Dental Health Knowledge Attitude and Practice Among University of Calabar Students

Introduction Oral health has been linked to aspects of individual knowledge, attitude, and practices. In Nigeria, the increased prevalence of poor oral hygiene has been attributed behavioral factors. Behavioral aspects that include the increased intake of sugary foods and beverages, and lack of proper oral hygiene have been touted as the main causes of poor oral hygiene among university students. The knowledge of oral health is vital owing to its contribution to better oral health; however, unless students develop good oral habits and attitudes and subsequently put them into practice, very little will be realized with regard improvement in oral health and hygiene. Objective This research aimed to explore the knowledge, attitude, and practice of dental care among the University of Calabar students. Method This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted between 2016 and 2017. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect data from 430 student participants in a university using a multi-stage random technique. An inferential statistical approach was adopted to test the relationships represented in the tables. Data were analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences, version 20.0. Result The study included 430 participants, 239 (55.6%) females and 191 (44.4%) males. The survey revealed that 94% of the 404 respondents agreed that poor dental care can cause dental diseases, while only 6% disagreed. Regarding excessive drinking of water, 91% of the respondents agreed that it cannot cause dental disease, 4.2% agreed it could, and 4.8% did not know. Furthermore, 60.2% of the 430 respondents acknowledged that genetic inheritance could cause dental disease, while 21.4% disagreed, and 18.4% did not know. Finally, 74.9% of the respondents knew that trauma to the teeth could cause dental disease, while only 9.3% thought that trauma could not cause illness to the teeth. Regarding attitude to dental care, 232 (54%) respondents agreed that visiting the dentist was necessary, while 164 (38.1%) strongly agreed. Only eight (1.9%) strongly disagreed, while five (1.2%) disagreed that visiting the dentist was necessary. Moreover, 82% of the respondents agreed that bad breath was associated with poor dental care, with 195 (45.3%) respondents strongly agreeing and 158 (36.7%) agreeing. However, 37 (8.6%) disagreed, and 16 (3.7%) strongly disagreed, while 24 (5.6%) were indifferent. As regards practice, most respondents used the up-down technique when brushing their teeth (62.8%), while 17.4% brushed left-right and 19.8% used both methods. Moreover, 67.4% of the respondents brushed twice daily, 26.5% brushed once daily, and only 6.1% brushed after every meal. About half of the students spent one to three minutes brushing their teeth (50.5%), while the other half spent more time. Over half of the students replaced their toothbrushes every three months (57.7%), with the most common reason for replacement being the fraying of bristles. However, the use of dental floss was found to be low. Conclusion The utilization of dental care facilities was low among most University of Calabar students, who did not see the need for dental clinic visits unless they had dental needs. The lack of dental visits was attributed to perceived high dental costs and a lack of time. Targeted interventions and educational programs that address these barriers could promote better oral hygiene practices among the students.