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Dental health attitudes and behavior among dental students in Jordan
Abstract
Examine and compare differences in oral health attitudes and behaviour among Jordanian dental students. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional study of 314 dental students was conducted to compare differences in oral health behaviour and attitudes among these students in different levels of academic education.
Jordan University of Science and Technology.
Subjects were surveyed using a modified version of the Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory (HU-DBI) questionnaire (20 Items). Multivariate binary and polytomous logistic regression analyses were performed in order to study change of patterns of statements during preclinical and clinical, and year of study, respectively.
The percentage of students claiming to brush their teeth twice daily or more often was four times higher amongst clinical students than amongst pre-clinical students.. The odds of visiting a dentist only in case of toothache was reduced by a factor of more than three among clinical year students (OR 0.30, 95% CI 0.15-0.61). Clinical year students rarely complained of bleeding gums after toothbrushing (OR 0.10, 95% CI 0.03-0.27). On the other hand, a number of items regarding use of dental floss and tooth paste, bad breath, colour and appearance of teeth, and cigarette smoking was similar between preclinical and clinical students. Evaluation of trends during dental studies employing polytomous multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed an abrupt change at the end of preclinical studies for items characterizing professional attitude.
With advancement in dental school, dental student's oral health awareness and attitudes improved in some aspects. Preventive dentistry courses should be taught early in the dental curriculum of the pre-clinical years.
... These results are in the same line with other studies. 16,17,18 A study reported advancement in dental students' oral health awareness and attitudes among clinical year students. 16 Another study also reported that dental education had a significant positive impact on the oral health and behavior improvement. ...
... 16,17,18 A study reported advancement in dental students' oral health awareness and attitudes among clinical year students. 16 Another study also reported that dental education had a significant positive impact on the oral health and behavior improvement. 17 For bleeding on probing index, the study showed that most of subjects had different percentages of BOP with the highest value found in second year students that reached 55%. ...
Background and objective: Gingival inflammation in response to bacterial plaque accumulation is considered the key risk factor for the onset of periodontitis. Dental students should present to patients as good role models in their oral health behavior. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of plaque-induced gingivitis among dental students in Hawler Medical University, College of Dentistry. Method: The study enrolled 120 (65 male, 55 female) dental students from different years of study including both clinical and preclinical years. Intra-oral clinical parameters including (plaque index, gingival index, and bleeding on probing) were recorded to evaluate the students’ periodontal health status. Result: The participants showed that the majority of students had fair plaque scores, and significant differences in clinical periodontal parameters between different years of study (P ˂ 0.05). Significant differences were found in regard to bleeding on probing between males and females. All cases of severe gingivitis recorded were males which counted 5.8%, of total cases. Conclusion: Preclinical dental students exhibited slightly higher (plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing) mean scores than clinical students, and more than half of the participants presented with gingivitis, regardless of its severity. Keywords: Plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing, oral health.
... 13 Of the 22 publications, half of the studies reported the oral health attitudes and behavior increased and progressed with the level of study in their dental program. 4,12,[14][15][16]18,19,[23][24][25][26] Another study exhibited weak differences in the improvement of oral hygiene behavior and attitudes between participating preclinical and clinical students, as well as overall poor oral health behavior in both groups. 13 A small number of studies finding highlight the relatively poor oral health behavior, this may be due to the effect of socio-economic status which is a factor affecting the HU-DBI score, as the mean HU-DBI score was low. ...
Dental students will play an important role in educating and promoting oral health. The oral health behavior of dental providers and their attitudes toward their oral health could depict the oral health of their patients. The aim of this study was to review the current studies available on the oral health attitudes and behavior of dental students. A systematic search of original articles was carried out in two databases to write this systematic review. MEDLINE (pubMed) and GOOGLE SCHOLAR. Studies published in the English, Arabic and Indonesian languages up to 31/6/2023 was carried out. Search results were managed through EndNote. The search strategy identified 180 articles (133 from Google Scholar and 47 from PubMed databases), of which 22 articles were included in the analysis after the systematic review process. Study of oral health attitude and behavior based on the Hiroshima University Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI). As a result of variation in the subjects age, measure of outcomes quantitative analysis is not showed. A total of 22 studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies included a total of 7,562 undergraduate dental students and were conducted in 18 countries. The review found that clinical students have good oral health attitudes and behavior compared with preclinical students, showing improvements in oral health attitude and behavior of dental students through the students' educational progress. The improvement in oral health care has been shown to be linked to experience, especially for clinical students that have been in clinical settings. Keywords: attitudes and behaviour; dental students; hiroshima university dental behavioural inventory (hu-dbi); human and health; oral health
... The attitudes of dental students may affect their educational responses and the preventive services they will provide (5). Dental students are required to learn and use these procedures related to oral and dental healthcare during their undergraduate education (6,7,8). ...
