RESUMO
The objective of the present study were to determine the oral hygiene practices and perceptions of patients attending Dr. Ishrat-ul- abad Institute of Oral health Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi Across-sectional questionnaire based survey was conducted during January to June 2011.A total of 1059 patients were interviewed from a structured questionnaire at Periodontology Department of Dr. Ishratul- Ebad Institute of Oral Health Sciences, DUHS, Karachi. All patients seeking dental care at Outpatients Department were examined and interviewed by Dentists and Periodontist. The dental examinations were conducted focusing the oral hygiene as per standard oral hygiene practices. The study participants were recruited by non probability convenience sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding practices and perception on oral hygiene. Data was recorded and analyzed using SPSS version 16. 1059 respondents consented for interview regarding oral hygiene practices and perception. Most of the patients 694 [65.5%] belonged to 18-25 years of age. Most of the patients seeking dental care were female 684 [64.6%]. The optimum oral hygiene practices and ideal perceptions 694 [65.5%] were found in age group 18-25 and were higher in females 684 [64.9%] at significant level of 5%. Oral health practices and perception vary based on age group and gender. The poor resources for dental care, common malpractices and the non availability of professional care were the main barriers in seeking optimum dental care