Evaluation of the Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude, and Behavior among Preclinical and Clinical Dental Students in Benghazi, Libya

• Nadein A. Elsharif

  Department of Periodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Benghazi, Benghazi, Libya

  Author

Oral hygiene awareness is essential for oral health, as a lack of oral hygiene education leads to neglect of oral hygiene practices. Maintaining good oral hygiene requires efforts from dental professionals and patients. The present study aims to evaluate oral health knowledge, attitude, and behavior among preclinical and clinical dental students at Benghazi University. A cross-sectional study was conducted on dental students at the University of Benghazi utilizing an online questionnaire. Twenty-six questions were designed to assess dental students' knowledge, attitude, and behavior regarding oral health. The data was statistically analyzed using one-way ANOVA tests and Student's t-test. 186 students voluntarily participated. The data showed statistically significant differences in knowledge, attitude, and behavior scores between both preclinical and clinical dental students (P<0.0001). Moreover, the differences in all categories’ scores revealed a significant increase with academic years (P < 0.0001). However, the variance in scores of both genders presented was not statistically significant (P > 0.01). This study displayed improved knowledge, attitude, and behavior with the year of study.

1. Nadein A. Elsharif, Department of Periodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Benghazi, Benghazi, Libya

   Department of Periodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Benghazi, Benghazi, Libya  

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