Awareness of oral health among undergraduate Medical Students of Vijayapura city: A cross-sectional survey

Background: Oral health is integral to general health. Certain systemic diseases can manifest in the oral cavity. Many times an oral examination may lead to the diagnosis of systemic illness. Primary health centers are approached by the majority of the population for their health problems including oral health problems. Hence, general practitioners should have adequate knowledge about oral health which helps in early diagnosis of systemic diseases. Awareness of oral health among general practitioners may help promote oral health among the population. Aim: The present study was aimed to assess oral health awareness among undergraduate medical students in Vijayapura city. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. The questionnaire consisted of pre-tested, closed-ended 21 questions. All the undergraduate students of BLDE (DU) Shri B M Patil Medical college hospital and research center were included in the study. Questions were related to oral health problems and their relation with general health. The data collected were tabulated, analyzed, and subjected to statistical analysis using the Chi-square test. Results: 57.33% of the participating students had good oral health awareness, 24.43% were found to have fair and 18.24% were found to have poor awareness of oral health. Conclusions: Overall the undergraduate medical students had good oral health awareness. Awareness of oral health was better among the final year undergraduate students.