Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nurses play an integral part in the comprehensive delivery of healthcare services and contribute significantly to the success of public health initiatives. The knowledge, attitude and practices of nurses in the domain of oral health influence their own oral hygiene as well as that of the community. Their impact on overall oral health of the community is due to the fact that they provide health education as the primary contact of patients and their family members. The objective of this study was to evaluate the oral health knowledge, attitude and practice among nurses of a tertiary healthcare facility. METHODOLOGY: We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study among nurses working at a tertiary healthcare setting in Faridabad, India, to assess their oral health-related knowledge, attitude and practice. RESULT: We recruited a total of 300 nurses from the study institution. Among participants, 235 (78.4 %) were females. In the study population, 220 (73.4%) were nursing diploma holders, 55 (18.6%) had a bachelor's degree, 20 (6.6%) had a post-graduate nursing diploma and 5 (1.5%) completed their master's degree. Overall oral health-related knowledge was found to be good in 270 (90%) of participants. Overall oral health-related attitude was satisfactory in 270 (90%) participants. Among participants, 225 (75%) brushed their teeth using fluoridated toothpaste. In addition, 247 (82.6%) participants reported brushing in circular direction, 256 (85.6%) reported spending 2 min to clean their teeth and 285 (95%) reported cleaning their tongue daily. CONCLUSION: Nurses demonstrated good knowledge, good attitude and a positive outlook related to oral health. They contributed significantly towards maintenance of healthy practices regarding oral health and hygiene in the community. This was primarily by taking up an active role in motivating family and friends to have regular dental check-ups.