Dental Training and Changes in Oral Health Attitudes and Behaviors in Istanbul Dental Students

Evaluation of Self-Reported Oral Health Attitudes and Behavior of Dental Students in Antalya, Turkey

Background Dental students are expected to play a critical role in the oral health education of society as future providers of dental care, and their attitudes on this subject have a possible impact on the awareness of patients regarding the importance of preventing oral diseases and improving oral health. This study aimed to evaluate the oral health attitudes and behavior of dental students. Methodology The Turkish version of the Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory (HU-DBI) questionnaire regarding oral health attitudes and behaviors with an additional nine questions was distributed among 250 native Turkish-speaking dental students at the Faculty of Dentistry in Antalya, Turkey. The validity of the nine questions added to the original questionnaire was evaluated by expert opinion and a pretest method. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis, and the statistical significance level was set at p-values <0.05. Results The mean age of the 250 students in the study was 20.96 ± 1.66 years. In total, 157 (62.8%) students were preclinical (first, second, and third year) dentistry students, and 93 (37.2%) students were clinical (fourth and fifth year) dentistry students. The mean HU-DBI score of all students was 5.95 ± 1.65, and the mean HU-DBI score of clinical students (6.42 ± 1.65) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of preclinical students (5.67 ± 1.59). The mean HU-DBI score of male and female students was 5.63 ± 1.55 and 6.24 ± 1.69, respectively, and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The study showed significant improvement in the behavior and attitude regarding the oral health of the clinical dental students compared with the preclinical dental students. Conclusions Among dental students, clinical students and female students had generally better attitudes and behaviors about oral health self-care compared to preclinical students and male students, respectively.

Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors (KAB) of German Dental Students: Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Germany's 2030-oral health agenda incorporates behavioral targets such as twice-daily toothbrushing and routine dental check-ups. Given the professional and social roles of dentists in oral health promotion, the oral health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KAB) of dentists and dental students became worth investigation. The present study was designed as a descriptive cross-sectional study that aimed to evaluate oral health KAB of German dental students using the Hiroshima University - Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI). A total of 508 dental students filled in the questionnaire, out of which 74.2% were females, 38.8% were clinical students, 11.4% reported tobacco smoking at least once week, 26.6% reported drinking alcohol at least once a week, and 82.9% reported suffering from problematic internet use. The overall HU-DBI score was high (7.67 ± 1.32), and it was slightly higher among females (7.70 ± 1.33) than males (7.59 ± 1.29), and gender-diverse students (7.33 ± 1.37). Clinical students (7.88 ± 1.26) had a significantly higher HU-DBI score, especially in the domain of oral health behaviors, compared with preclinical students (7.53 ± 1.34). A significant improvement in oral health behaviors and HU-DBI score was found between the third- vs. the fourth year, which corresponds to the period when prophylaxis, hygiene, and periodontology courses are delivered. Tobacco smoking was significantly associated with poor oral health knowledge, behaviors, and overall HU-DBI score. Problematic internet use and alcohol drinking had slightly lower HU-DBI scores. The findings of the present study call for early implementation of preventive dentistry elements in German curricula and addressing oral health needs of gender minorities in Germany by future epidemiologic studies.

Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors (KAB) of German Dental Students: Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

Germany's 2030–oral health agenda incorporates behavioral targets such as twice-daily toothbrushing and routine dental check-ups. Given the professional and social roles of dentists in oral health promotion, the oral health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KAB) of dentists and dental students became worth investigation. The present study was designed as a descriptive cross-sectional study that aimed to evaluate oral health KAB of German dental students using the Hiroshima University – Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI). A total of 508 dental students filled in the questionnaire, out of which 74.2% were females, 38.8% were clinical students, 11.4% reported tobacco smoking at least once week, 26.6% reported drinking alcohol at least once a week, and 82.9% reported suffering from problematic internet use. The overall HU-DBI score was high (7.67 ± 1.32), and it was slightly higher among females (7.70 ± 1.33) than males (7.59 ± 1.29), and gender-diverse students (7.33 ± 1.37). Clinical students (7.88 ± 1.26) had a significantly higher HU-DBI score, especially in the domain of oral health behaviors, compared with preclinical students (7.53 ± 1.34). A significant improvement in oral health behaviors and HU-DBI score was found between the third- vs. the fourth year, which corresponds to the period when prophylaxis, hygiene, and periodontology courses are delivered. Tobacco smoking was significantly associated with poor oral health knowledge, behaviors, and overall HU-DBI score. Problematic internet use and alcohol drinking had slightly lower HU-DBI scores. The findings of the present study call for early implementation of preventive dentistry elements in German curricula and addressing oral health needs of gender minorities in Germany by future epidemiologic studies.

