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Knowledge and awareness on oral hygiene status among blacksmiths
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| Author:
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HENA MARIAM FATHIMA, DHANRAJ GANAPATHY, SUBHASHREE ROHINIKUMAR
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| Abstract:
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Introduction: Oral diseases have been a persistent public health problem globally, with almost every individual experiencing poor oral health at least once in their lifetime. Oral health is a state of being free from chronic mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral sores, birth defects such as cleft lip and palate, periodontal disease, tooth decay and tooth loss, and other diseases and disorders that affect the oral cavity. Oral health affects the general health, well-being, education and development of children and their families , and diminishes the quality of life. Chronic oral infections can pose a risk for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases like stroke, respiratory diseases, low birth weight, preterm births. A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut.
Materials and methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 100 blacksmiths. A self-assessed questionnaire comprising of close ended questions was given to the blacksmiths working the industrial area of Guindy in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The questions were answered voluntarily without being conferred with other blacksmiths. The questions in the questionnaire were designed to assess their basic knowledge, attitude and practices towards oral health and oral hygiene maintenance.
Results:Among the population examined, 98% were male, 2% female. 76% of the population claimed to visit the dentist every year while 4% visited the dentist every six months. 20% of the examined population had never visited the dentist. When it comes to brushing habits, 88% were found to brush their teeth once daily and 7% brushed their teeth twice a day. 5% didn’t brush their teeth at all. 69% of the population claimed that oral hygiene and health are important to them, 18% said it was not a priority and 13% were not sure what their stance on oral hygiene and health was. When it came to how economic and affordable they found dental treatment to be, 89% felt that dental treatment is expensive and should be made more affordable for them to make full use of it while 11% thought it was reasonable priced.
Conclusion:The knowledge and awareness on oral hygiene status among blacksmiths is not satisfactory. It can be concluded that there should be knowledge provided to this strata of society since they are not fully aware of oral hygiene.
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| Keyword:
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awareness, blacksmiths, knowledge, oral hygiene
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| EOI:
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| DOI:
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https://doi.org/10.31838/ijpr/2020.12.04.566
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| Download:
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