was not favorable, and the extended model of the TPB with action and coping plan constructs were significant predictors of self-care behavior. Therefore, these findings emphasize the need for expanding educational interventions based on the extended model of the TPB to improve the oral self-care behavior of students.

Epidemiological profile of early childhood caries in a sub-urban population in Nigeria

Background

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and severity of early childhood caries (ECC) in children 6–71-months; identify the teeth most at risk for ECC; and identify risk indicators associated with significant caries index (SiC) score in different age groups.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study that collected data (using a household survey) on the ECC risk indicators (frequency of tooth brushing, consumption of refined carbohydrate in-between-meals, daily use of fluoridated toothpaste, and dental service utilization in the 12 months) in Ile-Ife, Nigeria. We computed the prevalence of ECC using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDASI (d^1–6)) index; caries severity using the ICDAS-2(d^1–2) and ICDAS-3(d^3–6) for non-cavitated and cavitated lesions respectively, decayed missing, filled teeth (dmft), and surfaces (dmfs) and SiC indices; and caries complications using the pulp (p), ulceration (u), fistula (f) and abscesses (a) (pufa) index, for children 6–11-months-old, 12–23-months-old, 23–35-months-old, 35–47-months-old; 48–59-months-old and 60–71-months-old. The differences in the mean dmft, dmfs, pufa scores, and ICDAS 1, 2, and 3 scores, and proportion of children with each ECC risk indicator were computed. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk indicators for the ECC SiC index score for each age group.

Results

The prevalence of ECC was 4.7%: 2.9% had non-cavitated lesions and 2.8% had cavitated lesions. The mean (SD) dmft, dmfs and pufa scores were 0.13 (0.92), 0.24 (1.91) and 0.04 (0.46) respectively. The dmft and dmfs scores were highest among the 24–35-months-olds while the SiC score was highest among the 12–23-months-olds. There were no significant differences in dmft, dmfs, and pufa scores between the different age groups. Toothbrushing more than once a day was the only factor associated with the SiC score: it decreases the odds for the SiC score in children 48–59-months-old. The teeth worst affected by ECC were #85 and #61.

Conclusion

The prevalence, severity and risk indicator for ECC seems to differ for each age group. The granular details on the risk profile of children with ECC in this population with a low ECC prevalence and burden can allow for the planning of age-targeted interventions.

Oral health practices and oral hygiene status as indicators of suicidal ideation among adolescents in Southwest Nigeria

Background

Oral health is a less-recognized correlate of overall and mental wellbeing. This study aimed to assess the relationship between suicidal behavior (ideation and attempt) and oral health practices and status, and to determine the effect of sex on these associations among Nigerian adolescents.

Methods

Household survey data were collected from 10 to 19-year-old adolescents in southwestern Nigeria. Dependent variables were daily tooth brushing, daily consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals, and oral hygiene status (measured by plaque index). The independent variable was lifetime suicidal ideation/attempt, dichotomized into ‘yes’ and ‘never’. ‘Daily tooth brushing’ and ‘daily consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals’ were included in two separate logistic regression models, and ‘oral hygiene status’ was included in a linear regression model. The models were adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic status. The linear regression model was also adjusted for frequency of daily tooth-brushing and of consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals. Interactions between sex and suicidal ideation/suicide attempt in association with dependent variables were assessed. Significance was set at 5%.

Results

We recruited 1,472 participants with mean age (standard deviation) of 14.6 (2.6) years. The mean plaque index was 0.84 (0.56), and 66 (4.5%) adolescents reported ever having suicidal ideation/attempt. Suicidal ideation/attempt was associated with significantly lower likelihood of tooth brushing (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.91), higher likelihood of consuming refined carbohydrates between meals (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.29, 4.10), and having poor oral hygiene (B = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.32). Among males, suicidal ideation/attempt was associated with less likelihood of eating refined carbohydrates between meals (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.35, 2.61). Conversely, it was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of this outcome (OR = 4.85, 95% CI: 2.23, 10.55) among females.

Conclusion

The study findings suggest that poor tooth brushing habits and poor oral hygiene are indicators for risk of suicidal behavior for adolescents in Nigeria, while high sugar consumption may be an additional risk factor for adolescent females. These findings support the role of dental practitioners as members of healthcare teams responsible for screening, identifying and referring patients at risk for suicidal ideation/attempt.

Association between water, sanitation, general hygiene and oral hygiene practices of street-involved young people in Southwest Nigeria

Background

Oral hygiene practices can be linked to personal hygiene practices, including access to water and other sanitation facilities. The objective of the study was to determine if there is an association between oral hygiene practices and water and sanitation hygiene (WASH) practices among street-involved young people (SIYP).

