Assessing the Awareness of Usage of Mouth Washes among the General Population and Patients Undergoing Orthodontic Treatment-A Questionnaire Study

Abstract

Introduction: Usage of mouthwashes and its different variants is on the rise due to their ease of use and

simplicity as well as the relative comfort it gives the user on maintaining oral hygiene. However this must be

balanced with the understanding that mouthwashes are merely adjunctive aids for maintaining oral hygiene

and must be balanced with proper brushing and flossing to express its full effects. This study aims to assess

the awareness of usage of mouthwashes among the general population and patients undergoing orthodontic

treatment and attempts to differentiate between different needs for usage of mouthwashes.

Materials and Methodology: A questionnaire survey containing 16 questions was prepared which contained

questions regarding the information about the subject and their knowledge about the usage of mouthwashes,

its types, uses and side-effects. The questionnaire was prepared using Google forms and was sent to 149

subjects through mail and by sharing the link of the survey. The subjects included patients from varied age

groups as well as the general population and patients undergoing active orthodontic treatment

Results and Conclusion; Most of the subjects who took the test and were using mouthwashes as a part of

daily oral hygiene were aware of its usage patterns and conditions. The main reason for using mouthwashes

was bad breath followed by prevention of dental caries. Awareness in gargling time, different conditions was

higher in orthodontic patients as well as increased care towards their oral hygiene