title: Practice of Self-Medication for Dental Problems in Uttar Pradesh, India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the practice of self-medication for oral health problems in Uttar Pradesh, India.
  
  
  METHODS
  This multiregional cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted in four towns; Moradabad, Meerut, Ghaziabad and Bareilly over a 2-month period on 352 subjects. The questionnaire consisted of a demographic profile, questions related to problems of oral health for self-medication, substances used, source of the substance, duration, reason and source of advice for self-medication. The data were analysed using the chi-square test with significance set at p < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of self-medication was 72%. The source of substances in most of the cases was a pharmacy shop (62.5%). The most frequent self-medicated oral health problem was toothache (55.6%), followed by other problems, and the most frequently used substance was analgesics (59%). 49.8% self-medicated due to lack of money for consulting a doctor and 45% of the population received advice from the pharmacist for self-medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of those surveyed practiced self-medication using an array of drugs, e.g. analgesics, native herbs, antibiotics, etc, either alone or in combination. The main reason identified for self-medication was motivation from relatives and friends.
authors.forename: Ankita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Dara John
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bhaskar
authors.forename: Devanand
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Chandan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agali
authors.forename: Priyanka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yadav
authors.forename: Richa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khurana
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003376:Counseling; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010594:Pharmacies; D008517:Phytotherapy; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012651:Self Medication / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014098:Toothache / Q000188:drug therapy; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents