Influence of dental education, nutrition, and oral hygiene practices on DMFT and CPITN scores: a comparative...

This study aimed to evaluate the DMFT (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth) and CPITN (Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs) scores, nutritional habits, and oral hygiene behaviors of first-year (Class-1) and fifth-year (Class-5) dental students at Kırıkkale University Faculty of Dentistry, and to compare these metrics with age-matched general population patients.

In this cross-sectional study, DMFT and CPITN scores were recorded for three distinct groups: Class 1 and Class 5 dental students, and a randomly selected group of age-matched patients from the general population who applied to our clinic. The effects of individual social and behavioural characteristics on these indexes were examined. Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparisons between groups. Chi-Square analysis was used in the evaluation of categorical data. A significance level of 0.05 was used.

There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms for gender (p = 0.331), number of snacks (p = 0.406), tooth brushing (p = 0.069), toothbrush type (p = 0.244) and mouthwash use (p = 0.562). However, the Class-5 group showed a significant difference from the other groups with the highest number of "yes" answers in the question of visit to the dentist for a check-up (82%, p < 0.001) and the question of flossing (61%, p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in overall DMFT (p = 0.053) or CPITN (p = 0.329) scores between the groups. However, when the subcomponents of the DMFT index were evaluated separately, the Class-5 group had the statistically significantly lowest mean decayed teeth (D) compared to the other two groups (p < 0.001), and the statistically significantly highest mean filled teeth (F) score compared to the other two groups (p < 0.001).

Oral health behaviors and outcomes are influenced by dental education level.