Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jul 23;15(7):e0236259.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236259. eCollection 2020.

Relationship between oral hygiene knowledge, source of oral hygiene knowledge and oral hygiene behavior in Japanese university students: A prospective cohort study

Daiki Fukuhara  1 , Daisuke Ekuni  2 , Kota Kataoka  2 , Ayano Taniguchi-Tabata  1 , Yoko Uchida-Fukuhara  1   3   4 , Naoki Toyama  2 , Toshiki Yoneda  2 , Yoshio Sugiura  2 , Md Monirul Islam  2 , Hikari Saho  2 , Yoshiaki Iwasaki  5 , Manabu Morita  2
Affiliations

Relationship between oral hygiene knowledge, source of oral hygiene knowledge and oral hygiene behavior in Japanese university students: A prospective cohort study

Daiki Fukuhara et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

The aim of this prospective cohort study was to examine whether oral hygiene knowledge, and the source of that knowledge, affect oral hygiene behavior in university students in Japan. An oral exam and questionnaire survey developed to evaluate oral hygiene knowledge, the source of that knowledge, and oral hygiene behavior, such as the frequency of tooth brushing and regular dental checkups and the use of dental floss, was conducted on university student volunteers. In total, 310 students with poor tooth brushing behavior (frequency of tooth brushing per day [≤ once]), 1,963 who did not use dental floss, and 1,882 who did not receive regular dental checkup during the past year were selected. Among these students, 50, 364, and 343 in each respective category were analyzed in over the 3-year study period (follow-up rates: 16.1%, 18.5%, and 18.2%, respectively). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for oral hygiene behavior were calculated based on oral hygiene knowledge and the source of that knowledge using logistic regression models. The results showed that dental clinics were the most common (> 50%) source of oral hygiene knowledge, and that a more frequent use of dental floss was significantly associated with dental clinics being a source of oral hygiene knowledge (OR, 4.11; 95%CI, 1.871-9.029; p < 0.001). In addition, a significant association was seen between dental clinics being a source of oral hygiene knowledge and more frequent regular dental checkups (OR, 13.626; 95%CI, 5.971-31.095; p < 0.001). These findings suggest the existence of a relationship between dental clinics being the most common source of oral hygiene knowledge and improved oral hygiene behavior in Japanese university students.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Flowchart.
Students with poor oral hygiene behavior at baseline were classified into respective groups. Each group was analyzed at follow-up.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Categorization in each group.
Students with poor oral hygiene behavior at baseline were categorized into improved and non-improved groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Lertpimonchai A, Rattanasiri S, Arj-Ong Vallibhakara S, Attia J, Thakkinstian A. The association between oral hygiene and periodontitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int Dent J. 2017;67(6):332–343. 10.1111/idj.12317 . - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Davies RM, Davies GM, Ellwood RP. Prevention. Part 4: Toothbrushing:what advice should be given to patients? Br Dent J. 2003;195: 135–141. 10.1038/sj.bdj.4810396 . - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sheiham A. Dietary effects on dental diseases. Public Health Nutr. 2001;4(2B): 569–591. 10.1079/phn2001142 . - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sham AS, Cheung LK, Jin LJ, Corbet EF. The effects of tobacco use on oral health. Hong Kong Med J. 2003;9(4): 271–277. . - PubMed
    1. Mizutani S, Ekuni D, Furuta M, Tomofuji T, Irie K, Azuma T, et al. Effects of self-efficacy on oral health behaviours and gingival health in university students aged 18- or 19-years-old. J Clin Periodontol. 2012;39(9): 844–849. 10.1111/j.1600-051X.2012.01919.x . - DOI - PubMed