The Oral Health Status of Dental Students in Ajman University

OBJECTIVES: Several researchers have investigated the attitude and behavior of dental students regarding their oral health habits, and the influence of the scientific information dispended during dental study on their own oral hygiene, oral health habits and oral health status. The aim of this study was to determine the oral health habits, oral hygiene and dental caries level among the final year dental students in Ajman University, United Arab Emirates. METHOD: The 101 students, mean age 25 sd (7.1) took part in this study, whoever took part in this study responded to an announcement for students who wish to participate in an oral health survey. Participants were asked to complete questionnaire regarding their oral health habits .In addition, they received oral examinations using the WHO criteria. RESULTS: The dental examination revealed that overall the mean DMFS was 8.5,sd 6.8while mean plaque score was 0.3 and sd 0.5. The univariate analysis showed that (67.3%) consume sugar containing food once daily,(54.4%) brush their teeth twice a day,(70.3%) used other method for cleaning their teeth apart from tooth brush , (88.2%) visited the dentist during the last year. In addition the Bivariate analysis revealed that there were significant association between DMFS score and students Nationality, frequency of eating/day ,frequency of brushing, using other methods of tooth cleaning and making dental visits. CONCLUSION: In conclusion the dental students are highly motivated about maintaining their dental health. However their oral health did not reach a satisfactory level. This half victory shows that it is necessary to put more emphasis on the teaching of prevention in our faculty and especially on finding the best way to transmit the message of oral health promotion.