Czech and Slovak Dental Students' Oral Health-Related Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviours (KAB): Multi-Country Cross-Sectional Study

Dentists play a key role in the primary prevention of oral diseases and related systemic complications; therefore, their views on behavioural interventions need to be aligned with the current agendas for oral health. Likewise, dental students' oral health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours (KAB) are of practical importance, as they are the future opinion leaders for oral health in their respective communities. A cross-sectional survey-based study was designed to evaluate the oral health KAB of dental students in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The study utilized translated versions of the Hiroshima University Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI), and it aimed to recruit students from all Czech and Slovak dental schools. A total of 487 students were included in this study, out of which 372 (76.4%) were females, 271 (55.6%) were enrolled in preclinical years, 68 (14%) reported smoking tobacco at least once a week, and 430 (88.3%) reported problematic internet use. The mean HU-DBI score of Czech and Slovak dental students (8.18 ± 1.80) was comparable with the previously reported scores of dental students in Nordic and Western European countries. Czech students (9.34 ± 1.29) had a significantly higher score than their Slovak counterparts (7.56 ± 1.73). In both countries, preclinical students (8.04 vs. 8.35), the students who reported tobacco smoking (7.63 vs. 8.27), and those who reported problematic internet use (8.11 vs. 8.70) had significantly lower HU-DBI scores than their counterparts, respectively. In the Czech Republic, the significant increases in HU-DBI scores occurred after the first academic year when the students received preventive dentistry courses; therefore, one can put forward that early implementation of preventive elements in undergraduate dental curricula may yield better and more sustainable oral health gains for the students. Future research on Czech and Slovak dental curricula need to re-evaluate the oral hygiene and anti-smoking components and their impact on students' views and attitudes.

Relationship between erosive tooth wear and possible etiological factors among dental students

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between erosive tooth wear (ETW) and possible etiological factors in a group of dental students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 126 dental students from a public dental school were included in this study. A questionnaire was used to investigate the possible etiological factors related to ETW. The Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) criteria were used to examine the status of ETW. A univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between the presence of ETW and explanatory variables.

RESULTS

Univariable analysis revealed that taking acidic foods and alcohol more than 4-5 times per week increases the odds of ETW by 6.043 and 2.532 times, respectively, and taking dairy products, fruit juice, and milk more than 4-5 times per week decreases the likelihood of ETW by 61%, 66%, and 80%, respectively. The results of multivariable regression analysis showed that the frequency of consumption of especially acidic foods significantly increased the risk of ETW (OR = 9.981, 95% CI 3.577-27.849, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Although the ETW status of dental students, who are the future dentists, varies depending on different possible etiological factors, especially the consumption of acidic foods has increased the risk of ETW approximately 10 times.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The findings highlight the high relevance of ETW, especially with acidic food consumption, and the importance of controlling potential etiological factors in dental students.

