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Oral Health Attitudes among Preclinical and Clinical Dental Students in Germany

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  • Mohamed Mekhemar

    (Clinic for Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, School of Dental Medicine, Christian Albrechts-University of Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Str. 3, Haus B, 24105 Kiel, Germany)

  • Jonas Conrad

    (Clinic for Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, School of Dental Medicine, Christian Albrechts-University of Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Str. 3, Haus B, 24105 Kiel, Germany)

  • Sameh Attia

    (Department of Cranio Maxillofacial Surgery, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Germany, Klinik Str. 33, 35392 Giessen, Germany)

  • Christof Dörfer

    (Clinic for Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology, School of Dental Medicine, Christian Albrechts-University of Kiel, Arnold-Heller-Str. 3, Haus B, 24105 Kiel, Germany)

Abstract

Oral health care providers are expected to show good examples of oral health behaviours and attitudes to their community. Previous studies displayed the constructive effect of dental education on oral hygiene manners of undergraduate students. The aim of this survey was to assess and compare aspects of oral health attitudes and behaviours between preclinical and clinical dental students in German universities. The German-language version of the HU-DBI was distributed to preclinical and clinical students from different German universities. Dichotomized (agree/disagree) responses to 20 HU-DBI items were provided in this study, with a maximum possible score of 19. A quantitative estimate of oral health attitudes and behaviours was provided by the total of appropriate answers given to every statement by each group. Data were analysed statistically. The overall mean score of answers favouring good oral hygiene was marginally higher in preclinical (14.62) than clinical students (14.31) but showed no statistical significance. Similarly, the analysis of each item individually displayed no statistically significant differences between preclinical and clinical participants, except in a single item of the survey. This study showed no effective differences in oral hygiene attitudes and behaviour between preclinical and clinical students in German universities. This reveals a weak effect of dental education on improving students’ oral health attitudes in Germany and might demand the introduction of more courses emphasizing the importance of correct oral health behaviour of health care providers.

Suggested Citation

  • Mohamed Mekhemar & Jonas Conrad & Sameh Attia & Christof Dörfer, 2020. "Oral Health Attitudes among Preclinical and Clinical Dental Students in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-11, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:12:p:4253-:d:371560
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Esam Halboub & Sadeq Al-Maweri & Aisha Al-Jamaei & Mohammed Al-wesabi & Anas Shamala & Ahlam Al-kamel & Amani Alsharani & Nassar Eissa, 2016. "Self-Reported Oral Health Attitudes and Behavior of Dental and Medical students, Yemen," Global Journal of Health Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 8(10), pages 143-143, October.
    2. Melanie Boeckmann & Daniel Kotz & Lion Shahab & Jamie Brown & Sabrina Kastaun, 2018. "German Public Support for Tobacco Control Policy Measures: Results from the German Study on Tobacco Use (DEBRA), a Representative National Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-15, April.
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    1. Mohamed Mekhemar & Kamal Ebeid & Sameh Attia & Christof Dörfer & Jonas Conrad, 2020. "Oral Health Attitudes among Preclinical and Clinical Dental Students: A Pilot Study and Self-Assessment in an Egyptian State-Funded University," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Jonas Conrad & Jan Retelsdorf & Sameh Attia & Christof Dörfer & Mohamed Mekhemar, 2020. "German Dentists’ Preferences for the Treatment of Apical Periodontitis: A Cross-Sectional Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-14, October.
    3. Abanoub Riad & Ave Põld & Jana Olak & Hans-Peter Howaldt & Miloslav Klugar & Martin Krsek & Sameh Attia, 2022. "Estonian Dental Students’ Oral Health-Related Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours (KAB): National Survey-Based Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-19, February.
    4. Abanoub Riad & Nuraldeen Maher Al-Khanati & Julien Issa & Mazen Zenati & Nèziha Ben Abdesslem & Sameh Attia & Martin Krsek, 2022. "Oral Health-Related Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviours of Arab Dental Students: Multi-National Cross-Sectional Study and Literature Analysis 2000–2020," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-21, January.
    5. Mohamed Mekhemar & Sameh Attia & Christof Dörfer & Jonas Conrad, 2021. "Dental Nurses’ Mental Health in Germany: A Nationwide Survey during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-18, July.

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