Authors Arsalan Mirza Department of Oral Biology, Baqai Dental College. Shakila Nazir Department of Dentistry, Baqai Medical University Fatima Tuz Zehra Department of Oral Biology, Baqai Dental College. Asaad Javaid Mirza Department of Operative Dentistry, Baqai Dental College. DOI: https://doi.org/10.58397/yvr47a29 Keywords: Oral Health Awareness, Health Literacy, Patient Education, Periodontitis, Public Health Abstract

Objective: To assess dental patients’ understanding of periodontal health and its potential impact on systemic diseases.
Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2023 to February 2024 with ethical approval from the FRR&EC of the institution. A modified questionnaire used in a previously published study was used to assess awareness about periodontal health and its connection with systemic diseases. The sample size was calculated to be 385 patients. Convenience sampling was employed to recruit participants at the Periodontology outpatient department of Baqai Dental College Hospital. Inclusion criteria: patients aged e”18 years. Exclusion criteria: patients unwilling to participate and those with learning disabilities. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22. Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize the data, while chi-square tests were applied to assess relationships. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: A total of 483 valid questionnaires were included, with a response rate of 87.8%. About 300 (62.1%) participants showed an understanding of dental plaque, and 216 (44.7%) patients knew the effect of dental calculus on oral health. The survey revealed that awareness was significantly associated with sociodemographic variables: younger participants aged 18-24 years demonstrated lower awareness (p-value < 0.05), while females had lower awareness levels compared to males (p-value < 0.05)
Conclusion: A substantial percentage of participants showed a basic knowledge of dental plaque, but awareness of the harmful effects of dental calculus on oral health and the association of periodontitis with systemic ailments was relatively lower. Therefore, educational interventions are needed to enhance awareness about periodontal health and its systemic implications

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