Assessment of knowledge and awareness of oral health in rural and urban school teachers in Bareilly city: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: To assess the oral health knowledge and awareness among urban and rural school teachers in and around Bareilly. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 279 school teachers of rural and urban, Bareilly using a questionnaire to assess the knowledge, and awareness regarding oral health. Descriptive analysis was done and data were analyzed using chi-square and ANOVA test. Results: The age of the teachers ranged from 19-50 years with a mean age of 36.73±10.5 years. Among them, 17.20%(48) were males and 82.7% (231) females, among which 75% of the population brushed their teeth twice daily. Most of the teachers (40.38%) used a brush and paste and 57% of teachers changed their brushes every 3mnths, 10% in every 6 months while 27% were those who changes their brush when their bristles get frayed up. Conclusion: From the results of the study, it is evident that school teachers in both urban and rural areas, with more emphasis on the rural area, need to be provided with adequate training on effective oral hygiene practices.