Research Article
Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Iranian
Nurses towards Toothbrush Maintenance and Use
Mohammad Nazarianpirdosti,
1
Maryam Janatolmakan ,
2
Bahare Andayeshgar,
3
and Alireza khatony
2,4
1
Student Research Committee, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
2
Social Development and Health Promotion Research Centre, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences,
Kermanshah, Iran
3
School of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
4
Infectious Diseases Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
Correspondence should be addressed to Alireza khatony; akhatony@gmail.com
Received 3 October 2021; Accepted 3 December 2021; Published 14 December 2021
Academic Editor: Maria H F Grypdonck
Copyright © 2021 Mohammad Nazarianpirdosti et al. is is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons
Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.
Background. Since nurses are considered a role model in society, they should have sufficient knowledge, attitude, and practice in
the field of oral hygiene. is study was aimed to assess the nurses’ knowledge, practice, and attitude towards toothbrush
maintenance and use. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 325 nurses working in hospitals affiliated to Kermanshah University
of Medical Sciences were randomly recruited. Data collection tools included a demographic information form and a researcher-
made questionnaire on knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding toothbrush maintenance and use. Data were analyzed by SPSS
software using descriptive and inferential statistics (Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis H). Results. e mean scores of nurses’
knowledge, attitude, and practice were 59.2 ± 16.4, 64.2 ± 20.6, and 51.4 ± 17.0 out of 100, respectively. ere was no statistically
significant relation between nurses’ knowledge, attitude, and practice and their gender, age, level of education, and work ex-
perience. Conclusions. Nurses had moderate knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding toothbrush maintenance and use, which
is not very desirable given their role model. erefore, training courses are recommended to be held to increase the nurses’
knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding toothbrush maintenance and use.
1. Background
Brushing is one of the most important and effective self-care
methods which prevents oral diseases [1–3]. In addition,
brushing reduces dental plaque and thus prevents decay and
related diseases [4–8]. erefore, it is highly important for
nurses to have adequate knowledge about the correct
brushing method and also toothbrush maintenance, re-
placement, and cleaning [9–12]. If the toothbrush is not
properly maintained and used, it can cause oral infections
and diseases [9–15]. Changing the toothbrush every 2.5–6
months and brushing for two minutes or more twice a day
are some correct methods of toothbrush use [13, 16–22].
Today, as the largest group in the health sector, nurses
have an important role in promoting health policies in the
field of oral health [23–27]. erefore, adequate knowledge
and practice and positive attitude regarding toothbrush
maintenance and use is of special importance for nurses
[28–32]. Surveys in Europe and the United States show that
nurses consider oral health one of the most important
nursing practices [1, 33]. A study in Malaysia showed that
despite the limited knowledge of nurses about oral health,
they had a good attitude to it [34]. e results of a study in
India (2018) on oral health showed that 70% of nurses had
poor knowledge, 83% had a positive attitude, and 69% had
poor practice [30]. A study also showed that 82% of Iranian
nurses had poor oral care practice [35]. e results of a study
in Norway (2012) showed that 80% of nurses considered oral
health an important issue, while 9.1% found patient oral care
unpleasant [36]. In another study, the knowledge of Nigerian
Hindawi
Nursing Research and Practice
Volume 2021, Article ID 3694141, 7 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/3694141