Aim: The oral and dental hygiene behaviors of patients are affected by their dentists. Although dental students attend preclinical courses in their first and second years of education, they are expected to be knowledgeable about oral and dental health due to their future position as being role models for patients. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the oral and dental health awareness and oral health habits of preclinical dental students. Material and Methods: 127 preclinical dental students were included in this study. A questionnaire consisting of 39 questions about oral-dental health habits and knowledge levels was prepared. The results were analyzed with the SPSS 22.0 software. A p-value of smaller than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Chi-squared and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: Frequency of daily tooth brushing, gingival bleeding, halitosis, toothpaste preference, satisfaction with tooth color and frequency of dental visits were found to be statistically significant. There was no significant difference between the 1st-year and 2nd-year student groups in terms of their responses to the questions (p> 0.05). A statistically significant difference was found between the male and female groups for their responses to the questions on topics such as toothpaste preference, satisfaction with the color of their teeth, frequency of dental examination, frequency of tooth cleaning and toothbrushing time (p
... Various reports suggest that only a minority of population is compliant flosses on a daily basis. 4 As dental health is vastly an individualized notion, the aim of this study is to prevent, control/arrest oral diseases. The knowledge and practices of dental students toward their oral health care reflect their understanding the importance of dental procedure and improving the oral health of their own, & their families. ...
Objectives: To assist the concept and use of dental floss amongundergraduate dental students of Liaquat University of Medical & Health sciences,Jamshoro. Study Design: Cross-sectional, descriptive case series study. Setting:Institute of Dentistry, Liaquat University of Medical Health, Jamshoro, Pakistan.Period: June 2015 to December 2015. Methodology: In this study 192 studentsof BDS Department, Institute of Dentistry, Liaquat University of Medical & HealthScience, Jamshoro were selected. Questions related to assess the knowledge 87.14%students knew what dental floss was. Results: 74.29% students knew that dentalfloss remove plaque from interdental areas, whereas 25.71% replied don’t know.48.57% of the students thought that dental floss should be customarily used alongwith tooth brushing every day, 24.29% of the students thought that dental floss harmsthe interdental gingiva, whereas majority 40% said that it would not harm the gingiva,35.71% replied don’t know. only 18.57% respondent thought that toothbrushes withadvanced bristles designs would remove interdental plaque similar to dental floss,whereas majority (60%) of the respondent had no any idea about the effectiveness oftwo cleaning methods, practice of using dental floss 18.57% of students use interdentalaids commonly floss and while 81.43% did not use dental floss. 27.14% of the studysubjects use some other interdental aids like tooth picks to clean interdental areas,whereas 72.86% did not follow any other interdental cleaning practice. Conclusion:This study has focused light on the knowledge and practice of interdental aid, sofurther studies are needed. Finally, it could be concluded that awareness regardingdental floss needs to be bolstered in the population as preventive oral health carebehavior.
Background
Numerous investigations have revealed that oral issues are quite common among young Afghans. Knowledge, attitudes, and behavior are the three oral health-related population dimensions that need to be assessed in order to design effective public health awareness programs.
Objective
The study’s goal was to find out how much health professions’ students at Kabul University of Medical Sciences knew about oral health, as well as their attitudes and behaviors toward dental health and oral hygiene routines.
Materials and Methods
From September 2022 to December 2022, cross-sectional research was conducted at Kabul University of Medical Sciences. A total of 496 health professions’ students (312 females and 184 males) aged 18–25 years old from 5 colleges of health and medical-related disciplines were addressed. All participants were given a thorough questionnaire with 30 amended items modified from Peterson et al and Stenberg et al.
