Oral Hygiene Practices among People in Salem District

Abstract

Oral hygiene is an important aspect of dental health and is considered to be an essential field as it involves both the oral and general health of the individual. Maintaining proper oral hygiene is essential and requires knowledge that should be imposed on people by a well-trained health educator. Oral health is not only implied by proper brushing, but also through frequent and regular visits to the dentist which helps in early detection and diagnosis of both oral and general diseases. The present study was conducted to assess the knowledge about oral hygiene and to determine the need to spread awareness on the same. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 9 questions was circulated and the results were interpreted. The present study inferred that most of the people were aware of maintaining proper oral hygiene but however felt that there was a lack of established dental clinics around the urban areas. Further, there was a need to instill the importance of regular dental check-ups and spread awareness on the ill- effects of improper oral hygiene. The study concluded that there was a need to enhance the knowledge of the population on the importance of good oral hygiene and dental check-ups.