Oral Health Habits, Dietary Practices, and Knowledge of University Dental Students in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Cross-Sectional Study

The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the oral health habits, dietary practices, and knowledge regarding cariogenic diet among University Dental students. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted among students attending the integrated undergraduate and graduate Dental Medicine (DM) program. Data analysis was performed by stratifying students according to the year of study. In total, 114 questionnaires were collected. Three questionnaires were subsequently excluded, resulting in a final sample size of 111 students for analysis. Results: Over 75% of students from the 2nd (83.3%) to 6th (91.3%) year used a combination of a toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, whereas 50% of 1st-year students reported using fluoride-free toothpaste (p < 0.05). The majority of senior students (34.8–100%) correctly identified xylitol and sorbitol as non-cariogenic (p < 0.05). However, a notable knowledge gap persisted in the final year, with over 30% of sixth-year students failing to identify them. Furthermore, over 60.0% of third-year and 90.0% of fifth-year students recognized the protective dental effects of hard cheese, cranberry, and green tea (p < 0.05). Regarding cariogenic potential, 45.8% of first-year and 57.1% of second-year students were unable to identify the most cariogenic saccharide (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The study reveals an improvement in oral health habits and knowledge, particularly regarding the use of fluoride toothpaste and the identification of cariogenic saccharides. However, significant knowledge gaps persist across all years, most notably the high prevalence of fluoride-free toothpaste use among first-year students and the inability of a substantial portion of senior students to identify non-cariogenic sugar substitutes and protective foods.