Do You Believe It !!!

Objectives: To get an insight about popular myths regarding dentistry that prevail among patients visiting OPD of Allied Hospital FSD and How such believes effect their thinking about oral hygiene as well as dental treatment needs.
Methods: Cross-sectional Study.
A random sample of 300 patients is taken.
Participants underwent a structured interview.


Results: 69 % believed that ‘extraction of upper teeth effects vision’, 88.5 % think the harder and more you brush the teeth ; healthier the teeth become. 93.5% believed that scaling loosens the teeth. 91.2 % believed that when the gums bleed, better not to brush the teeth. 63% think that extraction of one teeth leads to the extraction of all. 94 % consider dental procedures as always painful. 96.3 % believe that milk teeth need no treatment as they are going to shed off anyways. 73% consider brushing teeth with salts whitens them. 91.3 % believed that teeth are only healthy when they are white. 86.7 % believed that one set of dentures will last for a life time.
Conclusions: Our study shows that myths regarding dentistry and dental treatment are strongly rooted in our society. The influence of such believes is so great that they become a major hindrance for patient in seeking professional and logical advice timely as well as makes it difficult to for a dentist to convince patient for rational treatment. So we must have the courage to abandon them by educating people with facts and figures.