Oral Hygiene and Dietary Habits of Primary School Pupils and Secondary School Students in Sweden-A Pilot Study

Aim: To document oral hygiene and dietary habits in primary school pupils and secondary school students in Stockholm, Sweden. Methodology: A quantitative study, based on two questionnaires, one for primary school pupils aged 9-12 years and the other for secondary school students, aged 16-21 years. The questions covered oral hygiene habits, dietary habits and knowledge of oral health. Results: The participants comprised 42 primary school pupils and 47 secondary school students. The majority, 81% of primary school pupils and 77% of secondary school students, reported brushing their teeth twice daily. Of the primary school pupils, 79% reported that they brushed their teeth unassisted. Nearly 45% consumed sugary sweets three to four times a week. More than half the secondary school students reported consuming sugary drinks and/or sweets three or more times a week. Thirty per cent had received information about the association between diet and oral health, while 30% reported that they had no knowledge of this. With reference to the causes of caries and gingival inflammation, about two-thirds of the participants attributed these conditions to oral bacteria (76% and 67%, respectively), while 17% stated that they did not know the cause. Comparing the frequency and duration of toothbrushing, those who reported brushing their teeth twice a day tended to brush for longer, two minutes or more. Conclusions: The majority of the participants reported good oral hygiene and dietary habits. However, there is still a need for improvement with respect to both oral health knowledge and behaviour. Areas identified as warranting further attention are frequency of toothbrushing, proper use of toothpaste and consumption of sugary drinks and sweets.