# Knowledge and practice on oral hygiene maintenance among medical students in India

## TL;DR

This study examines how well Indian medical students maintain oral hygiene and highlights the need for better education on the topic.

## Contribution

The study identifies a gap in oral hygiene practices and knowledge among medical students in India.

## Key findings

- Only 36.9% of students brush their teeth twice daily.
- A significant gender difference was found in brushing frequency.
- The study suggests integrating oral health education into medical curricula.

## Abstract

Oral hygiene is vital in preventing dental caries, periodontal diseases and systemic conditions like stroke and heart disease.
Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate oral health awareness among MBBS students and interns using a pretested, structured
questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using the Chi-square test with a significance threshold of 0.05. A significant gender
difference was observed in brushing frequency (P = 0.005) and only 36.9% of students reported brushing twice daily. Hence, there is a
need to enhance oral health education in medical curricula for effective preventive healthcare.