Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors among Oral Hygiene toward Dental Students

Abstract

Dentists are the role models for the society as far as oral health is concerned. However, student’s attitudes and practices were found to differ across academic levels and gender. The present study aimed to assess oral health attitudes and behavior among undergraduate dental students, and to analyze the variations in oral health attitudes based on level of education and gender using the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI). A self-administered questionnaire based on the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) was distributed to 260 undergraduate dental students at the International University of Rabat. Overall, the mean questionnaire score for the total sample was 6.33±3.16. Most clinical students reported brushing each of their teeth carefully. More clinical (33.88) than preclinical (2.87) students have used a dye to see how clean their teeth are (p<0.001). Moreover, larger proportion of men (27.4) than women (16.2) use a toothbrush with hard bristles (p=0.03). A higher proportion of women (100) do check their teeth in a mirror after brushing (p<0.001). Prompt initiatives should be launched to critically revise the dental program and the education processes, and to redesign these programs in a constructive and productive manner to positively influence students’ behavior and attitudes.