Oral Health-Related Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours of Arab Dental Students: Multi-National Cross-Sectional Study and Literature Analysis 2000-2020

Dental students are the future leaders of oral health in their respective communities; therefore, their oral health-related attitudes and behaviours are of practical value for primary disease prevention. The present study aimed to evaluate oral health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of dental students in Arab countries and explore the potential sociodemographic predictors of their oral health outcomes. A multi-centre, cross-sectional study was conducted during the academic year 2019/2020 in three Arab countries: Lebanon, Syria, and Tunisia. The study used a validated Arabic version of the Hiroshima University Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) composed of original twenty items that assess the level of oral health-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours, and four additional dichotomous items related to tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, problematic internet use, and regular dental check-up The HU-DBI score ranges between 0 and 12. A total of 1430 students took part in this study, out of which 60.8% were females, 57.8% were enrolled in clinical years, 24.5% were tobacco smokers, 7.2% were alcohol drinkers, and 87% reported internet addiction. The mean HU-DBI score was 6.31 ± 1.84, with Lebanon having the highest score (6.67 ± 1.83), followed by Syria (6.38 ± 1.83) and Tunisia (6.05 ± 1.83). Clinical students (6.78 ± 1.70) had higher HU-DBI scores than their preclinical peers (5.97 ± 1.86). The year-over-year analysis revealed that dental public health and preventive dentistry courses had significantly and positively impacted the undergraduate students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. The gender-based differences were not statistically significant, with a modest trend favouring males, especially oral health behaviours. Tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, and problematic internet use were associated with lower HU-DBI scores. In the Arab world, the economic rank of the country where the dental students live/study was weakly correlated with the students’ mean HU-DBI score.

Caries prevalence, oral health practices/behaviours and dental anxiety levels amongst dental hygiene students: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine caries prevalence, oral health practices/behaviours and dental anxiety levels amongst dental hygiene students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A self-administered questionnaire was used to determine students' oral hygiene practices/behaviours. The students were subjected to oral examinations to determine their decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) scores according to the WHO criteria. In addition, the Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS) was used to measure the students' dental anxiety levels.

RESULTS

A total of 280 students (mean age: 20.8 years) participated in this study. Amongst the students, 52.8% brush their teeth twice a day, and 17.48% and 15.17% use floss and mouthwash daily, respectively. Moreover, the defined smoking rate was 22.85%. The mean DMFT scores of the preclinical and clinical students were 3.39 ± 3.22 and 3.55 ± 3.19, respectively. Most of the students (82.6%) preferred fluoride toothpaste, and the DMFT scores of those who use and do not use fluoride toothpaste significantly differed (p = 0.031). Furthermore, junk-food consumption affected the scores for decayed teeth (p = 0.048) and missing teeth (p = 0.039). Most students had low or moderate CDAS scores (CDAS <13), and anxiety scores were lower amongst the clinical students than amongst the preclinical students.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the students demonstrated favourable oral health behaviours/practices and low caries prevalence, their adherence to oral hygiene instructions and to healthy dietary and lifestyle habits should improve. The importance of this topic should be strongly emphasized in the undergraduate curriculum. For this purpose, professional behavioural control methods that suit students' individual capacities, motivations and therapeutic needs may be employed. The principal findings of similar studies should be evaluated by lecturers to help students adopt optimal oral health practices/behaviours, reducing their dental anxiety levels and improving their professional competencies.

The Outcomes of an Interventional Oral Health Program on Dental Students' Oral Hygiene

Dental students are an interesting population because they are expected to have a higher level of knowledge of and to exhibit better oral hygiene habits, and thus have a greater impact on the environment, families, and society as a whole. The aim of this research was to determine the state of oral hygiene in dental students before and after the interventional health education program. The research sample consisted of 119 students of dentistry in their first and fourth years of study. The first research stage was conducted before health education intervention (for the evaluation of selected oral health parameters, the Decayed, Missing and Filled index, Greene–Vermillion index, Silness–Löe plaque index, Silness–Löe gingival index, and the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs index were used). The second stage was conducted as a clinical measurement of oral health changes. The conducted health education intervention, to an extent, led to changes in the state of oral hygiene among the students, and thus healthier habits. There was a statistically significant difference in the examined population between the beginning of the study and after the health education intervention program. Although a significant improvement in oral hygiene and oral health was noticed after the health education intervention program, the state of oral hygiene was still not at a satisfactory level among the dental students, contrary to our expectations.

Evaluation of oral-health behavioral attitudes of dental students in Switzerland and Brazil

PURPOSE

This study evaluated the effect of progressive training on the oral health behaviors of dental students from Switzerland and Brazil.

