Survey of Oral Hygiene Habits and Knowledge among School Children: a cross-sectional study from Italy

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ABSTRACT

Aim

This study is aimed to investigate the oral hygiene practice, knowledge and attitude of young adults, assessing their awareness about the impact of a certain “risk” behaviour on their oral and dental health.

Material and methods

This is a cross-sectional survey study conducted on 829 students (350 males and 479 females, mean age 13–20 years) attending high school in Milan and surrounding areas. They were asked to complete anonymous questionnaire during the first semester of the 2019-2020 school year, under the supervision of a teacher and/or an assigned interviewer. The questionnaire was created by “Laboratorio Adolescenza”, in collaboration with the International Alliance of Responsible Drinking (IARD) Research Institute and the University of Milan. All of the data was compiled into table or graph form and analysed.

Results

The data shows that 22.3% of males and 28.4% of females stated to always brush their teeth after lunch. 29.7% of males and 34.9% of females attended at least one dental check-up in a calendar year. Half of the participants had caries, gum bleeding and dental hypersensitivity. For males, having white teeth is the most relevant aspect of oral health, whilst for females having healthy teeth is more important. The results showed that 6% of males and 8.6% of females use dental floss daily. At least 80% of the total sample is aware of the impact of diet and bad habits (smoking, alcohol and drugs) on the condition of the oral cavity.

Conclusion

There is a general awareness among Italian school children about the risks of bad oral habits, however, there is a need to improve the oral health knowledge, attitude and practices in the target population with emphasis on improvement of oral hygiene practices.

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