Work

The Effect of Dental Education on Students' Oral and Dental Health Attitudes and Behaviours

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: The attitudes of dental students, expected to serve as role models for patients, have the potential to enhance their oral health. Therefore, it is essential to reinforce students' oral care attitudes throughout dental education. This study aims to assess the impact of dental education on students' oral care attitudes and behaviours, as well as the effectiveness of tooth brushing and plaque removal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted at the Department of Periodontology, Ankara University Faculty of Dentistry, with a study group consisting of 35 first-year and 35 fifth-year students from the 2023-2024 academic year. The Hiroshima University Dental Behaviour Inventory (HU-DBI) was used to evaluate participants' attitudes towards oral health and their oral health habits. The Rustogi Modified Navy Plaque Index was used to assess the participants' tooth brushing efficiency and plaque scores. RESULTS: The overall mean HU-DBI score among students was 7.00 ± 1.39. First-year students had a mean score of 6.51 ± 1.52, whereas fifth-year students had a significantly higher mean score of 7.49 ± 1.07 (p < 0.05). Plaque scores significantly decreased after brushing in both first-year and fifth-year students (p < 0.05), but no significant difference was found when comparing plaque index values between the classes. Although there was no statistically significant correlation between total questionnaire scores and plaque index values, a tendency was observed in which plaque values decreased as questionnaire scores increased. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that dental education has a positive effect on students' attitudes and behaviours regarding oral health.

Source: European Journal Of Dental Education

DOI: 10.1111/eje.70146