Knowledge, Practice, and Awareness of Self-Medication among Dental Outpatients: A Cross-Sectional Institutional Study

Self-medication for dental issues is a prevalent public health concern, especially in resource-limited regions. Though it may provide temporary relief, unsupervised drug use risks misdiagnosis, antibiotic resistance, and organ damage.

To evaluate the Knowledge, Practice, and Awareness (KPA) of self-medication among dental outpatients at a teaching dental hospital in South India and identify key influencing factors.

A cross-sectional, interviewer-administered survey was conducted among 437 adult dental outpatients using a pre-validated structured questionnaire. Data collected included sociodemographic details, history of self-medication, drug types, sources, and related beliefs. Binary logistic regression was applied to identify predictors of self-medication, with P < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Self-medication was reported by 75.5% of participants, with 45.8% using medication for dental issues in the past year. Toothache (68.6%) was the main symptom, and paracetamol was the most used drug. Pharmacies (43.2%) and informal sources (26.5%) were common providers. Only 28.2% were aware of drug names or side effects, and 35% recognized risks like antibiotic resistance. Primary education level emerged as a significant predictor (AOR = 3.52; 95% CI: 1.08-11.49; P = 0.037).

Self-medication is highly prevalent among dental patients, particularly those with lower education levels. Public awareness is inadequate. Targeted education and tighter control on over-the-counter drug sales are needed to mitigate risks.