Oral Health Knowledge and Behaviors of Oral Hygiene and Regular Dental Visits among University Students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional Study

Background: Oral health is integral to overall well-being, yet data on oral health knowledge and behaviors among university students in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, are limited. Aim: The aim is to assess oral health knowledge, behaviors related to oral hygiene, and attitudes toward regular dental visits among university students in Riyadh. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 395 university students in Riyadh using a validated Arabic questionnaire. Multi-stage stratified random sampling was employed. The questionnaire assessed sociodemographic characteristics, oral health knowledge, behaviors, and factors related to regular dental visits. Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, and logistic regression were used for the analysis. Results: The mean oral health knowledge score was 9.58 (standard deviation = 1.945) out of 13 points. Only 25% of participants reported regular dental visits. Students with regular dental visits had significantly higher knowledge ( P = 0.002) and behavior scores ( P < 0.001) compared to those with nonregular visits. Oral health behavior score was a significant predictor of regular dental visits (odds ratio (OR) = 1.933, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.518–2.462, P < 0.001). Higher family income was associated with an increased likelihood of regular dental visits (OR = 2.589, 95% CI: 1.831–8.070, P = 0.001). Conclusions: While university students in Riyadh demonstrate good oral health knowledge, there is a significant gap between knowledge and regular dental visit behavior. Interventions addressing socioeconomic barriers and promoting positive oral health behaviors are needed to improve dental visit frequency among this population.