Oral Hygiene Habits and Knowledge Among Dentistry Students and Patients: A Questionnaire Study

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to compare oral hygiene habits, awareness, and knowledge among dental students and patients. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University, Faculty of Dentistry. The study included 266 participants divided into groups of dental students (n=133) and patients (n=133). A structured questionnaire with 63 multiple-choice questions covering demographic information, oral hygiene habits, awareness, and knowledge about dental care was used. All the statistical analyses, including chi-square tests and independent sample t-tests, were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 26.0). Statistical significance was defined as p<0.05. Results: There were significant differences in tooth brushing frequency, brushing time, toothpaste type, tooth brushing technique, product used for dentures, and frequency of toothbrush replacement between dental students and patients (p<0.05). There was a significant difference between the groups in terms of when the first visit to the dentist occurred, how frequently the dentist was visited, and under what circumstances the dentist was visited (p<0.05). There were significant differences in knowledge regarding the initiating factors and important symptoms of periodontal disease, methods used to prevent periodontal disease, effects of smoking, systemic conditions, and the sufficiency of tooth brushing alone (p<0.05). Conclusions: Dental students did not have the same level of oral hygiene habits as shown by the high proportion of correct answers to questions about periodontal diseases and oral hygiene habits. Dentists should increase patients’ knowledge about oral hygiene and periodontal disease.

Keywords

• Oral hygiene
• questionnaire
• periodontal health

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