Assessment of Periodontal Health Status and Oral Hygiene Practice Among Students of College of Health and Medical Technologies in Mosul City
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15218/edj.2026.18Keywords:
Periodontal disease, oral hygiene practice, awareness score, plaque index, gingival index, sulcus depth, bleeding on probingAbstract
Background and Objective: Periodontal disease is a major oral health concern caused primarily by dental plaque accumulation. Although dental technologists are not direct clinical care providers, their oral health knowledge may influence professional practice and patient awareness. This study aimed to assess periodontal health status, oral hygiene practices, and awareness among Prosthetic Dental Techniques students at Al-Noor University College, Mosul, Iraq.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 120 students equally distributed across four academic stages. Data collection included a validated questionnaire assessing oral hygiene practices and periodontal awareness, in addition to clinical examination of Ramfjord teeth using William’s periodontal probe. Clinical parameters included plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), sulcus depth, and bleeding on probing (BOP). Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric tests.
Results: Female students demonstrated significantly higher oral hygiene practice scores (6.60 ± 2.10) and awareness scores (8.07 ± 1.91) compared with males (5.38 ± 1.88 and 6.79 ± 2.28, respectively; p = 0.002). Awareness scores increased significantly with academic progression (p < 0.001). PI, GI, Sulcus Depth, and BOP also showed significant differences across academic stages (p < 0.05). The dental curriculum (86.2%) was the primary reported source of oral health information.
Conclusions: Academic advancement was associated with improved periodontal awareness and clinical periodontal status among dental technology students. These findings highlight the importance of integrating periodontal education and preventive oral health practices into dental technology curricula.
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