scholarly journals Awareness about oral healthcare and disease prevention among Tiruvannamalai population

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL3) ◽  
pp. 1598-1604
Author(s):  
Dhivya Sri E ◽  
Hannah R

Oral health care is the foundation upon which preventive evaluation and dental care must be built to enhance the opportunity for life free of preventable and oral diseases. The purpose of the study was to determine the oral health care and disease prevention among the Tiruvannamalai population. Self - administered questions were prepared. The questions were distributed in google forms, and 100 participants participated. The data was entered and statistically analysed. In this study, 88% maintain oral health as an integral part of our everyday practice. 65.1% maintain good oral health by using a toothbrush and paste, and 11% are flossing their teeth daily. 33% are cleaning the teeth to prevent dental disease. Within the limitations of the study, we can conclude that oral health knowledge among the Tiruvannamalai Population was considerably lower than what would be expected. Still, they showed a positive attitude toward oral healthcare.

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noorhazayti Ab. Halim ◽  
Rashidah Esa ◽  
Md Muziman Syah

Introduction: Attending regular dental check-up is very important to pregnant women. However, many women do not utilize oral healthcare services during the antenatal period. It had been reported in Health Information Management System report (MOH, 2007) that the attendance of antenatal mothers to dental clinic were unsatisfactory. Therefore, the aim of this research was to explore the perception of antenatal mothers towards oral health care. Materials and Methods: In-depth interviews were carried out with a convenience sampling of 20 antenatal mothers across three government health clinics in Selangor, Malaysia. The interview using guided questions which explored participant’s oral health knowledge, attitude and oral health practice. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed by thematic analysis. The interviews were carried out until the saturation of information were achieved. Results: The main themes emerging from the data related to low oral health knowledge, poor attitude and oral health practices during pregnancy. Although all participants have basic knowledge of dental caries development, however, many of them unaware of the significance of preventive dental visits during pregnancy. Poor attitudes and oral health practices among antenatal mothers in this study were due to they had not received the necessary oral health information. Conclusion: Antenatal mother’s perception of oral health care crucially impacts on oral health status, continuity of utilization of oral healthcare services and hence pregnancy outcome. Their views provided a baseline information for planning and formulating appropriate oral health education and promotion strategies.


2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 46-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharan S Sargod ◽  
Shiraz Usman ◽  
Sham S. Bhat

ABSTRACT Medical, Dental and Paramedical students play an important role in oral health care and promotion. Learning in these professional institutions becomes ineffective unless it leads to a profound change in student's behavior and attitude towards improvement of their own personal health. This study aims to find out the difference in oral health knowledge and behavior of clinical medical, dental and paramedical students in the Yenepoya Educational Institutions, Mangalore.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Asmaa Alkhtib ◽  
Abdul Morawala

Health-related behaviors are influenced by knowledge and awareness, with oral health being no exception. It is well-known that oral diseases are influenced by social determinants. There is an association between the oral health knowledge of mothers and the status of their children’s oral health. In Qatar, the knowledge and practices of oral health in preschool children have not been previously reported. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and related practices of mothers of preschool children about oral health in Qatar. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed by the principals of kindergarten to mothers of children attending 16 government kindergartens in Qatar. The questionnaire included 38 close-ended questions grouped into nine categories, addressing different aspects of knowledge and practices related to early childhood oral health. The questionnaire was constructed in English, before being translated into Arabic, which is the local language in Qatar. The questionnaire instrument was pre-tested on mothers with demographic characteristics matching the main population. These participants were not included in the main study. The questionnaire study was associated with a clinical epidemiological study to assess dental caries and enamel defects of the sampled children. The dmft caries index (decayed, missing and filled teeth) was used for that purpose according to the World Health Organization criteria. For the questionnaire administered to mothers with clinical survey variables, a binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the associations between the measures of oral health status (dmft, Dental index) and mothers’ oral health knowledge and practices. A total of 48% mothers thought that children should have their teeth brushed from the age of three years and 42% chose younger than two years as a starting age for brushing. More than half (54%) of the mothers thought that children should not have their teeth flossed. In general, no significant statistical association was found between dmft and any other variables, except for whether or not the child had visited the dentist. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association between the measures of oral health status (dmft, DI) and mothers’ oral health knowledge and practices. After controlling for the other independent variables included in this model, the test of the model was not statistically significant, which indicated that none of the variables represent a significant risk for occurrence of caries. The only exception was whether or not the child had visited the dentist (odds ratio = 2.51, 95% confidence interval 1.091–5.774). Despite the existence of good knowledge of oral health care, there were deficiencies in the oral health care provided to children. This may reflect that seeking dental care is either not very important or it is challenging to obtain access to a child-friendly dentist in the public health system in Qatar. The results of this study suggest that there is a need for an oral health promotion program to fill the gaps in knowledge for mothers regarding oral health care for young children.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  

Background: Parents/ caregivers oral health knowledge, attitude and behaviors can either facilitate or hinder their child’s oral health care or oral heath promoting behaviors. The perspective of parents/caregivers has a significant bearing on the oral health, particularly for the disabled children. Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitude and behavior towards oral health care among of parents/ caregivers of children with disabilities and to evaluate the association between education level and oral health knowledge, attitude and behaviors. Methods: This cross-sectional, questionnaire based, descriptive study was carried out among parents/ caregivers of children with disabilities, who attended 8 Special Needs schools in Doha, Qatar. Data was analyzed using Spearman’s test and Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Majority of the parents/caregivers knew that oral health affects general health and recognized that inadequate tooth brushing caused tooth decay. The mean knowledge, attitude and behavior scores were 7.81, 3.61 and 2.91 respectively. Highly significant correlation was found between parents’/ caregivers’ knowledge and attitude (p<. 001) as well as parents’/caregivers’ knowledge and behavior (p<. 004). Knowledge, attitude and behavior scores were significantly associated with education level. Conclusion: Parents/caregivers of children with disabilities possess good oral health knowledge, very positive attitude and favorable behavior towards their child’s oral health. Education plays an essential role in shaping their knowledge, behavior and attitude with regard to their child’s oral health care and should be taken into consideration while designing Oral Health Promotion programs.