Results
44.5% (n=220) of the participants brushed their teeth twice per day, 41.3% (n=204) once per day, and 9.31% (n=46) more than twice per day, while just 4.7% (n=23) cleaned their teeth less than once per day. Surprisingly, the majority of participants (91% or n=451) were aware of the significance of routine dental visits, and 51.3% (n=252) of participants reported visiting the dentist while they experienced pain. 94% of students were of the opinion that brushing their teeth prevents dental decay. 93% (n=461) of them agreed that using fluoride strengthens teeth, and 96% (n=476) said that sweets are bad for teeth.
Conclusion
Oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours are related to an individual’s level of education. Female and generally dental professions’ participants, rather than other health professions participants, were more likely to be concerned about their oral health than male participants.
Aims and Objective
The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge of the females about malocclusion, esthetic appearance, and orthodontic treatment among urban and rural female population.
Materials and Methods
The present study was conducted as a cross-sectional study among the general population of Karnataka, India. A self-administered semistructured questionnaire consisting of a total of 18 questions were used to assess knowledge and awareness about dentist and orthodontist and knowledge about orthodontic treatment among urban and rural female population. The data were entered into Excel and were analyzed using IBM SPSS statistics V. 22.
Results
In the present study, a total of 200 females participated comprising 100 participants in each rural and urban population. When awareness about dentist was assessed, 98% of urban population were aware of difference between general medical and dental profession compared to rural populations (65%). 85% of urban and 68% of rural population believed that healthy and well-arranged teeth are important for the good facial appearance. 45% of urban population and 18% of rural population had knowledge about orthodontic treatment.
Conclusion
There is a moderate level of awareness among the female patients about dentist, orthodontist, and knowledge about irregular teeth. Malocclusion always has an impact on social and psychological behavior of the general population. Hence, there is a need to explore about how individuals perceive and react to malocclusion and also utmost important to create awareness about treatment for malocclusion.
Clinical Significance
At present, orthodontic treatments are commonly recognized as a treatment for malocclusion. The dentists especially orthodontists play a major role in this aspect, and this can be achieved by conducting education programs for patients and having advisory hubs on orthodontic treatment in rural areas, which will discuss benefits and likely complications to spread awareness among public.
Objective
This work aimed to report values regarding oral hygiene habits at home during the pandemic and compare the difference with previous oral hygiene habits.
Methods
This study was performed anonymously and had patients answer an online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 11 closed-answer questions (except 1) concerning oral hygiene habits at home at the time of COVID-19 and participant characteristics, including gender and age. A total of 1,136 questionnaires were filled in via a link sent by email to the patients.
Results
Among the 1,136 patients examined, 32.4% (372) were male and 67.6% (775) were female, and almost half (47.9%) of the patients who answered the questionnaire were aged 18-40 years. Patients who participated in our survey were asked questions related to dental and tongue hygiene. The answers showed that although they had more time during the pandemic, they brushed their teeth less and did not brush their tongues regularly.
Conclusion
Patients with periodontal problems usually have less time for brushing and do not have good plaque control. The questionnaire showed the opposite, such that the patient’s compliance and motivation matters more than time. Thus, dentists and dental hygienists must encourage and make patients understand the importance of oral hygiene at home.
Oral hygiene; Oral health; Patient compliance; Epidemiologic studies; COVID-19; Coronavirus infections; Surveys and questionnaires
Background
Removal of plaque and food particle between teeth represent interdental cleaning. Every patient's self‐care program includes plaque removal efficiently and systematically. Periodontal disease, tooth decay and tooth loss may result from the absence of interdental cleaning or even an irregular and unsuccessful interdental cleaning.
Aim
The aim of the current study was to assess the effect of inter‐dental aids, including dental floss and toothpicks, on gingival and plaque indices.
