Assessment of Oral Hygiene Knowledge, Practices, and Concepts of Tobacco Usage among Engineering Students in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India

• Published in: The journal of contemporary dental practice Vol. 18; no. 6; pp. 423 - 428
• Main Authors: Bandyopadhyay, Alokenath, Bhuyan, Lipsa, Panda, Abikshyeet, Dash, Kailash C, Raghuvanshi, Malvika, Behura, Shyam S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India 01-06-2017
• Subjects: Alcohol Drinking - adverse effects; Dentistry; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; India; Male; Oral Health; Oral Hygiene; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tobacco, Smokeless - adverse effects; Tobacco, Smokeless - utilization; Toothbrushing; Young Adult; Oral hygiene Tobacco usage; Attitude; Engineering students; Knowledge
• ISSN: 1526-3711; 1526-3711
• DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10024-2059

This study aimed to assess oral hygiene-related knowledge and practices among engineering students of Bhubaneswar city and also to evaluate the concepts about the side effects of tobacco usage among those students.
The study was conducted using a self-administered, close-ended questionnaire to assess the oral hygiene knowledge and practices and study the concepts on tobacco usage among 362 engineering students of Bhubaneswar city, Odisha, India. The obtained data were statistically analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 20.0.
This survey found that 26.51% of the students had never visited a dentist. Nearly 43.64% of the participants were cognizant of the fact that improper brushing is the reason of tooth decay. About 47% of the participants consumed alcohol and 32.6% had the habit of chewing tobacco, though 80% were aware that use of smokeless tobacco can impair oral health and cause cancer and use of alcohol has detrimental effect on oral health.
Knowledge with respect to oral health among engineering students of Bhubaneswar city is adequate regarding using fluoridated toothpaste and flosses. However, an unhealthy snacking habit, overusage of toothbrushes, consumption of alcohol, and practicing tobacco habit show the lack of oral health knowledge in these students.
Our study provides an idea about the present scenario in terms of oral hygiene and tobacco usage in young individuals. This can form the basis for oral health education and tobacco cessation program. Moreover, as the habit of tobacco usage starts early during college life, adequate knowledge about its ill-effects would prevent deadly diseases, such as potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer.