Oral Hygiene Practices in Dental Students

Objective This study aims to determine oral health practices among under graduate dental students from Pravara Rural Dental college Loni. Methods A self administered questionnaire was distributed among dental students randomly. The questionnaire was developed to assess the self reported perception of oral hygiene practices. Results The response rate was 85%. 15% of the students did not answer the questionnaire completely so were not included in the study. (n=252) 67.46% students reported brushing twice daily while only 5.55% were brushing thrice daily, 26.98% of them were brushing once in a day. 96.03% the students reported using toothpaste, 79.75% of them were using fluoridated toothpaste this indicates that many of them were well aware of fact that fluorides have significant role in dental caries and show potential therapeutic, adjunctive and preventive use in the treatment of periodontal diseases. 73.41% of students reported rinsing their mouth with water, only 23.80% were using mouthwashes. All of them were using one or more oral cleaning aids i.e. dental floss, interdental brush and tongue cleaner.seventy nine percent students were reported using tongue cleaners. Conclusion The results indicate that more emphasis should be given on Oral health care of Undergraduate dental students and further research is needed to examine oral cavity clinically and objectively by standard procedures available. Students should be motivated to keep their mouth free of dental diseases by practicing proper oral hygine aids and guidelines.