Oral Healthcare Behaviors of Dental and Non-dental Turkish Students: A Comparative Study
Melike Camgoz
Citation Information :
Camgoz M. Oral Healthcare Behaviors of Dental and Non-dental Turkish Students: A Comparative Study. Int J Experiment Dent Sci 2021; 10 (1):1-7.
Aim and objective: Oral health education, including tooth brushing, during childhood, is important since this affects individuals’ behaviors as adults. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the self-reported oral health behaviors of dental and non-dental/medical university students in Ankara, Turkey, by utilizing the Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory (HU-DBI).
Materials and methods: The study population consisted of 326 students from the faculty of dentistry and 331 students from non-dental faculties. All students were at various stages of education and were surveyed using the HU-DBI. The concise prediction about oral health behavior was studied from the replies to the twelve statements. To compare the total HU-DBI score between groups, an independent sample t-test was conducted.
Results: Significant differences were detected among the student groups. The mean HU-DBI point of dental school students was significantly higher than non-dental students. Less dental students stated gingival bleeding, sticky deposits, being uncomfortable with the color of gums, and postponing going to a dentist if they do not have a toothache.
Conclusion: The results we obtained marked that dental students have better dental attitudes than non-dental/medical students. This may be explained by dental students’ receiving dental curriculum and clinical training.
Clinical significance: Comprehensive national programs aiming to teach oral healthcare, to support individuals’ oral hygiene applications, and to generalize preventive oral health information should be conducted starting from early childhood.
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