Assessment of Dental Myths in Beliefs among Medical Undergraduates: A Cross-sectional Survey
Srinivasulu Gomasani
Keywords :
Medical students, Misconceptions, Myths
Citation Information :
Gomasani S. Assessment of Dental Myths in Beliefs among Medical Undergraduates: A Cross-sectional Survey. CODS J Dent 2023; 15 (2):35-41.
Background: Myths are used to convey beliefs and establish patterns of behavior. People have misconceptions about dentistry due to a lack of knowledge about oral health. Although dentistry has developed a lot today, myths and misconceptions about dentistry still exist, making it difficult to receive advanced and preventive treatment. Medical students are the backbone of the medical profession and can play an important role in combating misinformation by disseminating accurate information and awareness to the people of society. Therefore, it is important to assess their knowledge and understanding of dental myths.
Aim: The study aims to determine the prevalence of dentistry-related myths among medical students in Nellore city.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among medical undergraduates consisting of a self-designed and prevalidated questionnaire regarding the myths related to dental decay, teething, pregnancy, dental treatment, and miscellaneous topics. The collected data were statistically analyzed using the Chi-squared test.
Results: Almost half of the students in the 3rd year (49.70%) disagree that applying clove to a decayed tooth always relieves pain compared with other year students. The majority (48.31%) of 2nd-year students did not agree with the idea that extraction of teeth in the upper jaw causes loss of vision compared to other year students.
Conclusion: Most of the participants in our study were found to have misconceptions and myths related to oral health.
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