Tooth brushing, tongue cleaning and snacking behaviour of dental technology and therapist students

Abstract

ObjectiveTo determine the tooth brushing, tongue cleaning and snacking behaviour of dental technology and therapist students.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study of students of Federal School of Dental Therapy and Technology Enugu, Nigeria. Self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on demography, frequency, duration and technique of tooth brushing and tongue cleaning as well as information on consumption of snacks.ResultsA total of 242 students responded. Dental technology students made up 52.5% of the respondents and dental therapist in training made up 47.5%. Majority (63.2%) of the respondents considered the strength of tooth brush when purchasing a tooth brush and 78.9% use tooth brushes with medium strength. Seven-tenth (71.9%) of the respondents brush their teeth twice daily and 52.1% brush for 3–5 minutes. About one-third (30.2%) brush their teeth in front of a mirror. Chewing stick was used by 51.7% of respondents in addition to the use of tooth brush. Tongue cleaning was done by 94.2% with only 9.5% using a tongue cleaner. Only 20.2% reported regular snacks consumption. Nine-tenth (90.4%) of respondents were previously involved in educating others, apart from their colleagues, on tooth brushing.ConclusionThis survey revealed that most of the dental therapy and technology students had satisfactory tooth-brushing behaviour. The zeal to educate others about proper tooth brushing revealed in this study suggests that the students may be helpful in oral health promotion.

Self-reported oral hygiene practice and utilization of dental services by dental technology students in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

“…13 In addition, a study by Al-Otaibi et al 14 reported that the use of chewing stick appears to be more effective than tooth brushing for removal of plaque from the embrasures, hence improving interproximal health. Nearly all the participants brush their teeth twice daily; this result is in agreement with a previous study conducted among dental auxiliaries in Nigeria, 15 which stated that 71.9% brush their teeth twice daily, but in contrast to other studies conducted among other group of students, in which less than half of the population brushed their teeth twice daily. 12,16 Nearly all the participants use medium toothbrush to clean their teeth, only 10.1% of the population used the modified bass brushing method, however, 6.4% do not know the brushing method they use.…”

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices of personal and oral hygiene among undergraduate university students in Sulaimani city

“…This study indicates 62.9% of university students brushed their teeth before going to sleep, in contrast studies carried out in Nigeria and developing countries revealed 71.9% and 62.7% of undergraduates brushed their teeth twice a day [21,22]. Almost 27.8% of students reported brushing teeth after breakfast, this finding is anticipated with past researches that have shown 28% of adults used to brush their teeth at breakfast time so they could feel fresh at the beginning of the day [23].…”

Ações extensionistas em saúde bucal na rede pública de ensino de Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil

“…Os escolares relataram que o sangramento gengival esteve presente, principalmente, durante o uso do fio e/ou fita dental. Esse fato reforça que a remoção mecânica do biofilme dentário é efetiva com a utilização não apenas de escovas dentais, mas também por meio de dispositivos de limpeza interproximal 12 . Nesse contexto, é bem reconhecida que a limpeza da língua contribui para uma completa higienização bucal, sendo tal passo realizado pela maioria dos alunos das duas escolas.…”