Oral health status and habits of young Hong Kong adults

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the oral health status and habits of young Hong Kong adults METHODS: Free dental examinations were offered to new university students in a campus dental clinic of a university in Hong Kong. Purpose and procedures of this study were explained to the participants and written consents were obtained. This study consisted of a questionnaire survey and a clinical examination. Oral hygiene habit, knowledge and attitude towards dental care service utilization were assessed using the questionnaire. Periodontal condition and caries experience were assessed in the clinical examination. RESULTS: Seven hundred people participated in this study. The male to female ratio was about 1 to 1, with a mean age of 18.8+/-0.7 years. Oral health care knowledge was considered adequate. Most of them (84%) practiced tooth brushing twice daily, while a quarter of them had flossing habit. Forty-four percent of the participants had not visited a dentist for more than 3 years, while 33% had regular dental visit within a year, in which most of them were female. The mean DMFT score was 0.32 and most of them (80%) had no caries experience. Calculus was found in 86% of the participants, amongst which 2.3% had shallow periodontal pockets. Young men were found to have higher DMFT (p=0.04) and poorer periodontal status (p=0.003) than young women. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of caries in young adults in Hong Kong was low and most of them had good oral health practices. Despite adequate oral health care knowledge, their attitude towards oral health care utilization needs to be improved.