Open Access
Subscription Access
Open Access
Subscription Access
Dental Knowledge and Awareness of Oral Hygiene among Medical Undergraduates at a Tertiary Care Hospital
Subscribe/Renew Journal
An increasing proportion of the population is medically compromised. Dental & medical staff need to communicate and cooperate to render these patients the best possible health care.
Objective: The aim of this survey was to investigate the level of dental knowledge and awareness of oral care habits in undergraduate medical students from three clinical years of the medical curriculum.
Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted and the data was recorded through a close ended structured and self administered questionnaire consisting of socio demographic data, questions on dental knowledge and awareness of oral hygiene habits in a small group of pre-doctoral students of M.B.B.S at S.S. Medical College, Rewa.
Results: 130 students participated in the survey who returned completed questionnaires after answering, with a high response rate ( 98.4%). Three-fourths (73%) of the subjects were females. 97% of the under graduates believed that removal of a tooth causes no ill effects on vision. 90% of the students were rightly aware of the fact that dental caries was the most common oral disease and most of them responded well on questions regarding prevention and treatment of dental caries. 93.8% students considered tooth brushing as the most effective cleaning aid and 73.8% of the participants believed that brushing should be done after every meal. 93.8% subjects recommended 6 monthly dental check ups.
Conclusion: In general, students had a moderate level of dental knowledge and reported good oral hygiene habits. Findings justify the inclusion of oral health in medical curriculum.
Keywords
- Tuti NMD, Shahida MS, Zamirah ZA.Dental knowledge and self-reported oral care practices among medical, pharmacy and nursing students. Journal SainsKesihatan Malaysia 2009;7(1):13-23.
- Leonard A Cohen, Richard J Manski. Visit to nondentist health care providers for dental problems. Health ServicesResearch 2006;38(8):556-64.
- Ishmael Bruc. Manual of integrating oral health inprimary health care in Ghana, Basic oral health care services. Canadian Association of Public Health Dentistry, 2003, reprinted from Ghana Medical Journal.
- N Retna Kumari,S Sheela, PN Sarada. Knowledge and attitude on infant oral health among graduating medical students in Kerala. Journal of Indian Society Pedodontics & Preventive Dentistry, 2006; 24(4): 73-176.
- Pyle MA, Terezhalmy GT. Oral disease in the geriatric patient: the physician’s role. Cleve Clin J Med 1995;62:218-26.
- Venugopal T, Kulkarni VS, Neruker RA, Patnekar PN. Role of pediatricians in dental caries. Indian J Pediatr 1998;65:85-8.
- Sumi Y, Nakamura Y, Nagosa, et al. Attitudes to oral care among caregivers in Japanese nursing homes. Gerodontology 2001;18(1):1-6.
- Radha G, Shaik Hyder Ali KH, Pushpanjali K. Knowledge and attitude and practice of oral health among nursing staff and nursing students of Bangalore city. Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry 2008;(11):17-21.
- Graham, E., Negron, R., Domoto, P. & Milgrom, P. 2003. Children’s oral health in the medical curriculum: a collaborative intervention at a university-affiliated hospital. J.Dent. Edu. 67(3): 338-347.
- Honkala S, Honkala E, Rimpelä A, Vikat A: Oral hygiene instructions and dietary sugar advice received by adolescents in 1989 and 1997. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2002;30: 124–132.
- Rimondini L, Zolfanelli B, Bernardi F, Bez C: Selfpreventive oral health behavior in an Italian university student population. J Clin Periodontol 2001;28:207–211.
- Jagadish Chandra, Chandu GN, Prashant GM, et al. Dental awareness and attitudes of medical practitioners of Davangere city. Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry 2006;8: 38-43.
- Elderton RJ: Overtreatment with restorative dentistry: When to intervene? Int Dent J 1993;43:17–24.
Abstract Views: 595
PDF Views: 0