Evaluation of Oral Health Attitudes and Behaviors Among Dental Students

Abstract

Background: Given the multifactorial nature of oral diseases, oral hygiene habits, diet, tobacco use, stress management, and professional dental care play a crucial role in disease prevention. This study aimed to assess dental students’ self-reported oral health attitudes and behaviors using the validated Oral Health Attitude Scale (OHA-S) and to examine differences based on gender and academic year.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among dental students at MarmaraUniversity using a validated 41-item OHA-S (total possible score range: 41-205). The scale consists of 6 subscales: sensitivity (12 items), importance (6 items), awareness (6 items), social influence (4 items), avoidance of harmful factors (7 items), and product/activity engagement (6 items). Data were collected through an online self-administered survey distributed via institutional email to all preclinical and clinical dental students. Students aged 18-25 years who voluntarily participated were included, while those who declined participation were excluded. The scale assessed both attitudinal and behavioral aspects of oral health (e.g., tobacco use, sugar intake, brushing, flossing). Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS v29, applying independent samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA to compare OHA-S total and subscale scores across gender and academic levels.

Results: A total of 285 students (age range: 18-25 years; mean age: 22.1 Å} 1.9; 71.1% female) participated. The mean total OHA-S score was 166.8 Å} 15.2. Female students exhibited significantly higher scores in all subscales except for the “importance” domain (P < .001). Higher academic year students demonstrated more positive oral health attitudes compared to first-year students, particularly in sensitivity, awareness, and product/activity engagement subscales (P < .05). Additionally, behavior-related subscales reflected daily practices (e.g., avoiding tobacco or sugar, using floss or mouthwash), in which female and senior students showed greater adherence (P < .05).

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that dental education positively influences students’ oral health attitudes and behaviors over time, fulfilling the study objective of identifying differences across gender and academic year. Female students showed more favorable attitudes and behaviors, while senior students exhibited greater awareness and engagement compared to first-year students. These findings highlight the need for targeted strategies to enhance male students’ awareness and to reinforce preventive behaviors during the early years of dental education.

Cite this article as: .zden İ, .zden ME, G.kyar M, Sazak-.ve.oğlu H. Evaluation of oral health attitudes and behaviors among dental students. Essent Dent. 2026, 5, 0026, doi:10.5152/EssentDent.2026.25026.