Poor oral hygiene practices are prevalent, with inadequate brushing and tongue cleaning habits, indicating a need for oral health education, in Baramulla district of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Authors
Hafsa Kango, Independent Researcher, Roseland, Raj Bagh, Srinagar 190008, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Neelu Anand Jha, Associate Professor, Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India
Parvaiz Masoodi, Government Medical College (GMC), and Associated Hospital, Baramulla 193101, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Aliya Naz, Assistant Professor, Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India
Abhiroop Chowdhury, Professor, Jindal School of Environment & Sustainability, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India
Summary
Background/Objectives: Oral hygiene practices are important for good oral health and overall well-being. In this study, we surveyed people across age groups and genders to understand the oral hygiene practices of Baramulla district of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Methods: 488 participants—229 males and 259 females—were randomly interviewed through a structured 20-item questionnaire. A chi-square test was used to analyze the age and gender-specific associations in oral hygiene behaviors.
Results: The study revealed that majority of participants brushed their teeth only once a day instead of the recommended twice a day; only young cohorts showed relatively higher practice of brushing twice daily. A significantly higher proportion of males (11.69%) rarely brushed their teeth compared to females (4.28%). Tongue cleaning was poorly reported across age and genders and more than 60% of respondents did not clean their tongue at all. Almost 75% and above had made dental visits at least once. However, the visits were made primarily in cases of pain and sensitivity, indicating negligence, financial issues, or a general lack of awareness. The younger cohorts reported eating fast food more frequently, indicating risk groups. The majority of male respondents (45.88%) reported fair oral health whereas the majority of female respondents (35.29%) reported poor overall oral health.
Conclusions: Our results show that oral hygiene practices need more improvement, and the attitude and knowledge of the residents need to be ameliorated through oral health education policy interventions.
Published in: Healthcare (Switzerland)
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