Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of medical and dental students about maintaining and disinfecting toothbrushes.

Abstract

Proper toothbrush care and maintenance play an important role in oral health. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice of medical and dental students regarding the maintenance and disinfection of toothbrushes. This cross-sectional descriptive study examined 824 medical and dental students of Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire and analysed using chi-square test and independent t-test. The level of statistical significance was considered to be <0.05. Nearly 63.7% of the students had a good level of knowledge regarding toothbrush maintenance, 62.2% had a positive attitude toward toothbrush care, and 53.7% had a good practice. The mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice were significantly higher in dental, clinical, and female students as compared to medical, preclinical, and male students, respectively. Based on the results, about 54.3% of the students kept their toothbrushes outside the bathroom; 68% kept them vertically with the bristles upright; and 54% kept them in a separate container. Also, 50.6% of the students believed that toothbrush disinfection was necessary, while 31.9% believed that only certain groups of people needed toothbrush disinfection. This study indicated the moderate level of knowledge, attitude, and practice of medical and dental students in maintaining and disinfecting their toothbrushes. The students' oral health habits were also at a moderate level; therefore, further improvements seem essential. To achieve this goal, educational intervention programs need to be developed in the future.