Predicting oral hygiene practices through health behavior, perceived stress and self-efficacy in undergraduate dental students of Pakistan: a national survey.

Background: Dental students face the rigorous demands of coursework, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy and stress. These pressures can negatively influence self-efficacy and cause neglect in practicing healthy behaviors that encompass oral health. Identifying the associations of these variables with oral hygiene practices can help in the formulation of interventions tailored toward supporting young students.

Parental perception of silver diamine fluoride for the management of dental caries.

Objectives: This study aims to identify and extract parental perception and acceptance of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) application in treating dental caries with the objective of a) evaluating parental acceptability of SDF as a treatment choice for dental caries in their children and b) investigating parental concerns regarding the use of SDF for childhood caries.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey using a reliable questionnaire was conducted among parents of children aged 2-10 years, who reported to the department of paediatric dentistry at two dental hospitals between June 2020 and January 2021.

Results: 197 participants/guardians were included in the study and 128 showed acceptability towards SDF, out of which, 99 preferred upper posterior teeth for the treatment.