European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Background: Oral health is traditionally defined as an oral status that is free of diseases, which not only makes people look beautiful, but also contributes to the normal function of mouth. Aim: To evaluate self‑reported oral hygiene practice and knowledge in dental students of Narsinhbhai Dental College and Hospital, Visnagar. Method: This cross‑sectional study was conducted on total 391 voluntarily participated students of Narsinhbhai Patel Dental College, in the month of October 2020. It included 151 students of pre-clinical group, 166 students of clinical group, 74 students in the group of interns. A total of 15 questions were designed to evaluate the oral hygiene practice and knowledge, in the format of multiple choice questions. Result: In this study most of the students brush their teeth twice daily for 2 min most of the students visited the dentist only when problems arise. Majority of students considered oral health as important as general health and believed that oral health affects
the general health too. Students were also aware of the harmful effects of tobacco while only few of them were overindulged in them. Conclusion: In this study, it was observed that oral hygiene practice score and knowledge score was greater in the group of interns followed by the group of clinical students and pre-clinical group of students as year increases, knowledge score and oral hygiene practice score increases and knowledge increases, oral hygiene score increases.