Basic Oral Health Knowledge and Awareness among Medical Students of Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar, India: A Cross Sectional Survey

Introduction: Knowledge of oral health is a fundamental prerequisite for healthy behaviour, which allows an individual to take measures to protect their own health. A healthy mouth enables not only nutrition of the physical body, but also enhances social interaction and promotes self-esteemed feelings of well-being. Oral hygiene behaviour and seeking oral health care depend on a number of factors.Keeping this into consideration ,WHO has strongly recommended  the integration of oral health promotion into general health care for creating awareness amongst people regarding this fact. Dental and medical practitioners both form integral parts of a comprehensive healthcare team. Similar to other developing countries, in India, medical doctors working at the rural areas are the primary caregivers to the regional population for their dental-related complaints. As the burden of periodontal diseases is comparatively higher in developing countries and the medical students are more likely to encounter underserved and vulnerable populations than dental students. Therefore, they should have optimal knowledge regarding oral health so that they can provide the desired oral health education and refer patients to a dental surgeon whenever required. Aim: To assess theoral health knowledge, attitude and practice amongst the medical students. Materials and Methods: The cross -sectional survey was done in Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences, Jalandhar. The approval for the study was taken from Institutional ethics committee. The study involved the 300 medical students of 2nd and 3rd year (150 from each batch). A self structured, pre-validated questionnaire consisting of 15 close ended questions was given to the students. The responses were collected and analysed. The results were depicted with bar graphs and figures. It was carried out to assess the knowledge of oral health and oral hygiene  among the medical students. Results: The results showed good oral health knowledge among medical students.Most participants were aware of the importance of good oral hygiene practices, particularly daily tooth brushing and its technique. Conclusion: Knowledge of oral health is a fundamental prerequisite for healthy behaviour of the individuals and for this medical practitioners should have adequate knowledge regarding dental problems and their solutions only then they can make the public aware regarding oral hygiene and and oral health.