title: Preventive practice of Mongolian dental students.
abstract: To investigate the preventive practice of Mongolian dental students, in relation to their knowledge of preventive care, self-perceived competency, oral self-care, and dental health status, a questionnaire was distributed to all (n = 79) clinical-year students of The Dental School of the Mongolian National Medical University. Dental students' reported preventive practice was explained by their knowledge of preventive care (P = 0.002) and self-perceived competency (P = 0.002), whereas their study-year, oral self-care, and dental health status, expressed as the Tissue Health Index (THI), remained statistically non-significant in the linear regression model. This explained 28% of the variation in the parameters examined. In logistic regression analysis, a student's study year (OR = 2.5), knowledge of preventive care (OR = 1.1), and THI (OR = 1.8) were related to their highest scores on preventive practice. Preventive practice among Mongolian dental students could be improved by increasing their knowledge, particularly in modern methods for caries-prevention such as fluoride, sealants, and xylitol. Preventive methods should be integrated into all topics of the dental curriculum and the learning environment should support such training for future oral health professionals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Public Health, Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Battsetseg
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tseveenjav
authors.forename: Miira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vehkalahti
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murtomaa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003376:Counseling; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005460:Fluorides, Topical / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008986:Mongolia; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education; D016017:Odds Ratio; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012648:Self Care; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013335:Students, Dental; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014993:Xylitol / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D005460:Fluorides, Topical; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants; D014100:Toothpastes; D005459:Fluorides; D014993:Xylitol