Awareness of Oral Hygiene among Government School Children in a Rural Area of Amritsar, Punjab – A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: The schools may serve as the best platform for the promotion of oral health care among teenagers. This study evaluates the knowledge and practices of students about oral hygiene as well as to evaluate the factors that determine these variables. Material and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study conducted among Government school students of class 8 th , 9 th , and 10 th belonging to the rural area of Amritsar. Data on oral health knowledge and practice were collected by means of a self-administered close-ended questionnaire. Results: The total sample consisted of 45.1% male and 54.9% female students. The study revealed that 11.3% had good knowledge, 52.1% had average knowledge, and in 36.6% of students, the knowledge about oral health was poor. It was elicited that gender (P = 0.014), class (P = 0.027), and educational status of father (P = 0.016) were significantly associated with the knowledge of the students about oral health while age and educational status of mother had no association. There was a significant difference between both the genders in time spent for brushing (P = 0.030) and frequency of change of toothbrush (P = 0.032). Almost 88.8% of students had never visited a dentist in the past 6 months. Conclusion: The knowledge of rural children on oral health was average. Oral hygiene education programs should be conducted with reinforcement so that students can close the gap between knowledge and practice about oral health. Key words: Knowledge, oral health, practice, rural, school children