International Journal of Health Sciences

Survey of Oral Hygiene Behaviors, Knowledge and Attitude among School Children: A Cross-Sectional Study from Iran
Aziz Kamran, Katayoun Bakhteyar, Heshmatollah Heydari, Ali Lotfi, Zahra Heydari

Abstract
Background: Oral health is not only important for appearance and sense of wellbeing but also for overall health. The study is aimed to evaluate oral hygiene practice, knowledge and attitude among (10-15 yr) school children. Methods: This is a cross sectional study was conducted on 440 school students of age group (10-15 years) from five different schools of khorammabad at 2013. The school and the students were selected by random sampling method. A pre-tested close- ended questionnaire was used for the study, The data was analyzed with SPSS version 16.0 and using the Student’s T-test, ANOVA and Karl Pearson’s correlation Results: 83% reported that use of fluoride strengthens teeth and only 18.2% knew that healthy teeth are strong and caries free teeth. Only 5% participant reported the reason for dental visit was general dental check up while 75% visited dentist only when dental pain. 8.2% had the habit of rinsing their mouth after eating. A linear positive correlation was found between knowledge, attitude and behavior. Conclusion: Oral hygiene habits, oral health awareness and knowledge level among school children is not satisfactory. The participants had poor oral health behavior, insufficient knowledge, incorrect attitude and practice regarding oral health.

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