Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year
: 2015  |  Volume : 13  |  Issue : 2  |  Page : 174--178

Do the supportive staff have enough oral health knowledge? - A study at a teaching health care institution in South India


Venumbaka Siva Kalyan1, AS Kalyana Bhargava1, T Madhavi Padma1, KVNR Pratap1, G Venkateswara Rao2, Anitha Akkaloori3 
1 Department of Public Health Dentistry, Mamata Dental College, Khammam, Telangana State, India
2 Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Mamata Dental College, Khammam, Telangana State, India
3 Department of Public Health Dentistry, Malla Reddy Dental College for Women, Hyderabad, Telangana State, India

Correspondence Address:
Venumbaka Siva Kalyan
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Mamata Dental College, Khammam, Telangana State
India

Introduction: Oral hygiene plays an imperative role in preventing oral diseases. The assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice in relation to oral hygiene among the supportive staff members would help the professional, to inculcate in their patients the acceptable oral habits to thwart oral diseases as these staff members are a bridge between healthcare professional and the patient. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted at a teaching health care institution in South India. The staff members who gave their consent after detailing the objective and rationale of the study were included in the study. Data were collected about their oral health knowledge, attitude and oral hygiene practices. Descriptive statistics was calculated. Results: Nearly 79% brushed their teeth only in the morning; 95% used a tooth brush and toothpaste regularly. Dental floss (0.5%) was the least used cleaning aid. About 57% of the participants visited the dentist only when necessary. The majority of the participants had no reason for not visiting the dentist. 72% were aware of the role of sugar in causing dental caries, and 55% were unaware of the role of fluoride in dental caries. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the majority of them brush their teeth only once, and most of them used both tooth brush and tooth paste to brush their teeth. The participants visited dentist only in emergency, and their oral health knowledge is low.


How to cite this article:
Kalyan VS, Kalyana Bhargava A S, Padma T M, Pratap K, Rao G V, Akkaloori A. Do the supportive staff have enough oral health knowledge? - A study at a teaching health care institution in South India.J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent 2015;13:174-178


How to cite this URL:
Kalyan VS, Kalyana Bhargava A S, Padma T M, Pratap K, Rao G V, Akkaloori A. Do the supportive staff have enough oral health knowledge? - A study at a teaching health care institution in South India. J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent [serial online] 2015 [cited 2024 Mar 29 ];13:174-178
Available from: https://journals.lww.com/aphd/pages/default.aspx/article.asp?issn=2319-5932;year=2015;volume=13;issue=2;spage=174;epage=178;aulast=Kalyan;type=0