Methods
A questionnaire including age, gender, education level and other information was obtained from 150 male subjects who were systemically and periodontally healthy. Clinical periodontal parameters (including plaque index and gingival index) were taken from each subject. The participants were categorized into different groups according to the use of inter‐dental aids (dental floss, dental picks and without any interdental aids). The participants were divided into the toothbrush‐alone group, including participants who did not use either dental floss or toothpicks; the dental floss group, including participants who used dental floss; and the toothpick group including participants who used toothpicks. Plaque and gingival indices compared among groups.
Results
Statistical analysis showed that the maximum mean of Plaque index was found in the toothbrush‐alone group (1.09 ± 0.43), while the lowest mean of Plaque index was found in the dental floss group (0.87 ± 0.39). Plaque index of the toothpick group was (0.99 ± 0.41) with statistically significant difference among groups ( p ‐value = 0.04*).
Conclusion
In conclusion, dental floss is the most effective mean of removing interdental plaque.
Background: Improvements in dental health, function, beauty, and self-esteem are widely acknowledged advantages of orthodontic treatment. An economic evaluation of orthodontic treatment forms the basis for decision-making planning and management of dental care. Aim: This study aims to estimate the perception of patients seeking orthodontic treatment categorized according to age, education, and family income and to identify barriers that prevent them from considering treatment. Methodology: Proforma was sent to dental colleges and specific clinics from metro, urban and rural areas across India. 500 patients seeking orthodontic treatment took part in the survey. Data was collected and analyzed statistically. Results: Cost was the main factor, which patients felt was responsible for not completing treatment or preventing them to consider the treatment. All patients felt that a good smile should be included in the Right to Health by Government and steps should be taken to make this treatment accessible for all.
Germany's 2030-oral health agenda incorporates behavioral targets such as twice-daily toothbrushing and routine dental checkups. Given the professional and social roles of dentists in oral health promotion, the oral health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KAB) of dentists and dental students became worth investigation. The present study was designed as a descriptive cross-sectional study that aimed to evaluate oral health KAB of German dental students using the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI). A total of 508 dental students filled in the questionnaire, out of which 74.2% were females, 38.8% were clinical students, 11.4% reported tobacco smoking at least once week, 26.6% reported drinking alcohol at least once a week, and 82.9% reported suffering from problematic internet use. The overall HU-DBI score was high (7.67 ± 1.32), and it was slightly higher among females (7.70 ± 1.33) than males (7.59 ± 1.29), and gender-diverse students (7.33 ± 1.37). Clinical students (7.88 ± 1.26) had a significantly higher HU-DBI score, especially in the domain of oral health behaviors, compared with preclinical students (7.53 ± 1.34). A significant improvement in oral health behaviors and HU-DBI score was found between the third-vs. the fourth year, which corresponds to the period when prophylaxis, hygiene, and periodontology courses are delivered. Tobacco smoking was significantly associated with poor oral health knowledge, behaviors, and overall HU-DBI score. Problematic internet use and alcohol drinking had slightly lower HU-DBI scores. The findings of the present study call for early implementation of preventive dentistry elements in German curricula and addressing oral health needs of gender minorities in Germany by future epidemiologic studies.
The purpose of this study was to examine oral health attitudes/behavior and gingival self-care levels of Korean dental hygiene students (n = 271). A questionnaire known as HU-DBI (Korean version) was administered to each class. Higher scores of the HU-DBI indicate better oral health attitudes/behavior. The student's gingival self-care level was scored as excellent (+2), good (+1), questionable (0), poor (-1), or very poor (-2) according to the criteria of the Oral Rating Index (ORI) for youth. The mean score of the HU-DBI was 6.40, and that of the ORI was +0.12. Most samples scored 0 or +1. The mean HU-DBI scores of year-2 and year-3 students (7.06, and 7.61 respectively) were significantly greater than that of year-1 students (5.23) (P<0.001). Twenty-three percent of the students reported a belief that they may eventually require false teeth. Half stated that they put off going to the dentist until they had toothache. Year-1 students were more likely to have this attitude compared to year-3 students. HU-DBI scores were significantly associated with ORI scores (r = 0.315; P<0.001). The differences in the HU-DBI and ORI scores across the level of education were highly significant.
