Abstract
Background: Poor oral hygiene is associated with metabolic syndrome, systemic diseases, mortality and many chronic diseases. Misperception means a wrong or incorrect understanding or interpretation. Few studies have examined the subjective perception and objective condition of oral health among community adults in rural areas. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, community-based study. Participants were recruited via convenience samples from December 2015 to July 2016. One thousand six (1006) community residents participated in the project, of which 973 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The average age was 42.8 (SD = 12.3) years, range 20–64, selected from a collaboration local hospital. Results: Most of the participants reported brushing their teeth every day, however, 72% reported seldom brushing their teeth after meals, 54% seldom used dental floss, 64% seldom received dental scaling, 29.5% had experienced a toothache within 6 months, and 30.5% demonstrated significant tooth loss. However, most of them perceived their oral health as good. Misperception of oral health was common, 21.5% among whose number of remaining teeth <25 under-assess their actual oral health. The more number of remaining teeth (p < 0.001) and regular dental check-up (p < 0.01) were positively associated with feeling good about their oral health. After adjusting for potential confounders, clinically significant findings indicated that number of remaining teeth (OR = 3.03, p < 0.001), age (OR = 0.99, p < 0.001), regular dental check-ups/scaling (OR = 1.85, p < 0.001), education (OR = 1.45, p < 0.05), and water consumption (OR = 1.38, p < 0.05) were independently associated with good perceived oral health. Conclusions: The findings showed that subjective self-perception of oral health was not matched with their objective oral condition. Excluding the unmodifiable factors, the clinical implications indicated that oral health promotion programs, particularly for adopting regular dental check-up, healthy diet and oral hygiene habits are urgent in rural areas.
Highlights
The World Health Organization had pointed out that oral health is essential to general health and quality of life, and optimal oral health is defined as a state of freedom from oral discomfort, periodontal disease, tooth decay, and tooth loss [1]
The clinical implications indicated that oral health promotion programs, for adopting regular dental check-up, healthy diet and oral hygiene habits are urgent in rural areas
The findings revealed a high prevalence of tooth loss, toothache, poor oral hygiene, and misperception of oral health in adults in rural areas
Summary
The World Health Organization had pointed out that oral health is essential to general health and quality of life, and optimal oral health is defined as a state of freedom from oral discomfort, periodontal disease, tooth decay, and tooth loss [1]. Some studies have reported that oral disease is associated with metabolic syndrome, systemic diseases, and oral disease would increase risk of stroke, ischemic heart disease, cognitive impairment, and cardiovascular mortality [2,3,4]. Risk factors for oral diseases include unhealthy diet, tobacco use, betel nut chewing, poor oral hygiene, and social determinant [1,5,6,7,8]. Poor oral hygiene is associated with metabolic syndrome, systemic diseases, mortality and many chronic diseases. Few studies have examined the subjective perception and objective condition of oral health among community adults in rural areas. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, community-based study. One thousand six (1006) community residents participated in the project, of which 973 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Results: Most of the participants reported brushing their teeth every day, 72% reported seldom brushing their teeth after meals, 54% seldom used dental floss, 64% seldom received dental scaling, 29.5% had experienced a toothache within 6 months, and 30.5%
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