METHODS

Dental students from two dental schools (in Zurich, Switzerland, and Goiania, Brazil) were recruited for this study. Dental behaviors of the students in the final 3 years of their 5-year dental curriculum were assessed with the 20-item Hiroshima University-Dental Behavior Inventory (HU-DBI). Nonparametric tests were used to assess intergroup and intragroup differences (significance level: α = 0.05).

RESULTS

190 students (Zurich: n = 121, mean age ± SD = 25.5 ± 4.5 years; Goiania: n = 69, mean age ± SD = 23.5 ± 2.9 years) of a possible 277 students completed the survey (response rate = 68.6%). The overall mean HU-DBI score was 8.16 ± 1.35 (8.02 ± 1.27 in Switzerland and 8.41 ± 1.47 in Brazil). Age (P = 0.225) and sex (P = 0.145) were not associated with the scores, but the respondent's nationality seemed to play a role (P = 0.024). Progressive training had no effect on the scores (P = 0.766).

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings show that progressive training has no effect on the oral health behaviors of dental students but the nationality might be a factor.

Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among Croatian University Students

Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is utilized in health services research to examine trends in oral health and population-based needs assessment. To determine the impact of oral diseases on everyday life, measures of oral quality of life are needed. In addition to common disease-based measures, they assess the need for oral care to evaluate oral health care programs and treatment management. The aim of this study was to evaluate the OHRQoL among Croatian university students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 895 students (mean age 22 ± 4 years; 54.75% were females). The data collection was carried out through a self-administered short-form oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire which comprises 14 items that describe 7 subscales. Each subscale is named according to its constitutive items: functional limitation, physical pain, psychological discomfort, physical disability, psychological disability, social disability and social handicap. The quality of data was descriptively analysed and internal consistency reliability was assessed by Chronbach’s alpha coefficient. Pearson’s correlation was performed on the OHIP-14 total score and 7 subscale scores. The level of significance was set to p < 0.05. The prevalence of reported impact on OHRQoL was 31.84% and the mean OHIP-14 score was 11.66 ± 8.72. Chronbach’s alpha for the OHIP-14 total score was 0.91 (range for subscales: 0.70–0.87). Total OHIP-14 score was correlated with each of the seven subscales (correlation range: 0.56–0.84). The psychological discomfort and physical pain subscales recorded the highest impact with 56.09% and 24.47%, respectively, while the least impact was recorded in the physical disability subscale with 13.35%. The mean OHIP-14 score of the students in this study reflects that the oral health status of most of the students did not significantly affect their OHRQoL. However, the psychological discomfort and physical pain subscales were the most severely affected aspects of their OHRQoL. The OHIP-14 had reasonable reliability in relation to subjective global oral health indicators among students and thus appears to be a useful OHRQoL measure in this context.

Oral Health Attitudes among Preclinical and Clinical Dental Students: A Pilot Study and Self-Assessment in an Egyptian State-Funded University

Dentists should present to patients as good role models in their oral health behaviour. Previous studies have demonstrated how education can improve dental students’ oral health. This pilot investigation aimed to compare and evaluate the features of the oral health behaviour and attitudes of preclinical and clinical dental students at Ain Shams University, a public Egyptian university. The Hiroshima University-Dental Behaviour Inventory (HU-DBI) survey was provided to 149 (78 female/71 male) dental students. Dichotomised (agree/disagree) answers to 20 HU-DBI items were possible, with a maximum conceivable score of 19. An estimation of oral health behaviour and attitudes was calculated by the sum of correct oral health answers to every item by the study groups and evaluated statistically. The score of oral health-favouring answers was higher in clinical (11.50) than preclinical students (10.63) and was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Single-item evaluations showed no statistical significance, except in one survey item. This survey exhibited weak differences in the improvement of oral hygiene behaviour and attitudes between participating preclinical and clinical students, as well as overall poor oral health behaviour in both groups. This inadequacy of Egyptian public dental education in terms of sufficient student oral health progress emphasises the necessity for supplementary courses and curricular reviews that accentuate the need for future dentists to display the correct oral health behaviour.

