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Stomatologija 2014; 16 (2): 65-71 148 KB

Self-reported oral health behavior and attitudes of dental and technology students in Lithuania

Ingrida M. Pacauskiene, Dalia Smailiene, Jolanta Siudikienė, Julija Savanevskyte, Irena Nedzelskiene

Summary

The aim of the present study was to assess self-reported oral health habits, attitudes, lifestyle between the sample groups of preclinical and clinical dental and technology students in Lithuania using the Hiroshima University Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI), and to evaluate the impact of education on their behavior and self-reported oral health. A sample of 183 dental and 75 technology students at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Medical Academy, Faculty of Odontology, and Kaunas University of Technology completed the Lithuanian version the HU-DBI questionnaire with 11 additional items. The data were analyzed using the “SPSS 19.0 for Windows” software package. The mean HU-DBI score of clinical final-year dentistry students was significantly higher (p=0.001) than the score of the preclinical group (6.81 (1.2) and 5.96 (1.5), respectively). The mean scores of both groups of dental students were significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of the technology group (5.37 (1.8)). Oral health behaviors and knowledge were superior in dental students. Dental education had a significant positive impact on the oral health and behavior improvement. The attitudes of the Lithuanian dental students should be further improved by initiating a comprehensive program that would emphasize the importance of oral hygiene before the clinical program starts.

Key words: oral health behavior, attitudes, education, dental students, HU-DBI, Lithuanian.

Received: 13 05 2013

Accepted for publishing: 20 06 2014

¹Department of Dental and Oral Pathology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania

²Department of Orthodontics, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania

³Faculty of Odontology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania

Ingrida M. Pacauskiene¹ – D.M.D., PhD, assoc. prof.

Dalia Smailiene² – D.M.D., PhD, assoc. prof.

Jolanta Siudikienė¹ – D.M.D., PhD

Julija Savanevskyte³ – D.M.D., graduate student

Irena Nedzelskiene¹ – M. Eng., biostatistician

Address correspondence to Dr. Ingrida M. Pacauskiene, Eiveniu 2, Kaunas LT44173, Lithuania. E-mail address: ingridapacauskiene@takas.lt



	Baltic Dental and Maxillofacial Journal

June, 2014, Vol. 16, No. 2 CONTENTS REVIEWS Odontogenic maxillary sinusitis: A review Regimantas Simuntis, Ričardas Kubilius, Saulius Vaitkus 39-43 Reducing dental plaque formation and caries development. A review of current methods and implications for novel pharmaceuticals Povilas Kalesinskas, Tomas Kačergius, Arvydas Ambrozaitis, Vytautė Pečiulienė, Dan Ericson 44-52 How various surgical protocols of the unilateral cleft lip and palate influence the facial growth and possible orthodontic problems? Which is the best timing of lip, palate and alveolus repair? Literature review Giampietro Farronato, Laima Kairyte, Lucia Giannini, Guido Galbiati, Cinzia Maspero 53-60 SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES Assessment of the lateral pterygoıd plate fractures durıng Le Fort I osteotomıes regardıng the angulatıon of the osteotome Aydin Gulses, Hasan Ayberk Altug, Cenk Kılıc, Metin Sencımen 61-64 Self-reported oral health behavior and attitudes of dental and technology students in Lithuania Ingrida M. Pacauskiene, Dalia Smailiene, Jolanta Siudikienė, Julija Savanevskyte, Irena Nedzelskiene 65-71 CASE REPORT Non surgical treatment of Crouzon Syndrome Cinzia Maspero, Lucia Giannini, Guido Galbiati, Laima Kairyte, Giampietro Farronato 72-80 © 2014 Stomatologija		Stomatologija 2014; 16 (2): 65-71 148 KB Self-reported oral health behavior and attitudes of dental and technology students in Lithuania Ingrida M. Pacauskiene, Dalia Smailiene, Jolanta Siudikienė, Julija Savanevskyte, Irena Nedzelskiene Summary The aim of the present study was to assess self-reported oral health habits, attitudes, lifestyle between the sample groups of preclinical and clinical dental and technology students in Lithuania using the Hiroshima University Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI), and to evaluate the impact of education on their behavior and self-reported oral health. A sample of 183 dental and 75 technology students at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Medical Academy, Faculty of Odontology, and Kaunas University of Technology completed the Lithuanian version the HU-DBI questionnaire with 11 additional items. The data were analyzed using the “SPSS 19.0 for Windows” software package. The mean HU-DBI score of clinical final-year dentistry students was significantly higher (p=0.001) than the score of the preclinical group (6.81 (1.2) and 5.96 (1.5), respectively). The mean scores of both groups of dental students were significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of the technology group (5.37 (1.8)). Oral health behaviors and knowledge were superior in dental students. Dental education had a significant positive impact on the oral health and behavior improvement. The attitudes of the Lithuanian dental students should be further improved by initiating a comprehensive program that would emphasize the importance of oral hygiene before the clinical program starts. Key words: oral health behavior, attitudes, education, dental students, HU-DBI, Lithuanian. Received: 13 05 2013 Accepted for publishing: 20 06 2014 ¹Department of Dental and Oral Pathology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania ²Department of Orthodontics, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania ³Faculty of Odontology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania Ingrida M. Pacauskiene¹ – D.M.D., PhD, assoc. prof. Dalia Smailiene² – D.M.D., PhD, assoc. prof. Jolanta Siudikienė¹ – D.M.D., PhD Julija Savanevskyte³ – D.M.D., graduate student Irena Nedzelskiene¹ – M. Eng., biostatistician Address correspondence to Dr. Ingrida M. Pacauskiene, Eiveniu 2, Kaunas LT44173, Lithuania. E-mail address: ingridapacauskiene@takas.lt