Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Year
: 2020  |  Volume : 18  |  Issue : 4  |  Page : 296--301

Knowledge, perceptions and practices about tooth brush sterilization among dental students and faculty in Andhra pradesh, South India – A Cross sectional study


Kuna Vandana1, S Harikrishnam Raju2, D Rajesh Kumar2, J Narendra Babu3 
1 Department of Public Health Dentistry, Dr Sudha and Nageswara Rao Siddhartha Institute of Dental Sciences, Gannavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India
2 Department of Public Health Dentistry, GSL Dental College, Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh; Department of Public Health Dentistry, Nanded Rural Dental College and Research Centre, Nanded, Maharashtra, India
3 Department of Orthopaedics, Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences, Gannavaram, Andhra Pradesh, India

Correspondence Address:
Kuna Vandana
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Dr Sudha and Nageswara Rao Siddhartha Institute of Dental Sciences, Gannavaram, Andhra Pradesh
India

Background: Toothbrush is habitually used as an oral hygiene aid to maintain good oral health. The contamination of toothbrushes leads to oral and systemic diseases. Awareness on toothbrush disinfection is essential for oral health-care professionals in order to educate people. Aim: The aim was to assess the knowledge, perceptions, and practices about toothbrush storage, contamination, and disinfection among dental professionals in Andhra Pradesh, South India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire among 450 oral health professionals categorized into three groups (faculty, postgraduates, and interns) in Andhra Pradesh. The statistics were computed with the Statistical Package of Social Sciences version 22. Chi-square test and analysis of variance were used for statistical analyses. P < 0.05 is considered statistically significant. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between the three groups regarding the P value denoted by (*) is considered as statistically significant, frequency of brushing, change of toothbrush, storage of toothbrush and knowledge on toothbrush disinfection (P value is 0.01), whereas knowledge on toothbrush contamination (P value is 0.04). P value denoted by (**) is considered as statistically highly significant. A highly statistical significance was noticed pertaining to the factors on type of toothpaste,reason behind change of toothbrush,contact between toothbrushes during storage and sharing of toothpaste with family members ( P value is <0.001). Conclusion: The study conclude that there were varied opinions regarding the toothbrush contamination and disinfection among faculty, postgraduates, and interns which might be attributed to the difference in academic knowledge, exposure to a wide range of information, and clinical experience over the years between the groups.


How to cite this article:
Vandana K, Raju S H, Kumar D R, Babu J N. Knowledge, perceptions and practices about tooth brush sterilization among dental students and faculty in Andhra pradesh, South India – A Cross sectional study.J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent 2020;18:296-301


How to cite this URL:
Vandana K, Raju S H, Kumar D R, Babu J N. Knowledge, perceptions and practices about tooth brush sterilization among dental students and faculty in Andhra pradesh, South India – A Cross sectional study. J Indian Assoc Public Health Dent [serial online] 2020 [cited 2024 Mar 29 ];18:296-301
Available from: https://journals.lww.com/aphd/pages/default.aspx/article.asp?issn=2319-5932;year=2020;volume=18;issue=4;spage=296;epage=301;aulast=Vandana;type=0