A Comparative Investigation into the Relationship between Gingival Health and Oral Hygiene: The Case of Junior and Senior Dentistry Students

Abstract

Introduction: The present study aimed to explore the impact of preventive dimensions of a dentistry education program on the behavior, oral hygiene, and gingival health of a group of dentistry students of Yazd province. Methods: 51 junior and senior dentistry students of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences volunteered to participate in the study. Participants were asked to fill in the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI). Also, clinical examinations to assess Gingival Bleeding Index and O'leary Index were conducted. Results: Comparison of junior and senior participants’ responses to the HU-DBI items indicated a statistically significant difference between the two groups on items 1, 8, 10, 15, 17, 18, 20, and 21. While the senior group showed lower Gingival Bleeding and O'leary indexes in comparison to its junior counterpart, the junior group showed a higher HU-DBI mean score in comparison to the junior group. Furthermore, participants with higher HU-DBI mean scores were found to show lower Gingival Bleeding and O'leary indexes. Conclusion: Findings of the study indicate that junior dentistry students, in comparison to senior ones, had better gingival health and oral hygiene