2020 ◽  

Background: The relationship between oral health and general health is gaining interest in geriatric research; however, a lack of studies dealing with this issue from a general perspective makes it somewhat inaccessible to non-clinical public health professionals. Purpose: The purpose of this review is to describe the relationship between oral health and general health of the elderly on the basis of literature review, and to give non-clinical medical professionals and public health professionals an overview of this discipline. Methods: This study was based on an in-depth review of the literature pertaining to the relationship between oral health and general health among the older people. The tools commonly used to evaluate dental health and the academic researches of male elderly people were also reviewed. And future research directions were summarized. Results: Dental caries, periodontal disease, edentulism, and xerostomia are common oral diseases among the older people. Dental caries and periodontal diseases are the leading causes of missing teeth and edentulism. Xerostomia, similar to dry mouth, is another common oral health disease in the older people. No clear correlation exists between the subjective feeling of dryness and an objective decrease of saliva. Rather, both conditions can be explained by changes in saliva. The General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) are the main assessment tools used to examine oral health and quality of life in the older people. The GOHAI tends to be more sensitive to objective values pertaining to oral function. In addition, oral health studies in male elderly people are population-based cohort or cross-sectional studies, involving masticatory function, oral prevention, frailty problems, cardiovascular disease risk, and cognitive status. Conclusion: It is possible to reduce the incidence of certain oral diseases, even among individuals who take oral health care seriously. Oral health care should be based on the viewpoint of comprehensive treatment, including adequate nutrition, good life and psychology, and correct oral health care methods. In the future, researchers could combine the results of meta-analysis with the clinical experience of doctors to provide a more in-depth and broader discussion on oral health research topics concerning the older people.


2021 ◽  
pp. 238008442110126
Author(s):  
J.L.P. Protudjer ◽  
C. Billedeau ◽  
K. Hurst ◽  
R. Schroth ◽  
C. Stavropoulou ◽  
...  

Introduction: Rates of periodontal disease and tooth loss are increased in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Understanding factors that contribute to the increased burden of periodontal disease in RA is critical to improving oral health and arthritis outcomes. Objectives: To determine the perceptions held by people with RA relating to their oral health, to identify patient-centered priorities for oral health research, and to inform optimal strategies for delivering oral health knowledge. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with patients with RA. Recorded interview transcripts were iteratively reviewed to reveal surface and latent meaning and to code for themes. Constructs were considered saturated when no new themes were identified in subsequent interviews. We report themes with representative quotes. Results: Interviews were conducted with 11 individuals with RA (10 women [91%]; mean age, 68 y), all of whom were taking RA medication. Interviews averaged 19 min (range, 8 to 31 min) and were mostly conducted face-to-face. Three overall themes were identified: 1) knowledge about arthritis and oral health links; 2) oral health care in RA is complicated, both in personal hygiene practices and in professional oral care; and 3) poor oral health is a source of shame. Participants preferred to receive oral health education from their rheumatologists or dentists. Conclusions: People with RA have unique oral health perceptions and experience significant challenges with oral health care due to their arthritis. Adapting oral hygiene recommendations and professional oral care delivery to the needs of those with arthritis are patient priorities and are required to improve satisfaction regarding their oral health. Knowledge Translation Statement: Patients living with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis described poor oral health–related quality of life and multiple challenges with maintaining optimal oral health. Study findings indicate a need for educational materials addressing oral health maintenance for patients with rheumatic diseases and their providers.


Author(s):  
Davis AL ◽  
◽  
Zare H ◽  
Kanwar O ◽  
McCleary R ◽  
...  

Objective: The authors conducted an integrative literature review of recent studies that explored the impact of interventions implemented in the U.S. that focused on improving access to dental care for low-income and vulnerable populations. Methods: The authors conducted an integrative literature review of studies published between 2012-2018 that addressed six oral health policy spheres. 1) Community-based dental access programs; (2) Medicaid reimbursement and expansion; (3) Student loan support; (4) Oral health services in non-traditional settings and dental residency programs; (5) Programs to improve oral health literacy; and (6) Use of dental therapists. Results: The authors included 39 articles for qualitative synthesis. Numerous public health initiatives and programs exist in the US aimed at increasing access to quality oral health care. Medicaid expansion, increased Medicaid fee-for-service reimbursement rates, and state loan repayment programs have demonstrated some success in improving access among underserved populations. A diversified dental workforce, with community dental health workers and mid-level providers like dental therapists, as well as interprofessional training of nurses and primary-care physicians in oral health have also shown positive impacts in advancing health equity. Further studies are needed to understand how oral health literacy programs can affect access and utilization of dental services. Conclusions: Improvements to the oral health care safety net will require a holistic and multifaceted approach in order to reduce oral health disparities. Policy levers should work, not in isolation, but rather in complementary fashion to one another.


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