Determining the knowledge levels and opinions of high school students aged between 13- 17 about fluoride in toothpastes

Aims: Fluorine, which has been proven to be effective in preventing dental caries, is applied systemically and topically as a public health method in children and adults. Toothpastes are the most common form of topical fluoridation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge of high school students aged 13-17 years about fluoridated toothpastes and the information sources from which they accessed this information. Methods: A questionnaire prepared by us was administered to 750 volunteer high school students. In the questionnaire, demographic information, tooth brushing habits, knowledge and opinions about fluorine in toothpastes and the sources of this information were asked. In this study, percentage (%) and frequency (n) values were given as descriptive statistics. Results: Of the 750 high school students who answered our questionnaire, 44% were female, 56% were male and the average age was 14.62 years. When the brushing habits of the students were analyzed; it was seen that 19% of them brush irregularly and 7% of them do not brush their teeth. About fluorine in toothpastes, 47% of the students had no information, 27% thought it prevented caries, 14% thought it was harmful, and 12% were undecided. When students were asked whether the toothpaste, they used to contain fluorine or not, 53% of them did not have any information, 37% of them had access to information from family and friends, 34% from dentists, 27% from social media, and 2% from school. Conclusion: It was observed that high school students’ tooth brushing habits were inadequate and their basic knowledge about fluoride applications was weak. Within the scope of community oral and dental health, it was thought that students should be informed about the caries preventive effect of fluoride at optimum intervals from accurate information sources such as dentists and schools.