Surveying the oral health needs of international students in Canada

Oral health plays a significant role in overall health, influencing essential functions of eating, breathing, speaking, and can have psychosocial impacts. Research from various countries indicates that international students face unique barriers to maintaining optimum oral health, shaped by financial, systemic, and cultural factors; however, limited Canadian research exists on this topic. This study explored the oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices of international students at the University of Saskatchewan (USask).

A 75-item survey instrument gathered data from USask international students. The survey explored oral health knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 28.0.1.0; qualitative data were analyzed through thematic coding using Excel.

In total, n = 56 international students were included in the analysis. While 98.0% (n = 50) of respondents considered their oral health important, 40.4% (n = 21) felt they did not have adequate knowledge to access oral care. In total, 55.4% (n = 31) of respondents brushed twice daily. Overall, 32.1% (n = 21) of international students rated their oral health as "fair" or "poor". Notably, 40.0% (n = 22) of respondents reported having untreated mouth problems. In terms of diet, about half of respondents reported consuming more sugary foods (52.0%; n = 26) and sugary drinks (50.0%; n = 25) in Canada compared to when they were in their home country.

This study's findings suggest that there are some oral health concerns in this group. Expanding this research nationally across universities and including domestic students for comparison would strengthen an understanding of international students' oral health and inform future interventions that could help address these oral health inequities.