Changes in the awareness of oral health among new students newly enrolled at the University of Tokyo over the past 15 years.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine changes in awareness of oral health among Japanese university students.


METHODS
Between 1990 and 2004, a total of 51,650 students newly enrolled at the University of Tokyo responded to an annual written questionnaire on oral health.


RESULTS
(i) Approximately 60% of the students brushed their teeth twice a day. Female students brushed more frequently than male students. (ii) The percentage of students who brushed for 2-3 min per time decreased, while the percentage who brushed four or more minutes increased. (iii) The number of students who had learned how to brush properly increased. This trend was particularly clear-cut among male students, although the proportion of female students who had learned to brush properly remained higher than that of male students. (iv) The percentage of female students who sought treatment for malocclusion was higher than that of male students. The percentage of students who underwent orthodontic treatment increased from 11.6 to 19.7%. The percentage of female students who received orthodontic treatment was approximately twofold that of male students. (v) The percentage of students who had temporomandibular disorders was 0.7% in males and 1.5% in females. (vi) More than 40% of the students had periodontal diseases, with a higher prevalence among male students than female students. (vii) Approximately 20% of the students wanted to consult our service centre.


CONCLUSIONS
The awareness of oral health among new undergraduates at the University of Tokyo has improved over the past 15 years.
Hikiji
H
H
Health Service Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. hikiji-ora@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Koshikiya
N
N
Fujihara
H
H
Hatano
N
N
Matsuzaki
M
M
Matsuzaki
A
A
Ohki
M
M
Susami
T
T
Takato
T
T
Toyo-oka
T
T
D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009909:Oral Health; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*