The Relationship among Eating Habits, Lifestyles, and Oral Health Status of Students

A questionnaire survey and oral health examination were conducted in 2000. The subjects were students of dental and dental hygiene schools at Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Subjects totaled 101 (48 males, 53 females), and the average age was 22.0 +/- 3.3. The relationship among eating habits, lifestyles, and oral health status of the students was analyzed. The following results were obtained. 1. Almost half of the students did not eat one of the three main meals; that is, breakfast, lunch, or supper. Most of them skipped breakfast. 2. The students who ate rice (traditional Japanese-style food) for breakfast had less DMFT compared with those who ate other foods, such as bread or noodles, or who did not eat breakfast. 3. The amount of stimulated saliva of the students who ate rice for breakfast was greater than that of others. 4. The oral health behavior and nutrition balance of the students who ate rice for breakfast was better than that of others. 5. The students' eating habits were related to their living styles, such as living alone or with the family. From these results, it was suggested that educational emphasis on nutrition balance and eating habits is needed for dental students and dental hygiene students, because in the future they must advise patients on good oral health and general health through good eating habits, as dental professionals.