Assessment of Oral Hygiene Practices and Awareness of Periodontal-Systemic Health Interrelationship Amongst the Local Population of Kanpur Region – A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Objective This study was carried out to know the oral hygiene practices and the awareness of periodontal-systemic health inter-relationship amongst the general population of Kanpur region. Materials and Methods A cross sectional epidemiological survey was conducted among the patients reporting to the department of Periodontology, Rama Dental College and Hospital Kanpur U.P. A total of 1000 new patients were selected and a self-constructed questionnaire was presented to them. Oral hygiene status was checked through OHI index and patient's awareness for periodontal-systemic health inter-relationship was assessed by a self made awareness index. Results The results of our study showed limited oral hygiene practices and lack of knowledge for the effect of poor oral hygiene on systemic health amongst the surveyed population. Although 96.5 % of patients reported using brush and toothpaste and most of them (68.5 %) brushed their teeth once daily, only 35.8 % patients replaced their toothbrush within 3 months, a very minimal percentage of subjects (3.2%) were using other methods of oral hygiene and frequency of cleaning tongue daily was found in only 48.5% patients. Out of 1000 patients included, majority paid dental visits on having any problem (84.0%) rather than regular visitors. It was found that majority of the assessed population's (94.7 %) awareness about periodontal-systemic health interrelationship was poor. Conclusion There is an urgent need for comprehensive educational programs to promote good oral hygiene awareness and its impact on systemic health amongst the general population of Kanpur region.