Oral Health Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors Among University Students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Purpose

This study aimed to evaluate oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among a sample of senior students at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), and to assess differences among these factors between genders.

Methods

A total of 1177 senior university students at KAU were included in this cross-sectional study. Participants were selected by stratified random sampling. KAU has three main streams categorized by field of study. One faculty was randomly selected from each stream. Information regarding oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors was collected with a validated self-administered questionnaire. A knowledge score was calculated, and predictors of oral health knowledge were assessed by linear regression.

Results

In general, the mean oral health knowledge score of females (8.1 ± 1.8) was significantly higher than that of males (7.2 ± 2.1) out of 13. Relative to males, females reported a greater frequency of teeth cleaning and of using a toothbrush with proper technique (p < 0.001). Females were also more likely to have ever visited a dentist than males (95% and 86%, respectively). The linear regression model revealed that students in non-medical faculties and those who were not shown how to brush their teeth by a dentist had lower oral health knowledge scores, than their counterparts. Students older than 22 years and females were more likely to have higher oral health knowledge scores than were their counterparts.

Conclusion

Oral health knowledge was relatively low among the university students, but females showed better oral health knowledge and behaviors than males did.

Self-Reported Oral Health Attitudes and Behaviors, and Gingival Status of Dental Students

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess self-reported oral health attitudes and behaviors of the Iraqi dental students and compare the variations in these attitudes and behaviors that linked to dental education level and gender.

Materials and Methods

A self-administered questionnaire depended on the English version of the Hiroshima University Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI) was prepared, the questionnaire given to 198 dental students.

Results

About 91.4% of the dental students were worried about the teeth colour, and merely minor percentage of them (18.8%) thought it is not crucial to seek dental advice until they acquire a tooth pain; however, 26.3% of the students were disturbed because of their gum colour, and 75.3% of them examined their teeth after brushing. Besides, 72.2% of the students replied that gum disease could not be prevented by tooth brushing only, 60.1% of the students do not give visiting the dentist such concern, and 14.1% of dental students were smokers. The plaque and gingival indices were significantly higher in preclinical students than clinical students.

Conclusion

Iraqi dental students had somewhat good oral health behavior and attitudes; however, extra concentrating is required on the anticipatory and behavioral aspects of oral self-care practices. Female dental students displayed better oral health behavior and attitudes than male colleagues on some issues.

Oral Health Attitudes among Preclinical and Clinical Dental Students in Germany

Oral health care providers are expected to show good examples of oral health behaviours and attitudes to their community. Previous studies displayed the constructive effect of dental education on oral hygiene manners of undergraduate students. The aim of this survey was to assess and compare aspects of oral health attitudes and behaviours between preclinical and clinical dental students in German universities. The German-language version of the HU-DBI was distributed to preclinical and clinical students from different German universities. Dichotomized (agree/disagree) responses to 20 HU-DBI items were provided in this study, with a maximum possible score of 19. A quantitative estimate of oral health attitudes and behaviours was provided by the total of appropriate answers given to every statement by each group. Data were analysed statistically. The overall mean score of answers favouring good oral hygiene was marginally higher in preclinical (14.62) than clinical students (14.31) but showed no statistical significance. Similarly, the analysis of each item individually displayed no statistically significant differences between preclinical and clinical participants, except in a single item of the survey. This study showed no effective differences in oral hygiene attitudes and behaviour between preclinical and clinical students in German universities. This reveals a weak effect of dental education on improving students' oral health attitudes in Germany and might demand the introduction of more courses emphasizing the importance of correct oral health behaviour of health care providers.