The oral hygiene levels and behavior in pre-clinical and final-year dental students attending Birmingham University 1977 were investigated. Gingival inflammation, bacterial plaque and calculus accumulations were clinically recorded. Tooth cleaning habits were assessed by a questionnaire. Oral hygiene habits differed between the two groups and an improvement in oral hygiene levels was evident in the final-year students. Statistically significant differences (P is less than 0.05) were found between the plaque index scored of the pre-clinical and final-year students, and for the gingival and calculus index scores of the male students. Thus in this investigation it was possible to show that improvement in oral hygiene does occur between the pre-clinical and final year of the undergraduate course.
This survey was conducted on young dental students, with the aim of evaluating the influence of scientific information dispensed during their studies on their own oral state and on their behavior towards it. Therefore, various parameters were considered at the very beginning of their university studies and at the end of their studies. A questionnaire was used to collect information on the socioeconomic origin and oral hygiene habits of the students. In order to assess actual improvement in oral health standardized clinical examinations were utilized. The comparison of parameters measured at the beginning and at the end of the clinical studies of the students revealed that the OHI-S and the GI scores had decreased highly significantly (P less than 0.01), and that the DMFT score had increased significantly (P less than 0.01). The increase in the DMFT score was mainly due to a high number of fillings. The answers to the questionnaire were indicative of a favorable modification in hygiene habits. At the end of their clinical studies the students were on an average more aware of their oral health, the quality and the duration of their toothbrushing had improved, and they more often sought early treatment and preventive care than at the beginning of their studies.
To compare cross-cultural differences of dental health behavior, 376 dental students in Japan and 213 in Australia were surveyed using a twenty-item Hiroshima University-Dental Behavior Inventory (HU-DBI) questionnaire (in Japanese and English versions respectively). The mean DBI score of Year 1 Australian students was significantly greater than that of their Japanese peers (Australian 6.56, Japanese 5.57; P < 0.001), which suggested a higher level of dental health awareness in Australian students on entry. Only 7 percent of the Japanese students had been told by their dentist that they were performing a high level of plaque control, as contrasted with 50 percent of the Australian students. Furthermore, while only a small proportion of the Australian students (8 percent) reported a belief that they may eventually require dentures, 37 percent of the Japanese students held this belief (P < 0.001). The mean HU-DBI score of the Japanese students was lower than that of the Australian students until Year 4. Differences between the genders were not a major feature.
The objective of this study was to determine the knowledge and attitude of Nairobi University students towards dental health care in Kenya. A self administered questionnaire given to 400 students in person who responded and handed them over immediately. The students had a mean age of 22.4 years, 45.3% were males and 54.5% were females. Extractions, restorations and replacement of teeth were known to majority of the students. However, almost half of the students preferred extraction to restoration and 49.2% considered restoration of deciduous teeth unnecessary. 79% indicated that they would undergo scaling. It is therefore recommended that an effective mode of transmitting positive information about various dental treatment modalities be established.
The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in oral self-care levels between Japanese dental hygiene students and general nursing students in 1999, and compare them with a similar study in 1990.
The examination was mainly based upon responses to a questionnaire titled "Hiroshima University--Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI)". Higher scores of the HU-DBI indicate better oral health attitudes/behaviour.
The mean HU-DBI score of the 2nd-year dental hygiene students was significantly greater than that of the 2nd-year nursing students (9.56 and 6.65, respectively; p<0.001), and much higher than those of the 1st-year students at each course (dental hygiene course; 6.30, nursing course; 5.88). Except for the 2nd-year dental hygiene class, there were no significant differences in the HU-DBI score between the 1990 and 1999 subgroups of each class. About 1/3 of the 2nd-year nursing students reported a belief that they may eventually require false teeth, while 6% of the 2nd-year dental hygiene students held this belief. More than 60% of this study sample stated that they put off going to the dentist until they had toothache. The 2nd-year dental hygiene students were more likely to have this attitude than their 1990 peers. Flossing was not popular among the nursing students in either 1990 or 1999.
Although the difference in the HU-DBI score across time was not major, the variation in HU-DBI and the favourable attitudes/behaviour toward oral health appeared to reflect the differences in schooling between student hygienists and student nurses.
To clarify the differences in dental health attitudes/behaviour among freshman dental students.
Cross-cultural differences.
Japan, Hong Kong and West China.
