Knowledge, attitude and practice of undergraduate students regarding toothbrush contamination and disinfection

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology

Abstract

Background: Toothbrushes play a significant role in disease transmission as they act as a reservoir for microorganisms and aid in increasing the risk of infection in any individual. In recent years, the necessity of toothbrush disinfection has gained importance. Toothbrush disinfection should be recommended as a routine practice for all individuals. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of undergraduate students regarding toothbrush contamination and disinfection. Materials and methods: This study involved 446 undergraduate students between the age group of 18 to 23 years. A validated questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of undergraduate students regarding toothbrush contamination and disinfection. The study showed that 24.89% of the students disinfected their toothbrushes and 75.11% did not use any disinfectant. 78.92% of the students feel that bacteria as the main mode of toothbrush contamination. 84.40% of the students feel that the disinfection of the toothbrush is necessary whereas 15.69% feel that toothbrush disinfection is not necessary. 61.29% of students did not know toothbrush disinfection. Conclusion: Fewer students have sufficient knowledge about toothbrush contamination and practice the disinfection methods, whereas the majority of the students are unaware of the contamination of toothbrushes and the use of disinfectant methods.

First Page

4340

Last Page

4345

DOI

10.37506/ijfmt.v14i4.12321

Publication Date

10-1-2020

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