Knowledge and attitudes towards oral and dental health among seventh and eighth grade students compared with their teeth examination.

Oral and dental heath are important aspects of general health and impact the quality of life and well-being. In this study, we aimed to assess the level of knowledge and attitudes towards oral and dental health and to examine the relative effect of social-behavioural risk factors on caries and other teeth problems among seventh and eighth grade students. Study Design: The study population consisted of all seventh and eighth graders who started the 2011 school year in Sarigol village of the Manisa city, Turkey (n = 377). Data were gathered by questionnaires which were carried out before tooth examination. Associations between sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge items, attitudinal factors and number of dental caries, dental fillings and teeth loss were studied. Oral health was worse among females (p=0.002). As the number of children under care increased in the house, the number of dental filling and teeth loss increased in the students (p= 0.001 and p=0.021). Education of mothers of students who had worse dental health was significantly lower compared to the others (p=0.029). Among students who had four and more dental caries and dental fillings, frequency of dentist visit was lower (p= 0.034 and p= 0.005). Among students who had more dental caries, the knowledge that consumption of acidic beverages is not good for oral health was less prevalent (p=0.011). Associations between sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge items, attitudinal factors and number of dental caries, dental fillings and teeth loss were studied using chi-square test. Health authorities should strengthen the implementation of oral disease prevention and oral health promotion programs rather than traditional curative care. Community-oriented education programs for students and their families are crucial for this purpose.