Diş Hekimliği Öğrencilerinde Yağ ile Ağız Çalkalama (Oil Pulling) Yöntemine Yönelik Bilgi, Tutum ve Uygulamaların Değerlendirilmesi: Kesitsel Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Amaç Yağ ile ağız çalkalama (YAÇ), son yıllarda tamamlayıcı ağız sağlığı uygulamaları arasında yeniden ilgi gören geleneksel bir Ayurveda ağız hijyeni yöntemidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, diş hekimliği öğrencilerinin YAÇ yöntemine ilişkin bilgi, tutum ve uygulama (BTU) düzeylerini değerlendirmek ve klinik ile preklinik dönem öğrencileri arasındaki farkları karşılaştırmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntemler Bu kesitsel çalışma, Ankara Medipol Üniversitesi Diş Hekimliği Fakültesi'nde öğrenim gören 239 öğrenci üzerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Katılımcılar 130 klinik dönem (4. ve 5. sınıf) ve 109 preklinik dönem (3. sınıf) öğrencisinden oluşmuştur. Veriler, önceki çalışmalardan uyarlanmış ve ön değerlendirmesi yapılmış BTU anketi ile toplanmıştır. İstatistiksel analizlerde IBM SPSS programı kullanılmış; tanımlayıcı istatistikler ve Monte Carlo Exact Testi uygulanmıştır. Bulgular Katılımcıların 178'i kadın, 61'i erkek olup yaş ortalaması 22,38 ± 1,81 yıldır. Öğrencilerin %36,4'ü (n = 87) YAÇ yöntemi hakkında bilgi sahibi olduğunu belirtmiştir. Klinik ve preklinik öğrenciler arasında farkındalık açısından anlamlı fark bulunmamıştır (p = 0,279). Buna karşın, klinik öğrenciler diş hekimlerinin hastalara YAÇ yöntemini önermesi gerektiği görüşüne anlamlı düzeyde daha fazla katılmıştır (p=0,041). İlgili anket maddesine olumlu yanıt veren katılımcıların %95,4'ünün yağın işlem sonrasında yutulması gerektiğini düşündüğü belirlendi. Sonuç Diş hekimliği öğrencilerinde YAÇ yöntemine ilişkin farkındalık ve uygulama düzeyi sınırlı olup, yöntemin doğru uygulanmasına ilişkin önemli bilgi yanlışları bulunmaktadır. Tamamlayıcı ağız hijyeni yöntemlerine ilişkin kanıta dayalı bilgilerin diş hekimliği eğitimine entegre edilmesi öğrencilerin bilgi düzeyini ve klinik bakış açısını geliştirebilir.

Keywords

• Ağız Sağlığı Davranışları
• Diş Hekimliği Öğrencileri
• Kesitsel Çalışma
• Tamamlayıcı Tedaviler
• Yağ Çekme

Supporting Institution

Bu çalışma, Türkiye Bilim ve Teknolojik Araştırma Konseyi (TÜBİTAK) tarafından 2209-A Üniversite Öğrenci Araştırma Projeleri Destek Programı (Proje No: 1919B012462062) kapsamında desteklenmiştir. Sorumlu yazar, projeye akademik danışman olarak katkıda bulunmuştur.

Project Number

1919B012462062

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Ankara Medipol University (Decision No: 1; Date: 06 January 2026). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. A digital copy of the ethics committee approval document has been uploaded separately during the submission process.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Oil Pulling Among Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objectives Oil pulling (OP) is a traditional Ayurvedic oral hygiene practice that has recently gained renewed interest as a complementary approach to oral health. This study aimed to evaluate dental students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding OP and to compare awareness between clinical and preclinical students. Material and Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among 239 dental students at Ankara Medipol University, including 130 clinical (4th & 5th year) and 109 preclinical (3rd year) students. Data was collected using a pre-validated KAP questionnaire adapted from previous studies. Statistical analyses were performed using a software with descriptive statistics and the Monte Carlo Exact Test. Results The participants comprised 178 females and 61 males, with a mean age of 22.38 ± 1.81 years. Overall, 36.4% (n = 87) of the students reported being aware of OP. No statistically significant difference in awareness was found between clinical and preclinical students (p = 0.279). However, clinical students were significantly more likely to agree that dentists should encourage patients to use oil pulling (p = 0.041). Among participants who responded positively to the relevant questionnaire item, 95.4% incorrectly believed that the oil should be swallowed after the procedure. Conclusion Dental students demonstrated limited awareness and practice of OP, together with important misconceptions regarding its correct application. Incorporating evidence-based information on complementary oral hygiene methods into dental curricula may improve students' knowledge and clinical perspectives.

Keywords

• Complementary Therapies
• Cross-Sectional Study
• Dental Students
• Oil Pulling
• Oral Health Practices

Supporting Institution

This study was supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) under the 2209-A University Students Research Projects Support Programme (Project No: 1919B012462062). The corresponding author contributed to the project as an academic advisor.

Project Number

1919B012462062

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Ankara Medipol University (Decision No: 1; Date: 06 January 2026). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. A digital copy of the ethics committee approval document has been uploaded separately during the submission process.

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