Evaluation of Oral Health Awareness and Dental Fear Levels of Dentistry Students

Year 2024, Volume: 34 Issue: 1, 40 - 46, 18.01.2024

Sevim Atılan Yavuz Zeyneb Merve Özdemir Derya Sürmelioğlu

https://doi.org/10.5152/CRDS.2024.23275

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the oral health awareness and fear levels of students enrolled in the Faculty of Dentistry at Gaziantep University, based on their education and training program.
Methods: The current study involved 381 participants, comprising 247 females and 134 males, from the Faculty of Dentistry at Gaziantep University. The Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory and Dental Fear Scale, consisting of 20 questions each, were administered to the stu- dents, and their responses were recorded. The data were analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis and all pairwise tests, and statistical significance was determined at a level of P < .05.
Results: A significant difference was found between first-fourth, second-fourth, and second-third grades when compared in terms of the 17th question on the Dental Fear Scale (P < .05). According to Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory, there was a significant difference between the general Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory scores between the fifth grade and all other grades (P < .05).
Conclusion: The students who participated in the study displayed high oral health attitude and behavior scores. Furthermore, the educational process played a positive role in the development of clinical students, as they demonstrated improved dental fear and individual oral health atti- tudes and behaviors compared to their preclinical counterparts.
Keywords: Dental fear scale, dental student, hiroshima university dental behavior inventory

ÖZ
Amaç: Bu çalışmada Gaziantep Üniversitesi Diş Hekimliği Fakültesi öğrencilerinin ağız sağlığı bilincinin ve korku seviyelerinin eğitim-öğretim programına göre karşılaştırmalı değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır.
Yöntemler: Çalışmaya Gaziantep Üniversitesi Diş Hekimliği Fakültesi’nden 247’si kız 134’ü erkek olmak üzere 381 öğrenci dâhil edilmiştir. Öğrencilerin 20 sorudan oluşan Hiroşima Üniversitesi Dental Davranış Envanteri (HU-DBI) ile Dental Korku Skalası (DKS) anketini cevaplandırmaları istendi ve veriler kaydedildi. İstatistiksel analiz için Kruskal Wallis ve All pairwise testleri kullanıldı. Anlamlılık P < .05 düzeyinde değerlendirilmiştir.
Bulgular: Dental Korku Skalası 17. soru açısından karşılaştırıldığında 1. ile 4., 2. ile 4. ve 2. ile 3. sınıf- lar arası anlamlı fark bulunmuştur (p < 0.05), Hiroşima Üniversite Dental Davranış Envanteri’ne göre ise 5. sınıf ile diğer tüm sınıflar arası genel Hiroşima Üniversitesi Dental Davranış Envanteri skorları arasında anlamlı fark tespit edilmiştir (P < .05).
Sonuç: Araştırmaya katılan öğrencilerin ağız sağlığı tutum ve davranışları Hiroşima Üniversitesi Dental Davranış Envanteri skorları bazında genel olarak yüksek bulundu. Öğrencilerin eğitim aldık- ları süreç göz önünde bulundurulduğunda klinik öğrencileri preklinik öğrencilerinden hem dental korku hem de bireysel ağız sağlığı tutum ve davranışları açısından olumlu yönde gelişmektedir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Dental korku skalası, diş hekimliği öğrencileri, hiroşima üniversitesi dental davranış envanteri

Keywords

Dental fear scale, dental student, hiroshima university dental behavior inventory

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