International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN: 2319-7064 SJIF (2019): 7.583 Volume 10 Issue 4, April 2021 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY A Survey on Oral Hygiene Methods Practiced Amongst Patients Reporting Dentistry Department of IGIMS - A Tertiary Care Centre Dr. Nivedita 1 , Dr. Devika Singh 2 , Dr. Nimmi Singh 3 , Dr. AK Sharma 4 , Dr. Sanjay Kumar 5 1 Senior Resident, Department of Dentistry, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India Corresponding Author Email id: nivedita.basu22[at]gmail.com 2 MDS, Oral Medicine & Radiology, Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental & Medical Sciences, Lucknow, India Email id: devsika[at]gmail.com 3 Associate Professor, Department of Dentistry, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India Email id: singhdrnimmi[at]gmail.com 4 Professor and Head, Department of Dentistry, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India Email id: arbindsharmaprof[at]gmail.com 5 Additional Professor, Department of Dentistry, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, India Email id: devasthanam786[at]yahoo.co.in Abstract: Introduction : Good Oral hygiene is a necessity, lack of which results in a variety of different oral health problems. Preventive oral health knowledge, behavior and its practice are important ways of keeping our teeth healthy. Objectives : To assess the awareness and practices on oral hygiene methods amongst patients reporting to the outpatient department of dentistry of IGIMS, Patna. Materials and Methods : 546 children of age group 3-12 yrs were included in the study. Demographic details followed by detailed description on oral hygiene practices were recorded on a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of patient name, age, sex, various dentifrices used, oral hygiene instruments used and frequency of brushing. Data obtained were statistically analyzed using Chi square and results were obtained. Results : It was found that the use of toothbrushes (61.2%), non-medicated pastes (69.6) were most common among males & females. Cleaning ‘once’ (67.2%), followed by ‘twice’ & ‘more than twice’ was the most commonly reported frequency, among both males & females. Conclusion : Lack of oral health awareness and hygiene practices amongst the children was found in the study which was unsatisfactory. There is much-needed niche for implementing oral health awareness and education to parents and children both. Keywords: Oral hygiene, Dental disease, Dental floss, Preventive Programs 1. Introduction Oral diseases are a big public health problem all around the world. There has been increased in prevalence of oral diseases, mainly for individuals from low socio-economic groups. 1 In spite of better dental facilities population residing in urban areas are affected with a number of oral diseases. 2 Oral hygiene has remained as an ignored and unappreciated social problem. 3 Maintenance of good oral hygiene is the basic requirement for healthy teeth and gingiva. Good oral health includes disease free teeth and supporting tissues. There are various materials (tooth brush, dental floss, interdental aids, mouth wash etc) and methods available which are used to remove food particles and other deposits from surfaces of teeth in order to keep them healthy. 4 Inappropriate brushing times and/or the complete lack of the habit of brushing results in poor oral hygiene. Most people are unaware of the fact that there is a strong relationship between poor oral hygiene and systemic diseases. 3 Prevention of oral disease can be achieved by optimizing the oral health practices in the form of proper tooth brushing, use of dental floss, dental visits at regular intervals, and proper dietary practices. 5 The programs for the prevention of oral diseases concern educating about oral hygiene and healthy eating, fluoride prophylaxis, periodic checkups, sessions of professional oral hygiene and secondary prevention programs. 6 It is an important issue which needs continuous supervision from the health-care professional. However, to make these efforts succeed people should be made aware of the importance of oral health and show positive attitude towards the oral hygiene. 7 Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess the awareness and practices on oral hygiene amongst patients reporting to the outpatient department of dentistry of IGIMS, Patna. 1.1 Aim To assess the awareness and practices on oral hygiene amongst patients reporting to the out patient department of dentistry of IGIMS, Patna. 1.2 Objectives 1) To assess the type of materials and methods used for cleaning teeth. 2) To determine the frequency of the methods used for maintaining oral hygiene. 3) To create the awareness, educate & motivate the children about the importance of oral hygiene maintenance. Paper ID: SR21410163639 DOI: 10.21275/SR21410163639 626