Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude and Practices amongst Health Professionals in Ludhiana, India

Objective: To assess oral health knowledge, attitude towards dental treatment and oral hygiene practices amongst the health care professionals in private hospitals of Ludhiana city. Methodology: A cross-sectional study of oral health knowledge, attitude towards dental treatment and practices of health professionals (doctors, nurses, technicians and pharmacists) was carried out using self-administered questionnaire. For attitude of health professionals toward dental treatment and oral hygiene practices of health professionals, chi-square test was used. Results: Males had a higher oral health knowledge score than the females. The doctors had a highest score knowledge followed by pharmacists, nurses and technicians. Attitude towards dental treatment varied. All participants believed that regular visits to the dentist were necessary. The driving factor for their last visit was dental caries. The most common reason mentioned by the health professionals for not visiting the dentists was busy schedule. More than 50% of health professionals brushed their teeth more than 3 minutes. Flossing was more common in females as compared to males and mouthwash was more frequently than floss. Conclusion: Despite high literacy rate for health care professionals, oral health knowledge was average. They showed a positive attitude towards dental treatment. Oral health knowledge should be inculcated in the curriculum for all health care professionals. This will improve their oral health status and provide knowledge relevant to importance of oral health and its maintenance, as well. If they have an adequate knowledge, they can further teach the masses.