Evaluation of Final-Year Turkish Dental Students' Knowledge, Attitude, and Self-Perceived Competency towards Preventive Dentistry

BACKGROUND

Dental education plays an important role in providing students with the opportunity to develop their evidence-based knowledge and clinical skills regarding patient-specific preventive care and caries management strategies. The aims of this study were to examine the knowledge, attitude, and self-perceived competency towards preventive dentistry among final-year dental students and to investigate their preventive practice for high-caries-risk children. Methods. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 126 dental students using a questionnaire. The IBM SPSS Statistics version 21 was used for data analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 126 students completed the questionnaire, and 63% of the respondents were female. Significant gender differences were found in the total Professional Preventive Knowledge Scale (PPKS) (p=0.016) and its subscales of the noncariogenic nutrition (p=0.015), dental hygiene/clinical examination (p < 0.001), caries-preventive practice (p=0.02), and the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI) (p=0.028). Significant differences were observed in the total PPKS (p=0.003) and its subscales of the noncariogenic nutrition (p=0.043) and caries risk management (p=0.006) in terms of self-perceived need to receive education and training. Caries-preventive practice was correlated with the self-perceived competency (r = 0.279; p=0.002), the attitudes (r = 0.394; p < 0.001), the total PPKS (r = 0.457; p < 0.001) and its all subscales of dental hygiene and clinical examination (r = 0.425; p < 0.001), noncariogenic nutrition (r = 0.410; p < 0.001), and caries risk management (r = 0.184; p=0.039). The self-perceived competency was positively correlated with the total PPKS (r = 0.192; p=0.031) and its subscale of noncariogenic nutrition (r = 0.259; p=0.003). Greater self-perceived competence, more positive attitudes, and good knowledge regarding preventive dentistry were found to be important predictors of the caries-preventive practice of dental students, explaining 31% of the variance (adjusted R ² = 0.312, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

40% of dental students reported educational and training needs regarding the diagnosis, caries-preventive agents, and risk-based treatment plan. These results should be taken into account by the stakeholders in developing the national core curriculum for undergraduate Turkish dental education.

Oral health knowledge, attitude and behaviour of dental students in a private university

Introduction

The positive attitude and behaviour of dental students can be improved during their undergraduate studies and is considered an essential factor in promoting the oral self-care habits of their patients and society in general.

Aim

This study was conducted to evaluate the oral health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours among undergraduate dental students at a private university, based on the year of undergraduate studies.

Material and methods

A self-administered questionnaire based on the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory was distributed among 783 undergraduate dental students from 1st to 5th year. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 20. The Mann–Whitney U test and one-way ANOVA tests (Kruskal–Wallis test) were used.

Results

The scores of oral health knowledge, attitude and behaviour between preclinical and clinical dental students were found to have statistically significant differences (P < 0.001). The variation of knowledge, attitude and behaviour scores from 1st to 5th year undergraduate studies was shown to be statistically significant with the year of study (P < 0.001). The study showed significant improvement in the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of the final year dental students as compared with the 1st year dental students.

Conclusion

Preclinical students need properly designed oral health educational programs to increase their attitude and behaviour toward oral health.

Topical fluoride use: Knowledge, attitudes and practices of undergraduate dental students of three Dental Colleges in South India

OBJECTIVES

For effective utilisation of topical fluorides in caries prevention, dental professionals should have adequate knowledge regarding its appropriate use. The decision regarding preventive treatments like topical fluorides is influenced by knowledge acquired during undergraduate training. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of undergraduate dental students in the use of topical fluorides.

METHODOLOGY

A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted from June to August 2015 following ethical clearance. Three willing Dental Colleges from 3 states of South India participated. Information regarding the knowledge, attitudes and practices of students in the use of topical fluorides was collected using a validated questionnaire.

RESULTS

Nine hundred and seventy-two dental students (79.6% females, 20.4% males) participated. Freshers and preclinical batches had poor overall knowledge of fluorides, which did not show substantial improvement by internship. Self-applied topical fluoride use (fluoridated toothpaste) was seen in more than 90% of interns, and majority had "positive fluoride attitude." Having knowledge of topical fluorides and positive attitudes to topical fluorides did not result in "good oral self-care behaviour" nor appropriate clinical use of topical fluorides. Students who used topical fluorides for persons with history of caries had highest odds of brushing twice a day (OR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.54, 4.12) and a "positive fluoride attitude" (OR = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.21, 1.57).

CONCLUSION

Dental students showed deficiencies in their knowledge and understanding of topical fluorides. Dental education in India needs emphasis on topical fluorides across all years, with a special focus on caries risk-based topical fluoride use.

