Knowledge, attitude, and practice toward oral health among interns of a private medical college, Chennai.

Introduction: Oral health is the mirror of general health. Medical practitioners should possess basic dental knowledge for early detection of signs and symptoms of dental diseases in patients, to provide appropriate treatment or advice to these patients and to act as public health educators. Many studies have shown that lack of knowledge among medical students regarding dental diseases. Hence, the present study was conducted to evaluate oral health awareness, attitude, and practice among medical students. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 medical interns were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed their knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding oral health. Results: Knowledge regarding oral health among the students was positive, but attitude and practice were negative. About 93.3% of the students were aware that the main cause of dental caries was sugar and bacteria. About 40% of the students visited a dentist only when they had pain. About 70.8% of the students cleaned their teeth twice daily. All the participants used toothpaste and toothbrush to clean their teeth (100%). Majority of the participants (47%) changed their toothbrush once in every 3–6 months and 59% consumed sugar frequently. Conclusion: The better result among medical students could be due to their better knowledge and socioeconomic conditions. More awareness should be created among general population to improve the oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]