International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 160 Vol.7; Issue: 3; March 2017 International Journal of Health Sciences and Research www.ijhsr.org ISSN: 2249-9571 Original Research Article Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude and Practice and Its Relation to Oral Health Status among 12-Year Old School Children of Sullia Taluk Dr. Mohammad Shareef 1 , Dr. Nusrath Fareed 2 , Dr. Hemant Battur 3 , Dr. Sanjeev Khanagar 4 1 Post Graduate Student, 2 Prof. and H.O.D, 3 Professor, 4 Reader Department of Public Health Dentistry, K.V.G. Dental College and Hospital, Sullia, D.K. India Corresponding Author: Dr. Mohammad Shareef Received: 25/01/2017 Revised: 14/02/2017 Accepted: 22/02/2017 ABSTRACT Introduction: Good oral health practices are necessary from an young age to ensure positive long term dental health and hygiene and the oral health of children is important towards their overall well being. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the Oral health knowledge, Attitude and Practice by means of a self-administered questionnaire and to assess the oral health status of 12 year old school children through WHO oral health assessment form and to determine the association between oral health knowledge, attitude, and practices and oral health status among the studied children. Methods: A total of 650 school children drawn through cluster random sampling from across Sullia Taluk and data were collected by clinical examinations (WHO oral health assessments form for children 2013). Knowledge attitudes and practices were recorded through a self-administered, validated questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed through SPSS version 21. P value was set ≤ 0.05 Results: Prevalence of dental caries was 48% (Male-40.2% Female-42.3%) with mean dmft of 4.8±1.2, Prevalence of bleeding on probing was 30.15%, and Prevalence of dental trauma 30% (enamel-dentin fracture) prevalence of enamel fluorosis was 1.9%. The studied population showed 58% to be having satisfactory knowledge, where as 48% had implemented their knowledge in to practices, this gap between knowledge & implementation is reported in literature. Conclusion: The prevalence of dental caries was 48%, Prevalence of bleeding on probing was 30.15%, Prevalence of dental trauma 31% and prevalence of enamel fluorosis was 1.9%. Attitude and practices were significantly associated with respect to three clinical parameters that were studied though knowledge remained constant. Key words- Oral health knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Dental caries INTRODUCTION Knowledge as defined by ‘Oxford dictionary’ is the ‘expertise and skills acquired by a person through experience or education’. Knowledge acquisition involves complex cognitive processes: perception, learning, communication, association and reasoning. The term knowledge is also used to mean the confident understanding (theoretical or practical) of a subject with the ability to use it for a specific purpose. An attitude is a relatively enduring organization of beliefs around an object, subject or concept which pre-disposes one to respond in some preferential manner. Attitudes are acquired characteristic of an individual; they naturally reflect their own experiences, cultural perceptions, familial beliefs, and other life situations and strongly influence the oral health behaviour. (1- 4)