Fit to Perform: An Investigation of Higher Education Music Students' Perceptions, Attitudes, and Behaviors toward Health

Making music at the highest international standards can be rewarding, but it is also challenging, with research highlighting pernicious ways in which practicing and performing can affect performers' health and wellbeing. Several studies indicate that music students' perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors toward health and healthy living are less than optimal, especially considering the multiple physical and psychological demands of their day-to-day work. This article presents the results of a comprehensive screening protocol that investigated lifestyle and health-related attitudes and behaviors among 483 undergraduate and postgraduate students (mean age = 21.29 years ± 3.64; 59% women) from ten conservatoires. The protocol included questionnaires measuring wellbeing, general health, health-promoting behaviors, perfectionism, coping, sleep quality, and fatigue. On each measure, the data were compared with existing published data from similar age groups. The results indicate that music students have higher levels of wellbeing and lower fatigue than comparable samples outside of music. However, they also reveal potentially harmful perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors toward health. Specifically, engagement in health responsibility and stress management was low, which along with high perfectionistic strivings, limited use of coping strategies, poor sleep quality, and low self-rated health, paints a troubling picture both for the music students and for those who support their training. The findings point to the need for more (and more effective) health education and promotion initiatives within music education; in particular, musicians should be better equipped with mental skills to cope with constant pressure to excel and high stress levels. In part, this calls for musicians themselves to engage in healthier lifestyles, take greater responsibility for their own health, and be aware of and act upon health information in order to achieve and sustain successful practice and performance. For that to happen, however, music educators, administrators, and policy makers must play an active role in providing supportive environments where health and wellbeing is considered integral to expert music training.

Cárie dentária em crianças de 5 anos: fatores sociodemográficos, lócus de controle e atitudes parentais

Resumo A cárie dentária afeta grande parte das crianças, principalmente as de baixo nível socioeconômico. Neste estudo, de delineamento transversal, objetivou-se investigar o papel de fatores sociodemográficos, atitudes parentais e do Lócus de Controle, indicador da percepção pessoal sobre o que controla a saúde do sujeito, na prevalência de cárie em pré-escolares de cinco anos, moradores de cidade de médio porte paulista. Avaliou-se o índice ceo-d de 426 crianças; os pais informaram sobre as características sociodemográficas, responderam a dois questionários de Lócus de Controle e um de atitudes parentais. Os resultados mostraram que 52,35% dos pré-escolares apresentaram cárie, com a severa em níveis mais altos nos estratos mais baixos E-F. Nível socioeconômico mais alto e baixa externalidade mostraram-se como fatores de proteção. Baixa internalidade parental apareceu como um fator de risco para cárie nos dentes decíduos, possivelmente porque a mãe espera ou delega a ação a outros, retardando os cuidados. A percepção parental de controle sobre a saúde do filho parece favorecer cuidados preventivos e, consequentemente, o nível de cárie da criança.

Educational intervention to improve oral health beliefs and behaviors during pregnancy: a randomized-controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Oral and dental health is one of the most important aspects of public health, which becomes more important during pregnancy. Health education may effectively prevent a considerable percent of oral and dental diseases.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of an oral and dental health educational intervention during pregnancy on the beliefs and behaviors of pregnant women on oral and dental health.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS

In this randomized-controlled clinical trial, 160 pregnant women were allocated randomly to intervention and control groups (80 in each group). The intervention group received six education sessions over 3 weeks on oral health issues, whereas the control group received no education. Beliefs and behaviors of pregnant women on oral health were evaluated before, immediately, and 2 months after the educational intervention using a self-administered questionnaire containing 13 Likert scale belief statements and nine practice items.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in the scores of behaviors between the two groups, whereas the scores of beliefs of the educated group were lower than the controls at baseline. The scores of beliefs and behaviors were significantly higher in the educated group than the controls immediately and 2 months after the education program (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The results of the present study indicated the positive effects of oral health training during pregnancy in promoting the beliefs and behaviors of pregnant women on oral health. More attention to oral and dental education programs is recommended during pregnancy.