Oral Health Knowledge, Attitude, Practice Among a Sample of Saudi Orthodontic Patients. A Cross Sectional Survey Study

Background: Orthodontic treatment involves realignment of teeth and dentofacial structures using orthodontics appliances. During the treatment, it is mandatory for the patient to recognize and apply oral hygiene to prevent irreversible damage to the teeth and periodontium that might occur during the orthodontic treatment course. Aim: To assess the knowledge, awareness, attitude, and practice of patients regarding oral hygiene maintenance of patients undergoing fixed orthodontic appliance treatment. Methods: Out of 450 patients selected, 317 responded with a response rate 70.5%, in the Qassim region and other Saudi regions (Al-Jawf/Aseer/Eastern/Jazan/Mecca/Northern/ Riyadh/Tabuk). Inclusion criteria are patients undergoing fixed orthodontic appliance treatment, with the age group of 13–25 years, willing to participate were selected for the study. All participants were given a questionnaire containing 21 questions based on the knowledge, attitude, and practices of oral hygiene. Their responses were tabulated, and analysis was performed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) statistics version 20 (SPSS Inc. Chicago, IL, USA). Results: Participants who completed the survey, 71% were females compared to 29% males. More participants who completed the questionnaire belonged to the Qassim region (67.5%) compared to other Saudi regions (32.5%). The participants had good knowledge (Qassim region 41.6% and other Saudi regions 45.6%), Fair attitude (Qassim region 50% and other Saudi regions 46.8%), and poor practice of oral hygiene (Qassim region 43.9% and other Saudi regions 53.4%) during orthodontic treatment. A statistically significant correlation was found between patients’ knowledge and practice ( P < 0.05). The knowledge and attitude of females toward oral hygiene during orthodontic treatment was higher than males with no statistically significant differences ( P = 0.246). Females’ oral hygiene practice during orthodontic treatment was found to be better than males and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.021). Conclusion: Most of the participants (male/ female) had the awareness about the importance of oral hygiene maintenance during orthodontic treatment; however, very few of them had a positive attitude toward oral hygiene maintenance and only few of them practiced it.