Abstract
Objectives : The purpose of the study was to investigate self-reported oral health attitudes and behaviors among patients receiving scaling services and provide guidelines for developing preventive programs for dental disease. Methods : The survey was administered to a sample of 462 receiving voluntary scaling service in the practice lab in the department of dental hygiene at J health college. Results : 1. Of all participants, 261(56.5%) reported that they received scaling services in the past. 134 of the women (62.6%) and 127 of the men (51.2%) received scaling services 2. Analysis of the regular scaling attendance rates showed that only 16.2% of all participants received routine scaling. 13.7% of the male participants and 19.2% of the female participants received scaling on a regular basis. 3. Participants commonly reported "self-motivation" and "suggestion by others" (37.9% and 34.1%, respectively) as the main reasons for obtaining scaling services. 4. The main reasons for not obtaining scaling services were "I did not know about scaling" (39.3%), "I don't feel it is necessary" (27.4%) and "because I am scared" (20.9%). More men (42.1%) than women (35%) reported that they did not know about scaling. 5. Of the total participants, 41.6% reported that they were concerned about oral health at a moderate level, and 30.3% reported that they were concerned about oral health at a high level. 6. Of the participants who responded "very concerned about oral health" and "extremely concerned about oral health", the majority obtained scaling service (70.2% and 84.2%, respectively). Conclusions : The study suggested that researchers and national health authorities should develop routine scaling, preventive dental care, and oral health programs for oral health promotion and disease prevention.
