Periodontal Diseases Awareness and Knowledge Among Secondary School Teachers

Abstract

Background and objectives. To determine level of knowledge related to etiology, risk factors, most common signs of periodontal diseases, knowledge related to oral hygiene practices, and relation between knowledge and oral hygiene practices among participants. Methods. 244 questionnaire answered by secondary school teachers consisted of a demographic data, and questions concerned knowledge regarding the causes of periodontal disease, its risk factors, and the most common signs of periodontal disease as well as the knowledge of periodontal diseases outcome and oral hygiene practice‑related questions. Results. Above half (54.5%) of respondents exhibited good knowledge on periodontal diseases etiology, predisposing factors and most common signs of periodontal diseases, (40.2%) of participants have positive awareness toward periodontal disease outcome, and (82.80%) of respondents have adequate behavior toward oral hygiene maintenance. Conclusions. Despite the participants have good knowledge on etiology of periodontal diseases and adequate behavior toward oral hygiene maintenance, they have deficient knowledge on hereditary, mouth breathing, stress, and obesity as predisposing factors of periodontal diseases and they have misbelief that removing the calculus accumulated on the teeth surfaces weaken the teeth.