Oral hygiene practices, knowledge and dental attendance pattern of secondary school teachers

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to assess the oral hygiene practices, knowledge and their dental attendance pattern. A survey was conducted for five hundred secondary school teachers in Sahiwal, Punjab, Pakistan. The response rate was 56.6%. The results showed that the majority of female teachers use toothbrush as compared to the male teachers. The knowledge of female teachers was better than male teachers regarding bacteria and tooth disease. Female teachers had more tooth sensitivity. Male teachers had more experience of scaling of teeth and there was no significant difference between the male and female school teachers tegarding their attendance pattern [visit] to avail dental treatment. The school teachers can be focused for improvement in their knowledge about oral health and diseases and may be utilized for oral health promotion in schools. This will reduce the burden of curative dental services in a country like Pakistan with financial constraints