Awareness and attitudes towards risks of do-it-yourself dental practices among adults attending a dental college in Mangalore city, Karnataka: a cross-sectional study

Background Increasing availability of dental information, products, and options through digital platforms has contributed to interest in do-it-yourself (DIY) dental practices. This study assessed awareness and attitudes toward DIY dental practices, their prevalence and types, and associations with demographic characteristics. Methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among 294 adults attending the Department of Public Health Dentistry, Yenepoya Dental College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India, between August 2025 and May 2026. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling. Questionnaire assessed demographic characteristics, DIY dental practice use, awareness, and attitudes. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27. Non-parametric tests, Spearman's correlation, and multivariable binary logistic regression were performed. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were reported. Results Of 294 participants, 178 (60.5%) were female and 174 (59.2%) were graduates. Mean awareness and attitude scores were 3.285 ± 0.607 and 3.504 ± 0.718, respectively. Females had significantly higher awareness scores than males ( p = 0.017), while attitude scores did not differ significantly by gender ( p = 0.535). Awareness differed significantly across educational groups ( p = 0.002). DIY dental practice use was reported by 115 participants (39.1%; 95% CI: 33.5%–44.8%). Aligners were the most frequently reported practice (63.5%), followed by home remedies (27.8%), whitening products (11.3%), and oral hygiene products (6.1%). Awareness was positively correlated with attitude (Spearman's ρ = 0.624, p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, age (adjusted OR = 1.055, 95% CI: 1.029–1.081; p < 0.001) and male gender (adjusted OR = 4.259, 95% CI: 2.442–7.428; p < 0.001) were significantly associated with previous DIY use. Educational status was also significantly associated with previous DIY use ( p = 0.016), whereas awareness was not (adjusted OR = 0.607, 95% CI: 0.329–1.120; p = 0.110). Conclusion DIY dental practices were commonly reported, with aligner use being the most frequent. Awareness was positively correlated with attitude but was not independently associated with previous DIY use. Given the single-centre convenience sample, findings should not be generalized to the wider population. Further research should examine digital oral health literacy, access to professional care, and informed decision-making regarding consumer-directed dental products.