Oral health awareness and practice of patients visiting outpatient department of Periodontics A.J Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore

Background: Oral health is of paramount importance for the physical, social and psychological well-being of an individual. Poor oral health negatively affects an individuals productively. Lack of awareness is one of the major factor leading to oral diseases. Objective: The study was carried out to assess the oral hygiene awareness and practices amongst patients visiting the OPD of A.J Dental College, Mangalore. Materials and Method: A cross sectional study was conducted among the patients attending the outpatient department of periodontology, A.J Institute of dental science, Mangalore. A self constructed questionnaire was distributed to 1000 patients. The questionnaire consisted of questions that was categorized to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices of subjects related to oral health. After the completion of the questionnaire, they were analyzed statistically to obtain the results. Results: The result of this study shows an lack of oral hygiene awareness and limited knowledge of oral hygiene practices. Conclusion: Most of the dental problems can be prevented by educating the population thereby enhancing their levels of awareness. Hence, there is a need to educate the individuals about correct oral hygiene practices and methods for the prevention of dental diseases. Professional dental care and regular follow up along with the patients oral hygiene practices can minimize the level of oral diseases.