Awareness on Oral Hygiene and Practices among General Population

Abstract

India is the sixth biggest country by area and is the second-most populous country. Factors contributing to
the steady rise in prevalence of oral disease include poor oral health awareness and practice among fellow
people. Oral health knowledge is considered to be an essential prerequisite for health-related behavior,
although only a weak association exists between knowledge and behavior. Keeping a healthy oral profile
requires joint efforts from the dentist as well as the patient himself. The study aims to analyze knowledge
and awareness of oral hygiene and practice among the general population A descriptive cross sectional
survey was conducted among 100 patients, visiting a private dental institution, Chennai, through a self
administered questionnaire. The responses were collected, tabulated in excel sheet and analysed using SPSS
software. 97% of the participants were using brush with hard bristles. 81% changed their toothbrush. 40%
of the subjects visited a dentist when they were in pain. This shows very less care about oral hygiene which
leads to the future undesirable outcome. This study concludes that there is an urgent need for comprehensive
educational programs to promote good oral hygiene and impart education about oral hygiene practices.