Study of effects on oral health due to cultural belief among adult population of Srikakulam Town

Abstract

Introduction: People have a strong belief in the myths and taboos related to oral health which has a huge effect in the prevention and treatment of oral diseases. The objective of this study was to find the cultural beliefs and association between the taboos in dentistry and adult oral health behaviour in the population of Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh. Materials and Methods: Adult study subjects who visited the OPD above the age of 20 years were included. Demographic details like age, gender, occupation was recorded. A 11-item pre-tested questionnaire was interviewer administered to assess the cultural beliefs, taboos and myths regarding oral health. Result: A total of 100 adults with a mean age of 38 years were included in the study. Majority (84%) of the respondent believed that teething causes fever. There was no significant correlation between the genders and the myths and taboos regarding oral health. Significantly higher unemployed (50%) and daily-wage workers (23.7%) believed that tooth cleaning causes sensitivity of teeth when compared to salaried (10.5%) and businessman (15.8%). (p<0.05). Conclusion: The present study depicted high prevalence of myths and taboos regarding oral health. It is common not only among the unemployed but also among elite and working class.