Perceived oral health status and treatment needs of dental students

The aim of this study is to determine the oral health status, anxiety levels, and perceived dental treatment needs of dental students in India.

A descriptive cross-sectional study of students from Kalka Dental College, India, was conducted using self-administered questionnaire to obtain information on demography, self-reported oral health status, knowledge of the impact of oral health on daily life activity, anxiety levels, dental attendance, and perceived dental needs.

Fifty-three percent of respondents rated their oral health as good and almost all (99%) agreed that oral health is a part of general health. Out of 80.1% who had previous dental treatment, scaling and polishing accounted for 16%, whereas 19% had their orthodontic treatment done. At present, their perceived dental treatment needs range from scaling and polishing (36.98%) and fillings (29.79%) to orthodontic treatment (33.2%). Forty-six percent of patients reported a feeling of anxiety while visiting a dentist.

This survey revealed that most of the students are aware that oral health is a component of general health and that it has an impact on an individual's daily life. More than half of the students perceived their oral health as good, but only a few knew that there is a need for a preventive approach to oral health as evident by the percentage that perceived scaling and polishing as a treatment need.