Oral hygiene practices and knowledge among residents of the trans-varuna region (India): A hospital-based study

Abstract

Background: Periodontal diseases are considered to be the most prevalent chronic infectious disease of the gums. Aim: The present study was conducted to assess the awareness and practices on oral hygiene and its association with the sociodemographic factors among patients attending the general Outpatient Department (OPD) of the Faculty of Dental Sciences, BHU, Varanasi, India. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 526 patients attending the general OPD of the Faculty of Dental Sciences, BHU, Varanasi, India, from September 2017 to November 2017. The study tool was a predesigned and pretested semi-structured schedule. Data entry was done in Microsoft Excel sheets and analyzed using SPSS 16 (SPSS Inc. Released 2007, SPSS for Windows Version 16.0., SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Descriptive statistics and Chi-square analysis were used. Results: About 87.1% of the participants used a toothbrush with toothpaste as a method of cleaning their teeth; 21.7% brushed their teeth twice daily; and very few were using floss or other interdental cleaning aids. About 52.5% of the people visited the dentist due to pain and only 21.7% visited for checkup in the past 1–5 years. Most of the people admitted to the fact that oral health affects general health. Conclusion: Oral health awareness and practices among the study population were poor and need improvement.

Keywords

• Awareness
• oral hygiene
• sociodemographic factors