Methods

A cross-sectional study recruited SIYP age 10–24 years in two States in Nigeria recruited through respondent-driven sampling in December 2018. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect data on water access, sanitation, personal and oral hygiene. The instruments used for collecting the data were standardized tools for measuring the phenomena studied. The association between knowledge and practice of oral hygiene; oral hygiene and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); and indicators of good oral hygiene were determined using binary logistic regression guided by two models.

Results

A total of 845 study participants were recruited. The proportion of SIYP with good knowledge of oral hygiene was low (31.2%), and fewer had good oral hygiene practice (8.9%). There were significant associations between knowledge and practice of tooth cleaning, use of fluoride-containing toothpaste, dental flossing, consumption of sugar between meals, and frequency of dental check-ups (p < 0.001 respectively). Respondents with good water collection and storage practices (AOR: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.24–3.24; P = 0.005) and those residing in Lagos (AOR: 2.85; 95% CI: 1.61–5.06; P = 0.001) had a higher likelihood of having good oral hygiene.

Conclusion

Good oral hygiene practices of SIYP in Nigeria is associated with access to water collection and storage. WASH programs can have an impact on health through improved oral hygiene practices.

Determinants of oral self-care in the Brazilian adult population: a national cross-sectional study

This study aims to investigate variables related to adherence to oral self-care in the Brazilian adult population. It is an exploratory study, using secondary data from a population-based survey on a representative sample of the adult population of the entire Brazilian territory (n=60202). The sample was selected using a multiple stage approach. The oral self-care indicator was defined by grouping the variables: periodicity of dentist appointments, use of dental floss, toothbrush and toothpaste, frequency of brushing and replacement of the toothbrush. The scores obtained from the indicator were categorized into adequate, partially adequate, and inadequate care. Statistical analysis consisted of dimensionality reduction, and oral self-care-related variables were submitted to logistic regression. The variables mostly related to inadequate or partially adequate oral self-care were: illiteracy (OR = 11.20, OR = 4.81), low educational level (OR = 3.50, OR = 1.96), negative oral health self-concept (OR=3.73, OR=1.74), absence of natural teeth (OR = 4.98, OR=2.60), edentulous lower arch (OR = 3.09; _____), number of missing upper teeth (OR=1.14, OR=1.05), absence of health insurance (OR=2.23, OR=2.07), sedentary lifestyle (OR=2.77, OR=1.51), and smoking (OR=2.18, OR=1.40). It was concluded that the individual's level of education is one of the main factors for adherence to adequate oral self-care, followed by level of oral health self-concept and tooth loss. Likewise, lifestyle also bears a significant influence.

Oral Hygiene Practices and Teeth Cleaning Techniques Among Medical Students

Objectives

Oral health is essential for general health and quality of life. It is a state of being free from mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral infections and sores, periodontal disease, tooth decay, tooth loss, and other diseases and disorders that limit an individual’s capacity to bite, chew, smile, and speak; it affects psychosocial well-being too. The objective of our study was to assess teeth cleaning techniques and oral hygiene practices among medical students.

Methods

The data of the study were collected in two stages. The first stage involved the administration of a self-constructed questionnaire among medical students. In the second step, the students were asked to demonstrate their teeth cleaning techniques on a model. A standard teeth cleaning checklist was used to evaluate the students. The students were then given the checklist and a video on teeth cleaning techniques was shown to them. The data obtained was analyzed on IBM's statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 21. 

Results

Out of a total of 444 students, 256 (57.7 percent) were males while 188 (42.3 percent) were females. About 254 (57.2 percent) participants were preclinical medical students while 190 (42.8 percent) were clinical year medical students. A majority of medical students used medium consistency toothbrushes (177; 39.9 percent) and soft consistency toothbrushes (137; 30.9 percent). Most medical students (248; 55.9 percent) brushed two times a day while 163 (36.7 percent) brushed only one time. About 212 (47.7 percent) of the medical students used mouthwash along with a toothbrush while only 36 (8.1 percent) used floss along with a toothbrush. About 157 participants (35.4 percent) changed their toothbrush once in two months while 132 (26.7 percent) changed their toothbrush once in three months. The mean duration that participants brushed their teeth was 134.99 ± 69.01 seconds.

Conclusion

Medical students were found to have a faulty teeth cleaning technique. There is a dire need to spread awareness about correct teeth cleaning techniques because poor oral hygiene can have a detrimental effect on the overall health and quality of life of an individual.

