Oral Health Attitudes and Oral Hygiene Status of First- and Fourth-Year Dental Students at the College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad

Dental students are expected to maintain good oral health and promote preventive oral care among their future patients. Their oral hygiene practices and attitudes are influenced by the education they receive throughout their training. This study evaluated the oral health attitudes and oral hygiene status of first- and fourth-year dental students at the College of Dentistry, University of Baghdad, and compared the findings according to academic year and gender. A cross-sectional study included 50 randomly selected volunteer students (25 from each academic year). Participants completed a questionnaire on oral hygiene practices and underwent clinical examination using the Plaque Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI), and Pocket Depth (PD). Statistical analysis was performed using the independent t-test for PI and GI and the chi-square test for PD. Fourth-year students showed lower plaque and gingival index scores than first-year students, indicating better oral hygiene. Female students generally demonstrated better oral health than male students in both academic years. Most participants had normal pocket depth measurements. However, the differences between groups were not statistically significant. Oral hygiene and oral health attitudes appeared to improve with advancing dental education, and female students demonstrated slightly better oral health than males. Although these differences were not statistically significant, the findings suggest a positive influence of dental education on students' oral health practices.