The relationship between dental caries status and oral health attitudes and behavior in USMundergraduate’s dental students.

Oral health behavior of dental students and their attitudes reflect their understanding of the importance of preventive dental procedures of their patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between oral health attitudes and behavior as measured by the Hiroshima university-dental behavioral inventory (HU-DBI) and dental caries status using the DMFT of undergraduates’ dental students of USM. This is a cross-sectional study include 181 students and participation was selected using systematic random sampling. The HU-DBI questionnaires (in english) were distributed (n=181) and all participants were submitted for clinical examination. Dental caries status was evaluated using the who caries diagnostic criteria for decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft). Data were statistically analyzed using ibm SPSS 20.0. Data of dmf values to the hu-dbi score were analyzed using mann whitney. There were 41 students (22.65 percent) caries free (dmf=0). Dmft score ranged from 0-17 (average 3.77). a statistically significant relation was found between 13 items and dmf scores or their components and indices. The HU-DBI score ranged from 0 to 11 (mean 7.50, sd=2.06). Low dt values significantly correlated with a high total HU-DBI score (p<0.05); that is, subjects with low levels of dental disease had more positive oral health attitudes and behavior. In undergraduate dental student, dental disease, as measured by DMF scores was related to HU-DBI, which demonstrates the relationship of dental caries status with oral health behavior. Special emphasis on oral health education should be given to improving dental students’ oral health attitudes and behavior.