ORAL HYGIENE PRACTICES AMONG SOUTH INDIAN ADULT POPULATION - A SURVEY

Abstract

Oral hygiene refers to the practice of keeping the mouth, teeth, and gums clean and healthy to prevent oral disease. Oral hygiene is the practice of maintaining a clean oral cavity to prevent dental diseases such as dental cavities, gingivitis, periodontitis, and bad breath. The aim of the survey is to analyse the awareness of oral hygiene among Indian adult populations. Standard questionnaire was taken based on oral hygiene practice, attitude, and knowledge. The data was collected and analyzed statistically for descriptive statistics. SPSS software was used to analyse the results. Chi square test was used as inferential statistics. The main source of information about oral health was Television (66.7%). About 53.3% of the participants agreed that oral health is as important as general health. The majority of participants (50.7%) change their toothbrushes every 2-6months. Males(27.3%) had better practice of oral hygiene than females regarding frequency of toothbrush change. The findings of the present survey suggest the knowledge, attitude, and practice of oral hygiene among indian adult population is moderate. From the results it can be inferred that the south indian population is in need of more awareness in this context.