Oral health awareness and oral hygiene status of 12- and 15-year-old children in Chennai

Background: Oral diseases can be considered as a public health problem due to their high prevalence and significant social impact. Aim: This study aimed to assess dental knowledge, oral hygiene, oral hygiene practices, and eating habits among 12- and 15-year-old children in Chennai and to correlate...

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Main Authors: Akila Ganesh, Preetha E Chaly, V Chandrasekhara Reddy, Navin A Ingle, R Bhavyaa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2019-01-01
Series:Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.jiaphd.org/article.asp?issn=2319-5932;year=2019;volume=17;issue=3;spage=206;epage=212;aulast=Ganesh
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author Akila Ganesh
Preetha E Chaly
V Chandrasekhara Reddy
Navin A Ingle
R Bhavyaa
author_facet Akila Ganesh
Preetha E Chaly
V Chandrasekhara Reddy
Navin A Ingle
R Bhavyaa
author_sort Akila Ganesh
collection DOAJ
description Background: Oral diseases can be considered as a public health problem due to their high prevalence and significant social impact. Aim: This study aimed to assess dental knowledge, oral hygiene, oral hygiene practices, and eating habits among 12- and 15-year-old children in Chennai and to correlate the level of oral hygiene with oral hygiene practices. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1600 children from various schools in Chennai. Simple random sampling methodology was used to select the schools from all the four zones. The methodology included a close-ended questionnaire on oral health awareness and recording of Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (Greene and Vermillion, 1964). The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 16. Student's t-test and analysis of variance were used for the comparison of two and more than two groups, respectively, followed by post hoc test. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to find the correlation between two or more variables. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Around 1285 (80.3%) children felt that tooth decay is a disease that destroys the teeth and 1101 (68.8%) knew that gum infection makes gums to bleed. Overall distribution reported that 1018 (63.6%) children had fair oral hygiene. Poor oral hygiene score was seen more in government schoolchildren than private schoolchildren with highly statistically significant results. Conclusions: The overall knowledge on oral health was good among the children. Nearly 90% of the children had fair debris score. Oral hygiene practices were positively correlated with the level of oral hygiene.
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spelling doaj.art-9698d2af27b547a4b3e5a42df256ed1d2022-12-22T01:59:00ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry2319-59322350-04842019-01-0117320621210.4103/jiaphd.jiaphd_214_18Oral health awareness and oral hygiene status of 12- and 15-year-old children in ChennaiAkila GaneshPreetha E ChalyV Chandrasekhara ReddyNavin A IngleR BhavyaaBackground: Oral diseases can be considered as a public health problem due to their high prevalence and significant social impact. Aim: This study aimed to assess dental knowledge, oral hygiene, oral hygiene practices, and eating habits among 12- and 15-year-old children in Chennai and to correlate the level of oral hygiene with oral hygiene practices. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1600 children from various schools in Chennai. Simple random sampling methodology was used to select the schools from all the four zones. The methodology included a close-ended questionnaire on oral health awareness and recording of Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (Greene and Vermillion, 1964). The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 16. Student's t-test and analysis of variance were used for the comparison of two and more than two groups, respectively, followed by post hoc test. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to find the correlation between two or more variables. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Around 1285 (80.3%) children felt that tooth decay is a disease that destroys the teeth and 1101 (68.8%) knew that gum infection makes gums to bleed. Overall distribution reported that 1018 (63.6%) children had fair oral hygiene. Poor oral hygiene score was seen more in government schoolchildren than private schoolchildren with highly statistically significant results. Conclusions: The overall knowledge on oral health was good among the children. Nearly 90% of the children had fair debris score. Oral hygiene practices were positively correlated with the level of oral hygiene.http://www.jiaphd.org/article.asp?issn=2319-5932;year=2019;volume=17;issue=3;spage=206;epage=212;aulast=GaneshChildrenknowledgeoral hygiene
spellingShingle Akila Ganesh
Preetha E Chaly
V Chandrasekhara Reddy
Navin A Ingle
R Bhavyaa
Oral health awareness and oral hygiene status of 12- and 15-year-old children in Chennai
Journal of Indian Association of Public Health Dentistry
Children
knowledge
oral hygiene
title Oral health awareness and oral hygiene status of 12- and 15-year-old children in Chennai
title_full Oral health awareness and oral hygiene status of 12- and 15-year-old children in Chennai
title_fullStr Oral health awareness and oral hygiene status of 12- and 15-year-old children in Chennai
title_full_unstemmed Oral health awareness and oral hygiene status of 12- and 15-year-old children in Chennai
title_short Oral health awareness and oral hygiene status of 12- and 15-year-old children in Chennai
title_sort oral health awareness and oral hygiene status of 12 and 15 year old children in chennai
topic Children
knowledge
oral hygiene
url http://www.jiaphd.org/article.asp?issn=2319-5932;year=2019;volume=17;issue=3;spage=206;epage=212;aulast=Ganesh
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AT navinaingle oralhealthawarenessandoralhygienestatusof12and15yearoldchildreninchennai
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