Exploring the Gap between Perception and Practice in Oral Health Behaviors and Tobacco Use among Dental Students in Yazd City

Introduction: This study aimed to examine the effect of preventive dental education on individual perception and oral health behaviors, in addition to assess gingival health and plaque control among dental students at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences during the 2024–2025 academic year. Furthermore, the impact of academic year, gender, and tobacco consumption was investigated. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 73 dental students. Attitudes, behaviors, and tobacco use were evaluated using the HU-DBI questionnaire along with two additional questions. Gingival health and plaque control were measured by a single examiner using the O’Leary Plaque Index and the Gingival Bleeding Index (GBI). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16, employing descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and an independent t-test. A significance level of 0.05 was considered for all tests. Results: Final-year students and female participants scored significantly higher on the HU-DBI questionnaire compared to first-year students (p < 0.001) and male participants (p < 0.001), and showed significantly lower scores on the O’Leary (p < 0.001) and GBI (p < 0.001) indices. Tobacco consumption was higher among male students (p = 0.006), whereas no significant difference was observed across academic years regarding smoking habits (p = 0.377). The data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. Statistical analysis was conducted using the independent t-test, Mann–Whitney test, Chi-square test, and correlation. A significance level of 0.05 was used for every test. Conclusion: The findings indicate a positive influence of education and academic progression on oral hygiene and gingival health. Female students showed lower rates of tobacco use; however, greater awareness in senior years did not automatically lead to a decrease in tobacco consumption.