Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Oral health behavior and its determinants in a group of Iranian students
Hossain Neamatollahi1, Masoumeh Ebrahimi
1Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Dental School of Mashhad, University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
Background:
Daily toothbrushing and flossing are easy, effective and low-cost practices for removing the microbial dental plaque, which is an important factor in the development of caries and periodontal disease.
Aim:
The objective of this study is evaluation of oral health behaviors in a group of students from an Iranian university.
Materials And Methods:
This descriptive analytical cross-sectional study was carried out on 1736 Iranian students (1230 non-medical sciences students and 506 medical sciences students). Subjects were randomly selected. The students were asked to fill out a self-completion questionnaire about daily oral health behavior.
Statistical Analysis Used:
The chi-square test was used for evaluation of oral health behaviors and relationship between students' oral hygiene behavior and educational levels.
Results:
There was no difference between the frequencies of tooth brushing in the students of two universities. Medical sciences students used dental floss more than non-medical sciences students, which was a significant difference ( P = 0.000). There was no significant difference in toothbrushing frequency among the students with different levels of education. But the students of doctorate and masters degrees used dental floss significantly more than those of bachelor or associate degrees ( P = 0.000).
Conclusions:
This study showed that the level of self oral care among Iranian students is at a lower level than in industrialized countries.
Related Concept Videos
Surveys
Assessment of the Gastrointestinal System II: Health Perception Pattern
Health Perception Patterns
Health perception patterns offer valuable insights into a patient's lifestyle habits and how they may impact their GI health. These patterns include:
Assessment of the Mouth
Mouth Inspection
The inspection begins with visually examining the mouth for symmetry, color, and size.
Social Psychology and Individual Behavior
Cross-Sectional Research
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention I
The health belief model (HBM) attempts to predict health-related behavior in specific belief patterns. According to the HBM, a person's...