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With the object of providing basic information for developing materials of community oral health education in order that community residents have knowledge of oral health and acquire correct oral health attitude and practice, this study sampled 124 from 130 visitors at the Scaling Practice Room of the Dental Hygiene Department of A University during the period from September 15 to December 5, 2008, excluding those who had a systematic disease and under outpatient treatment and those who had 23 or fewer natural teeth (taking orthodontic extractions into account), and with the sample, we performed oral examination, measured oral malodor, OHI and PHP, and conducted a survey on oral health behavior and oral health perception using a self‐administered questionnaire. Conclusions drawn from this study are as follows.
1. Of the subjects, 46.0% brushed their teeth twice a day, and according to gender, and 42.1% of the female subjects brushed their teeth twice a day. This shows that women brush their teeth more frequently than men.
2. With regard to the use of oral health products, 19.4% of the subjects were using oral health products, and according to gender, 20.9% of the female subjects and 17.5% of the male subjects were using oral health products. The most frequently used product was toothpick, which was used by 45.8% of the subjects.
3. With regard to experience in scaling, 47.6% of the subjects had an experience in scaling, and according to gender, 52.2% of the female subjects and 42.1% of the male subjects had an experience in scaling, so the percentage was somewhat higher in the female subjects. With regard to oral health condition after scaling, 62.7% replied that scaling improved their oral health condition.
4. With regard to interest in teeth, 46.3% of the female subjects and 45.6% of the male subjects were interested in their teeth. As to reasons for the interest, 47.5% mentioned a cosmetic purpose.
According to gender, 41.8% of the female subjects and 59.6% of the male subjects replied that they had oral malodor.
5. In the results of examining the relation between experience in oral health education and tooth brushing method, tooth brushing up‐and‐down and side‐to‐side was most frequent in both of those with experience in oral health education (52.6%) and those without (33.3%). Those who brushed their teeth side‐to‐side were relatively more frequent among those without experience in oral health education (34.0%).
The results of this suggest that oral health behavior and oral health perception are very important, and it is necessary to enhance community residents’ interest in and knowledge of oral health.
Furthermore, there should be periodical management and education for improving community residents’ oral health.
A limitation of this study is that the subjects of this study were limited to visitors at the Scaling Practice Room of A University, so the results may not be generalized. Thus, it is considered necessary to survey community residents’ oral health behavior and oral health perception with a larger number of subjects sampled from extensive areas.