KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES TOWARDS ORAL HEALTH, TRAUMA, AND HIV RELATED DISEASES AMONG NURSES AND NURSING STUDENTS WORKING IN HOSPITALS OF DELHI -NCR, INDIA

Background: Nursing personnel are the largest providers of health care worldwide and are the one who provides oral health care to the patients as they are ever present in the wards. They are at strategic position in the health care delivery system and plays an important role in health promotion and dissemination of preventive care among individuals, groups of lay people and the community at large.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding the oral health and dental trauma among the present and prospective nurses in Hospitals of Delhi-NCR, India.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire based study was conducted with 34-item questionnaire distributed in 6 sections including nurses’ demographic details, attitude towards personal oral hygiene practices, dental visits pattern, knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS related oral diseases and immediate management of dental trauma. Descriptive statistics was obtained as frequency distribution for each question.

Results: Majority of the participants (150, 66.1%) were aware that the tooth decay is dental caries. The gingival swelling is gingivitis was reported by 183 (80.6%) respondents. 142 (62.6%) participants were unaware that periodontitis is caused by accumulation of plaque and mature (calcified) plaque together. Around 60 (26.4%) of the respondents knew that displaced teeth can be managed by putting it back to the original position. It was surprising to note that 117 (51.5%) respondents did not know any of oral diseases related to HIV/AIDS.

Conclusions: Nursing staffs have good attitudes towards the management of dental injuries and conditions. The knowledge level of the nursing subjects concerning oral health was found to be quite good. A current study module which included the oral manifestations of HIV was added to the nursing education curricula. However, the present survey results noted a relative lack of in-depth knowledge on this subject, which could result in misleading information to the public. Nursing curricula modifications may lead to more advanced management of dental and oral conditions including oral manifestations of systemic conditions in the future.