Oral Health Condition and Dental Anxiety  Among Students

Ema Aleksic; Jasmina Milic; Maja Lalic; Adam Malesevic; Bojan Jovicic; Marjan Marjanovic

Volume : III, Issue : III, March - 2014

Oral Health Condition and Dental Anxiety Among Students

Ema Aleksic, Jasmina Milic, Maja Lalic, Adam Malesevic, Bojan Jovicic, Marjan Marjanovic

Abstract :

Objective was to compare oral health related behavior, attitudes and dental anxiety levels among dental, medical and management students. Methods: The study included 107 dental, 91 medical and 95 management final–year students from Serbia. Students filled–in the 17–item questionnaire about their oral health related attitudes and behavior. Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear – IDAF–4C was used to assess dental anxiety and fear among the students. Results: Significantly more dental than non–dental students reported regular use of dental floss, proximal ushes and fluoride rinses and lower sugar intake between the meals. Management students significantly more often stated pain as the main reason for dental visit, while medical and dental students visited dentist mostly due to non–symptomatic reasons. Considerably more non–dental students held a belief that the deterioration and loss of teeth are inevitable during one�s lifetime. Dental anxiety scores were significantly higher among non–dental students. Conclusions: Oral health promotion should involve more actively students of other educational profiles, especially medical, to increase their awareness of importance of oral health.