Evaluation of oral hygiene self-efficacy, knowledge, and motivation among young adults of rural-based tamilian population: A prospective cohort study

Choosing Periodontology for Specialty Specialization: Perspective of Dental Undergraduate Students

BACKGROUND

The attitudes of dental students to study a particular specialty of dentistry in post-graduation are of great importance as these facilitate workforce planning in the dental sector.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

To assess the attitude of dental students towards choosing periodontology as their future career and to explore demographic variables that affect their choice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional survey based on a questionnaire was conducted, including students of the third and fourth years and interns of the dental college. Twenty-seven questions, graded on a Likert scale (5-point) were included in the questionnaire, and the responses were categorised via three attitudes: negative (score 0-21), neutral (score 22-44) and positive (score 45-64). The Chi-square test for proportions was used to examine the differences between groups.

RESULTS

Among 114 participants, 53 (46.5%) were males and 61 (53.5%) were females. One-third of the respondents had a positive attitude towards selecting periodontology as their future career, and the majority had a neutral perspective, with a few students having a negative attitude (20.2%). Out of the total, 34.2% of respondents had a positive attitude, and 45.6% showed a neutral attitude or perspective.

CONCLUSION

Efforts should be intensified, and undergraduate (UG) students should be motivated by broadening the scope of the field in the UG curriculum by the dental council so that the students show considerable interest in pursuing the field as their future career.

How alcohol and/or tobacco use and raised glycemia are associated with oral hygiene practices among Burkinabè adults: Evidence from the first national non-communicable disease risk factors survey

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Unhealthy oral hygiene practices were common among adults in Burkina Faso.

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At about 39% used either alcohol or tobacco and 8% had raised glycemia.

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Substance uses and unhealthy oral hygiene practices were correlated.

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An abnormal metabolic component and poor oral hygiene practices were interrelated.

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Behavioral lifestyle interventions should be integrated for better health outcomes.

Socio-demographic correlates with oral hygiene practices are commonly investigated. The present study aimed to determine whether alcohol and/or tobacco use and hyperglycemia were associated with oral hygiene practices among Burkinabè adults. This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 4550 adults selected through multistage cluster sampling performed during the first WHO STEPS survey conducted in 2013 in Burkina Faso. The practices we considered were the frequencies of tooth cleaning, the fluoridated toothpaste use and the dentist visit within the past-six months. We collected data on self-reported alcohol and tobacco use and measured fasting blood glucose (FBG). About 82.8% of respondent reported they cleaned their teeth at least once a day, 31.5% cleaned them at least twice a day, 25.4% used fluoridated toothpaste, 2.2% had visited a dentist in the past six months, 38.8% used either alcohol or tobacco and 8.4% had raised FBG. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, alcohol and/or tobacco use was an unfavorable factor for tooth cleaning at least once a day [aOR = 0.7 (0.6–0.8) p < 0.001], or at least twice a day [aOR = 0.6 (0.5–0.7) p < 0.001]. Moreover, raised FBG was negatively associated with cleaning tooth at least twice a day [aOR = 0.7 (0.5–0.9) p < 0.01] or the use of fluoridated toothpaste [aOR = 0.7 (0.6–0.9) p < 0.05]. Oral health education in addition to cardiovascular risk factor reduction should be efficiently integrated in the behavioral lifestyle interventions’ strategies for the non-communicable diseases’ prevention.

Scale of self-efficacy in oral hygiene (OHSE): analysis of psychometric properties in Spain

AIM

Oral self-efficacy has been shown to be an important variable in predicting successful treatment, preventing health risks and encouraging health-promoting behaviour. In the context of oral health, it is of paramount importance to facilitate the use of the Oral Hygiene Self-Efficacy Scale (OHSE) in clinical practice. The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the OHSE scale in a sample of Spanish adults and offer standards for interpreting the scale.

METHOD

A sample of 360 people aged from 18 to 75 years was assessed using the OHSE scale. The scale was culturally adapted and translated, reliability tests, construct validity, comparison of means by sex and age group were carried out, and scales for evaluating the responses were prepared.

RESULTS

After eliminating six items, the reliability and validity analyses showed adequate psychometric properties. There were no differences between sex or age group.

CONCLUSION

The OHSE scale for a Spanish adult population has sufficient empirical support to be considered a valid and useful instrument with solid psychometric properties and it offers an opportunity for oral health education intervention programs aimed at the adult population.