Can undergraduate student learning in prevention influence oral health self-care practices? - a report from a South African University

INTRODUCTION

Student attitudes and behaviour towards their own oral health status could reflect their understanding of the importance of oral health promotive activities.

OBJECTIVES

This was a qualitative and exploratory study designed to gain a deeper understanding of the extent to which the undergraduate curriculum could act as an enabler for student oral health self-care practices.

METHODS

Data collection comprised of document analysis (curriculum review) and in-depth face-to-face interviews with undergraduate dental therapy and oral health students and academic staff at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Ten students volunteered to participate in the study while five academic staff were purposively selected. A separate interview schedule was developed for students and staff, respectively. The emergent themes from document analysis were compared to the analysed data from the interviews.

RESULTS

The curriculum was underpinned by a strong foundation in prevention, and there was consensus among respondents that the curriculum met the needs for undergraduate training in preventive dentistry. The following themes emerged from data analysis: curriculum support for self-care practices; depth and scope of clinical training; role of clinical supervisors and challenges in clinical training. Respondents agreed that the curriculum could influence students' attitudes towards self-care practices such as toothbrushing and flossing but that academic responsibilities and clinical contact time placed constraints on these practices.

CONCLUSION

The undergraduate curriculum does provide support for enabling student knowledge acquisition and positive attitudes, but more effort is required to enable oral health behavioural modifications among students.

Using smartphone video "selfies" to monitor change in toothbrushing behavior after a brief intervention: A pilot study

BACKGROUND

Attempts to refine toothbrushing (TB) technique, an ingrained habit in adults, can meet with some challenges. Recently, the role of proactive interference as a barrier to improving the learning of proper brushing has been proposed. This pilot feasibility study was designed to investigate TB behavior and to see how it changes after training. Smartphone video "selfies" (SPVSs) are increasingly being used in the medical field to assess, monitor, and determine the progression of diseases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We used SPVS to study TB skills in a small sample of volunteers. Over a period of 14 days, after a one-time group training session, we observed TB behavior of volunteers using self-captured SPVS.

RESULTS

Following the brief intervention, we observed an 8% of improvement in TB skills.

DISCUSSION

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report using SPVS to study TB behavior. We demonstrated initial feasibility of using SPVS in the dental setting. We observed modest improvements in toothbrushing accuracy and quality, and we generated important experiences about the use of Selfies for TB monitoring and intervention, and some interesting insights about where in the toothbrushing is more or less effective.

CONCLUSION

Further investigation using a larger sample size is needed to thoroughly assess the effectiveness of this approach to improve TB skills and better understand the role of proactive interference.

Awareness, utilization, and determinants of using oral diseases prevention methods among Saudi adults - a clinic-based pilot study

OBJECTIVES

The present study was conducted to assess the level of awareness and utilization of methods to prevent oral diseases among a group of adult Saudis.

METHODOLOGY

An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was distributed to patients visiting the clinics of the College of Dentistry, University of Dammam in 2015. The questionnaire assessed the background of the respondents, their dental history, awareness and use of a number of methods available to prevent oral diseases, sources of information about these methods and barriers against their use. Regression analysis was used to assess the factors affecting the use of these practices.

RESULTS

Brushing was reported to be used by about 60% of respondents whereas fluoride and sealant were less prevalent (≤30%). Dentist was the most frequently reported source of information about preventive methods (60%) and about 40% cited cost and time as the main reasons why they did not use these preventive methods. Awareness and age were associated with using a greater number of the various preventive methods (odds regression coefficient ratio= 0.27 and 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Use of preventive methods is not prevalent among Saudi adults and it can be improved by more intensive efforts to increase the awareness of these methods, primarily through dentists.

Association between knowledge of caries preventive practices, preventive oral health habits of parents and children and caries experience in children resident in sub-urban Nigeria

Background

The objectives of this study were to assess the association between children and parents’ knowledge of caries preventive practices, the parents’ caries preventive oral health behaviours and children’s caries preventive oral health behaviour and caries experience.

Method

Three hundred and twenty four participants aged 8–12 years, 308 fathers and 318 mothers were recruited through a household survey conducted in Suburban Nigeria. A questionnaire was administered to generate information on fathers, mothers and children’s knowledge of caries prevention measures and their oral health behaviour. Clinical examination was conducted on the children to determine their dmft/DMFT. Analysis was conducted to determine the predictors of the children’s good oral health behaviour.

Result

The mothers’ oral health behaviours were significant predictors of the children’s oral health behaviours. Children who had good knowledge of caries prevention measures had significant increased odds of brushing their teeth twice daily or more. The children’s caries prevalence was 13.9%, the mean dmft was 0.2 and the mean DMFT was 0.09. None of the dependent variables could predict the presence of caries in children.

