Oral self-care habits of dental and healthcare providers.

Objective: To evaluate the self-care level of dental and healthcare providers regarding prevention of oral diseases

Methods: Healthcare providers (dental assistants and surgeons, laboratory personnel, biologists, medics, paramedics, corpsmen, nurses, pharmacists, physicians, physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers, speech therapists, X-ray technicians) and non-health care providing adults (the general population) were asked to respond to a questionnaire regarding their routine measures for maintaining oral health.

Results: Three hundred and twenty-six healthcare providers and 95 non-healthcare providers participated in the study. Regarding toothbrushing, flossing, undergoing periodic dental examinations and professional scaling/polishing, dental practitioners have better, but not perfect, maintenance habits than other healthcare providers.