Oral Healthcare Behaviors of Dental and Non-dental Turkish Students: A Comparative Study

OpenAlex İngilizce

Aim and objective: Oral health education, including tooth brushing, during childhood, is important since this affects individuals' behaviors as adults.The purpose of this investigation was to assess the self-reported oral health behaviors of dental and non-dental/medical university students in Ankara, Turkey, by utilizing the Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory (HU-DBI). Materials and methods:The study population consisted of 326 students from the faculty of dentistry and 331 students from non-dental faculties.All students were at various stages of education and were surveyed using the HU-DBI.The concise prediction about oral health behavior was studied from the replies to the twelve statements.To compare the total HU-DBI score between groups, an independent sample t-test was conducted.Results: Significant differences were detected among the student groups.The mean HU-DBI point of dental school students was significantly higher than non-dental students.Less dental students stated gingival bleeding, sticky deposits, being uncomfortable with the color of gums, and postponing going to a dentist if they do not have a toothache.Conclusion: The results we obtained marked that dental students have better dental attitudes than non-dental/medical students.This may be explained by dental students' receiving dental curriculum and clinical training.Clinical significance: Comprehensive national programs aiming to teach oral healthcare, to support individuals' oral hygiene applications, and to generalize preventive oral health information should be conducted starting from early childhood.