Year : 2018

Volume : Volume 8

Issue : Issue 2

Address for correspondence :
Dr. M.A.J Mary Kural Ayeni
maryayeni@ymail.com

Abstract

Background:  The myths and misconceptions about our teeth, dental diseases and their treatment do prevail in this modern era. These misconceptions could lead people to ignore the utilization of dental care which in turn leads to complications of disease and increases the difficulty in management of the condition. The present study was conducted, to assess the common myths and misconceptions of patients attending the outpatient department in the primary health centers of Manikampalyam and Ernapuram village using a structured questionnaire. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional questionnaire based survey was conducted. The study included individuals reporting to the outpatient department (OPD), aged 18 years and above after obtaining an informed consent. A structured questionnaire which comprised of 20 close ended questions, formulated with demographic data related to common dental myths was used. The questionnaire was framed after interacting with the rural people through community camps. Data analysis was done using SPSS(Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software. Results: Study included 504 subjects, out of which 53% were males and 47% were females. The mean age of the study population was 43.4 ± 18.52 years. About 48.4 % of the population considered that neem stick efficiently cleans the teeth. About 98.7 % of the study participants believed in one myth or the other. Conclusions: The results of the study revealed that the old unscientific tales still prevail in majority of the general population and that they need to be addressed to achieve optimal dental health.

Keywords: Dental myths, rural population, misconceptions.