Dentistry and oral care practices among college students

1. Dentistry and oral care practices among college students Sam Greenebaum

2. Background Information • This survey was conducted to understand the dentistry practices of Ithaca College students. Dental care is more important than people may realize, and overall dental health is telling about the lifestyle and care practices of a person. The American Dental Association (ADA) provides information about good dental hygiene and care, however, it is up to each individual to follow up and continue these practices. College students lead busy lives, but, it is not too much to take a few minutes out of the day to swish some mouthwash and run a piece of floss through. After all, teeth are meant to last a lifetime, and good practices start now. • Purpose of the Survey • The purpose of this survey was to explore the dental practices of college students. Dental care sometimes falls by the way-side, but it is still an important part of basic health and wellness. • Method • This was a sample of convenience survey. A link to the survey was emailed out to survey subjects. Eleven links were sent out, eight of the eleven were returned. Information about survey

3. Survey results

4. How often do you visit a dentist per year for routine cleaning and check-ups? • Results • Discussion • In the people surveyed, nobody does not visit the dentist. 62.5 % of those surveyed visit the dentist once a year, where as a mere 25% visit the dentist twice a year. The American Dental Association recommends visiting the dentist twice per year, meaning 62.5% of the surveyed are not seeing their dentist enough. Dentist Visits and check-ups

5. How often do you visit a dentist per year for routine cleaning and check-ups? • Results • Discussion Mouthwash and Dental Floss Use The American Dental Association recommends additional care practices in addition to solely brushing. According to the poll, 20% of those surveyed use mouthwash and dental floss daily. 60% never use mouthwash or dental floss. There was an even split of use of mouthwash only and dental floss only, with both of them at 50% apiece.

6. Results • Approximately how many times a day do you brush your teeth? Teeth-brushing frequency The overall teeth-brushing frequency of those surveyed is between two and three times a day. The ADA recommends brushing no less than twice daily, so fortunately, many students are already brushing their teeth the recommended amount or greater each day. This, compounded with the use of mouthwash and dental floss, are all positive healthy dental and oral care practices.

7. How important is your dental care to you? • Results • Discussion Dental care importance Thankfully, the importance dental hygiene is known by college students. 62.5% of the surveyed consider their dental care to be very important. 37.5% consider their dental hygiene to be somewhat important. None of the surveyed believed their dental care was unimportant and none had no preference.

8. What additional things do you do to care for your teeth? • Results • Discussion Additional care practices Students are doing many things in addition to simply brushing daily, as recommended by the ADA. 87.5% are using an appropriate-sized toothbrush, and eating a balanced diet. 62.5% of the surveyed are using an ADA-approved toothpaste, in addition to using a toothpaste with fluoride. Overall, it seems that Ithaca College students are willing to do a lot to care for their teeth.

9. Summary • REMEMBER!!!! • SMILE PRETTY!  • Overall, oral and dental care is quite good among students. Of those surveyed, none brushed their teeth less than twice a day and additional care practices like mouthwash and flossing are quite common. While the ADA recommends visiting the dentist at least twice a year, students are still visiting their dentists at least once a year, which is better than none at all. Students are also proactive in their lifestyle choices that promote good oral and dental health. Summary