Assessment of oral hygiene behavior among Iraqi medical students

Abstract

Objectives: General health is intimately related to oral health. Since primary care doctors are the main healthcare providers in society and many systemic disorders present themselves orally, it is imperative that medical students and professionals comprehend oral health and its importance. The study’s aims were to determine the comprehension of oral hygiene practices and brushing teeth strategies among a sample of Iraqi medical graduates. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study involved 100 medical undergraduates at Ibn Sina University, College of Medicine in Baghdad, Iraq, during the period from (September to November 2022) after obtaining informed approval. Results: Our participants were 57.0% male and 43.0% female, ranging in age from 20 to 24 years old, the majority of students (82.0%) brush their teeth daily, but (18.0%) they did not, regarding toothbrushing techniques, the majority (34.0%) use a combined (horizontal and vertical) technique, (29.0%) vertical, (17.0%) horizontal, and (20.0%) circular, regarding time spent on brushing teeth, 47.0% taking 1 min, 29.0% taking between 2 and 3 min, 18.0% taking less than a minute, and 6.0% taking more than 4 min, and (52.0%) of students use a medium brush, while (31.0%) use a soft brush, and (5.0%) use a hard brush, the remaining (12.0%) not knowing the type of brush they employ, the dental floss was known to (65.0%) of participants, while 35.0% were unaware of its existence, there was no significant correlation between regularity of brushing and the number of visits to the dentist for scaling (P > 0.05). Conclusion: It would be valuable for medical graduates to attend educational society gatherings and continued dental training courses to increase their understanding of their oral hygiene.