Knowledge, attitude, and practices of oral hygiene among college students in Bengaluru city

Introduction: Poor oral health can have a profound effect on the quality of life. The experience of pain, endurance of dental abscesses, problems with eating and chewing, embarrassment about the shape of teeth or about missing, discolored or damaged teeth can adversely affect people's daily lives and well-being. Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of oral hygiene among college students in Bengaluru city. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered 21-item structured questionnaire that assessed oral health and hygiene knowledge, attitudes, and practices of 499 students from various professions. 202 engineering students, 99 MBA/BBM students, 99 nursing students, and 99 students from B.Com. The study was conducted during June and July 2013. The results were analyzed by descriptive statistics and Chi-square test using SPSS version 14. All tests were set at a 0.05 significance level. Results: The toothbrush with toothpaste is the most common oral hygiene aid used for cleaning teeth, which was adopted by 304 (60.9%) students. More than half 287 (57.5) of the students felt that dental caries affected their esthetics. 358 (71.7) students felt that the health of the mouth and dentition had an impact on the health of the body. Conclusion: The toothbrush with toothpaste is the most common oral hygiene aid used for cleaning teeth; it was observed that a greater number of students brushed their teeth in the morning. Dental pain was the main reason to visit a dentist

Knowledge and attitudes of pharmacists regarding sugar content in medicine in Bengaluru city: A questionnaire study

Introduction: Most pediatric medicines are prescribed in a liquid form that includes sugar in the formulation. Accumulating evidence, on a clinical and experimental basis, shows a significant association between the intake of sucrose-based medication and an increased incidence of dental caries. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge and attitude of pharmacists regarding sugar content in medicine in Bengaluru city. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted among a sample of the pharmacists in Bengaluru city. A sample of 140 retail pharmacist shops were selected randomly from the total list of retail pharmacist shop registered at the Drug Control Department, Bengaluru. Data regarding their knowledge and attitude in relation to sugar content in medicine was obtained using a questionnaire. Results: Around 67.9% of the pharmacists agreed that sugar-containing medicines taken long-term could lead to dental problems. Only 12.9% of pharmacists believed that patient prefer sugar-free medicine. Most of the pharmacists (72.9%) felt that they themselves have an important role in educating people about sugar containing medicine. Conclusions: Pharmacists requires further knowledge about sugar-free medicine. The expansion of the pharmacist role in oral health promotion would be of value to patients/customers. Various methods should be adopted to increase pharmacist knowledge about dental health

Assessment of Self-Medication Practice Among Students of A Dental College of Bangalore City: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Self-medication is defined as use of medicines by the individuals on their own without professional advice to treat self-diagnosed conditions. It is prevalent not only among general population but also among doctors including dentists. Aim: To assess the pattern of self-medication practice among students of a dental college of Bangalore city. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate dental students through convenience sampling. A questionnaire consisting of 20 close-ended questions related to various aspects of self-medication practice was handed to the students. Results: Among 165 students, 68.5% of the participants were females. The most common ailments responsible for usage of self-medication were cough, cold and sore throat (22.4%) followed by headache (6.7%). Antibiotics (34.2%) and analgesics (23.9%) were the most commonly used drug groups for self-medication. Old prescription (58.2%) was found as the most common source of information for encouraging this type of practice. Conclusion: Majority of the dental students self-medicate themselves. Measures should be adopted to reduce such type of practice by guiding the students about the pros and cons of using medicines without prescription