Oral Health and Hygiene Practices from Baramulla District, Jammu and Kashmir, India: A Questionnaire-Based Cross-Sectional Observational Survey

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Oral hygiene practices are important for good oral health and overall well-being. In this study, we surveyed people across age groups and genders to understand the oral hygiene practices of Baramulla district of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. <b>Methods:</b> 488 participants-229 males and 259 females-were randomly interviewed through a structured 20-item questionnaire. A chi-square test was used to analyze the age and gender-specific associations in oral hygiene behaviors. <b>Results:</b> The study revealed that majority of participants brushed their teeth only once a day instead of the recommended twice a day; only young cohorts showed relatively higher practice of brushing twice daily. A significantly higher proportion of males (11.69%) rarely brushed their teeth compared to females (4.28%). Tongue cleaning was poorly reported across age and genders and more than 60% of respondents did not clean their tongue at all. Almost 75% and above had made dental visits at least once. However, the visits were made primarily in cases of pain and sensitivity, indicating negligence, financial issues, or a general lack of awareness. The younger cohorts reported eating fast food more frequently, indicating risk groups. The majority of male respondents (45.88%) reported fair oral health whereas the majority of female respondents (35.29%) reported poor overall oral health. <b>Conclusions:</b> Our results show that oral hygiene practices need more improvement, and the attitude and knowledge of the residents need to be ameliorated through oral health education policy interventions.