Knowledge, attitude, and practices related to orthodontic treatment among college students in rural and urban areas of Mysore, India: A cross-sectional questionnaire study

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) related to orthodontic treatment among college students in rural and urban areas of Mysore, India. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire study conducted among college students in rural and urban areas of Mysore, India, over 2 months from August to September 2015. The sample size was estimated using nMaster software. One government and one private college each in rural and urban areas of Mysore were selected based on administrative convenience. All eligible participants from these colleges were recruited. A sixteen-item questionnaire was developed and validated. This predesigned and validated, self-administered, structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The statistical analysis was done using SPSS. Results: Four hundred and forty-one college students participated in the present study. 89.3% of the participants were aware about malalignment of teeth. The awareness was significantly higher among females and those in urban areas. 39.2% of the study participants expressed willingness to undergo orthodontic treatment even if treatment duration extends up to 1–2 years with no significant difference in relation to gender and area of residence. 14.1% of the study participants have undergone treatment for malalignment of teeth with no significant difference between males and females. However, a significantly higher percentage of participants from urban areas have undergone treatment. Conclusion: The KAP related to orthodontic treatment was significantly higher among females and those in urban areas. This highlights the need to augment orthodontic awareness programs in rural areas.