Background: Dentists are considered role models by the general population in regards to oral hygiene and oral\nhealth behavior. This study aimed to access the oral health status of dentists and laypersons, and compare the\ndentists� practice of preventive dentistry and oral self-care behaviors to that of the laypersons.\nMethods: This cross-sectional study recruited 472 participants (195 dentists and 277 laypersons from the general\npopulation). Their oral health/hygiene behavior was assessed using a standardized close-ended multiple choice\nquestionnaire. Oral examination was performed to assess caries using Decayed Missed Filled teeth (DMFT) index\nand periodontal status using Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN).\nResults: Ninety-six percent of dentists brushed their teeth at least once daily, using fluoridated toothpaste and\n80.5% twice daily. Although 94% of laypersons brushed their teeth once daily, they seldom used fluoridated\ntoothpaste. Ten percent of participants in each group were caries free. The mean number of teeth present in the\noral cavity (27.4 versus 25.4), mean number of teeth with caries (1.8 versus 3.7) and fillings (2.5 versus 0.4) were\nsignificantly different (p < 0.0001) between dentists and laypersons, respectively. Regarding the periodontal status,\n82% of dentists had CPITN score of 0 whereas 71% of laypersons had the highest score 3 (p = 0.007), and 81% of\nthe laypersons reported tooth mobility compared to 1% of dentists (p < 0.0001).\nConclusions: The participating dentists had better periodontal status and better self-reported oral health behaviors\nthan the laypersons. Despite similar prevalence of caries in the two groups, the prevalence of decayed and unfilled\nteeth was lower among the dentists.
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