Conclusion

The study highlights the effect of maternal oral health behaviour on the oral health behaviour of children aged 8 years to 12 years in suburban Nigeria. A pilot study is needed to evaluate how enhanced maternal preventive oral health practices can improve the oral health preventive practices of children.

A knowledge, attitude, and practices study regarding dental floss among dentists in India

Objectives:

To assess the knowledge, attitude, self-reported practices, and prescription patterns regarding dental floss amongst a select population of dentists in India.

Materials and Methods:

A pretested 30-item questionnaire was self-administered by authors to the dental faculty and postgraduate students in dental schools in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). Nine dental institutes were selected by simple random sampling procedure among 15 institutions and a total of 255 dentists were included in the study.

Statistical Analysis:

The data obtained were analyzed by SPSS version 18. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies were calculated and Pearson's Chi-square test was used with P value fixed at 0.05.

Results:

There was lack of adequate knowledge regarding dental floss, among dentists in India. 78% of the dentists responded that the routine use of dental floss was necessary for good periodontal health. Majority of the dentists cited lack of awareness, availability, and cost as the major factors affecting floss usage. Lack of training in the dental education programs may have an impact on the prescription patterns as well. 15.3% of those surveyed do not use floss at all. 63.9% of the dentists prescribed floss routinely to their patients and considered factors like education, occupation, and socioeconomic status of the patient before prescribing dental floss.

Conclusion:

Health education programs regarding dental floss are necessary to create awareness among the general population and adequate training at undergraduate level is also essential to increase the prescription practices. Dentists should practice recommended oral self-care and act as role models.

Oral health behaviors in a sample of portuguese adolescents: an educational issue

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of oral health behaviors among a sample of Portuguese adolescents and to evaluate the association with socio-demographic factors.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted among 447 adolescents aged 12-19 years, attending a public school in Sátão, Portugal. A self-administered questionnaire was applied for data collection.

RESULTS

The prevalence of tooth brushing (twice-a-day or more) was 90.6%. About 6% of adolescents reported daily flossing, which was more frequent among female gender (female, OR=2.03, 95%CI= (1.35 to 3.05)) and adolescents older than 15 years (>15years, OR=1.90, 95%CI= (1.24 to 2.92)). Sixty-seven percent had at least one dental appointment in the previous twelve months. The prevalence of dental appointments was associated with the father´s professional situation (unemployed, OR=0.33, 95% CI= (0.17 to 0.65)) and crowding index (>1, OR=0.4, 95%CI=(0.16 to 0.98)). Thirty-two point nine percent of adolescents referred having at least one episode of dental pain during their lives.

CONCLUSION

The results highlight the need for improvement of oral health community programs and primary preventive strategies to reduce the risk of oral diseases and develop better oral health behaviours.

Preventive oral health practices of school pupils in Southern Nigeria

Background

One of the goals of the World Health Organisation goal is to ensure increased uptake of preventive oral self-care by 2020. This would require the design public health programmes that will ensure children place premium on preventive oral health care uptake. One effort in that direction is the need for countries to define baseline measures on use of preventive oral self-care measures by their population as well as identify factors that impact on its use. This study aims to determine the prevalence and the impact of age and sex on the use of recommended oral self-care measures by pupils in Southern Nigeria.

Methods

Pupils age 8 to 16 years (N = 2,676) in two urban sites in Southern Nigeria completed a questionnaire about recommended oral self-care (use of fluoridated toothpaste, flossing, regularity of consuming sugary snacks between main meals), time of the last dental check-up and cigarette smoking habit. Chi square was used to test association between age (8-10years, 11–16 years), sex, and use of recommended oral self-care. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of use of recommended oral self-care.

Results

Only 7.8% of the study population practiced the recommended oral self-care. Older adolescents had an 8.0% increased odds (OR: 1.08; CI:0.81–1.43; p = 0.61) and males had a 20.0% decreased odds (OR: 0.80; CI:0.60-1.06; p = 0.12) of practicing recommended oral self-care though observed differences were not statistically significant. Very few respondents (12.7%) had visited the dental clinic for a check-up in the last one year. Majority of the respondents (92.2%) were non-smokers.

Conclusions

The use of a combination of oral self-care approaches was very low for this study population. Age and sex were predictive factors for the use of components of the oral self-care measures but not significant predictors of use of recommended oral self-care. Future studies would be required to understand ‘why’ and ‘how’ age and sex impacts on the use of caries preventive oral self-care measures to be able to design effective prevention educational programmes for the study population.