Awareness, perception and practices regarding oral health among school-going adolescents in Ahmedabad City, India

Abstract

Objective. The study aimed to assess the awareness, perception, and practices regarding oral health among school-going adolescents in Ahmedabad City, Gujarat, India. Materials and methods. A total of 600 school-attending adolescents with a mean age of 14.2 ± 1.19 years were enrolled. Ten schools (five public and five private schools) were selected randomly. They were interviewed by using a face-to-face questionnaire which comprised 13 items. Out of 13 questions four questions were related to awareness, four questions were related to attitude, and five questions were related to the practice of oral health. The statistical association between the two genders, age groups, and between public and private schools was determined using the Chi-square test. Results. Most of the participants were aware of the number of permanent teeth present; however they were unaware of the number of primary teeth, and the effect of sugar and tobacco consumption on oral health. Male and private school-going students had better knowledge compared to females and government school students... A total of 73% of the participants brushed their teeth twice daily. Tooth pain was the most common reason (49.7%) for visiting a dentist. 44.7% of them visit the dentist only when needed while 23.5% visit the dentist every 6 months for regular check-ups. Conclusion. The findings of the study conclude that oral health-related awareness, perception, and practices of adolescent students were not satisfactory. Hence, there is a need for regular oral health education for adolescents, as well as their parents and school teachers, which could impart a better and long-lasting understanding of oral health awareness, which in turn will reflect better oral health-related practices.