The original version of the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) was written in Japanese. After testing the validity of both English and Chinese versions, the original version of the HU-DBI was administered to 58 freshman Japanese dental students, the English version to 43 Hong Kong Chinese peers and the Chinese version to 39 West Chinese peers.
Significant cultural differences were found for 16 items out of 20. The most striking result was that the Japanese students were more likely to have used a dye to see how clean their teeth were, compared to their Chinese peers (P<0.001). The Chinese students were less likely to have a belief that they could clean their teeth well without using toothpaste (P<0.001), whereas higher percentages of the Chinese students worried about having bad breath (P<0.001). A higher percentage of the Hong Kong students reported that they regularly checked their teeth in a mirror than did their West Chinese or Japanese peers (P<0.05).
There were considerable differences in dental health attitudes/behaviour among freshman dental students in the three cultural groups.
To investigate the preventive practice of Mongolian dental students, in relation to their knowledge of preventive care, self-perceived competency, oral self-care, and dental health status, a questionnaire was distributed to all (n = 79) clinical-year students of The Dental School of the Mongolian National Medical University. Dental students' reported preventive practice was explained by their knowledge of preventive care (P = 0.002) and self-perceived competency (P = 0.002), whereas their study-year, oral self-care, and dental health status, expressed as the Tissue Health Index (THI), remained statistically non-significant in the linear regression model. This explained 28% of the variation in the parameters examined. In logistic regression analysis, a student's study year (OR = 2.5), knowledge of preventive care (OR = 1.1), and THI (OR = 1.8) were related to their highest scores on preventive practice. Preventive practice among Mongolian dental students could be improved by increasing their knowledge, particularly in modern methods for caries-prevention such as fluoride, sealants, and xylitol. Preventive methods should be integrated into all topics of the dental curriculum and the learning environment should support such training for future oral health professionals.
To provide baseline data on periodontal awareness and health knowledge, and to assess patterns of dental attendance behaviours among 20 to 60 year-old Jordanian adults.
A questionnaire incorporating items related to personal and socio-demographic data, periodontal awareness and health knowledge, and self-reported dental attendance behaviours. One-thousand questionnaires were distributed among adults attending dental clinics.
743 questionnaires were completed and statistically analysed. About one-quarter of adults reported 'gum bleeding' on brushing, but more subjects (40.4%) believed that they had periodontal disease. Also, 47% of the participants thought that they had a 'rough tooth surface', 16% had 'gum irritation' and 25% had 'bad breath'. There were no statistically significant differences between genders with regard to responses on periodontal awareness (P >0.05). The majority of adults incorrectly defined the meaning of dental plaque and did not know its role in the aetiology of gingival disease. Conversely, the majority of participants (60.8%) were aware that gingival bleeding upon brushing indicated the presence of periodontal disease that can be prevented by brushing and flossing (63.4%), mainly before going to bed (73.9%). The overwhelming majority of subjects (81.4%) were irregular attenders. 'Treatment not necessary' and 'cost' were found to be the common barriers for regular dental attendance. The most common treatment received by the subjects at their last visit was restorative therapy.
Knowledge and awareness concerning periodontal disease is still poor in Jordan, therefore, more dental health education is needed to improve oral health.
To compare cross-national differences of dental health behaviour among dental hygiene students.
Cross-cultural differences. Setting: United States (USA) and Korea.
One hundred and twenty-six dental hygiene students in USA and 246 in Korea were surveyed using the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) (in English and Korean versions respectively).
There were considerable differences in oral health behaviour between USA and Korean dental hygiene students. Of great significance were findings that while only a small proportion of the USA students (1%) reported gum bleeding when they brushed their teeth, 37% of the Korean students did so (P<0.001). Furthermore, only 19% of the Korean students had been told by their dentist that they were performing a high level of plaque control, contrasted with 76% of the USA students. Logistic regression model showed that it was possible to distinguish USA students from Korean peers with a probability of more than 90% by using the HU-DBI.
There were considerable differences in dental health attitudes/behaviour among dental hygiene students in the two countries. The variation in the favourable attitudes/behaviour toward oral health appeared to reflect the students' clinical training experience in Korea.