Knowledge, attitude and practice of tooth wear among adults in Bertam, Penang Open Access

Tooth wear is an oral lesion with multifactorial causes. The prevalence is increasing with an increasing age. Knowledge of tooth wear is part of oral health and essential requirements are needed to modify health related behaviors. This study was aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of tooth wear and to compare with the socio-demographic factors. A cross-sectional study using a modified version of self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 390 adults (aged more than 18 years old) from three government institutions in Bertam, Penang. A total of 349 (89.5%) subjects had participated in this study with 55.3% were males and majority of the subjects were Malays. About 58.2% had low level of knowledge with mean score at 20.8. Meanwhile, 93.4% subjects had a positive attitude and 84.2% had poor level of practice on oral hygiene. The low mean score of knowledge among subjects was not necessary an indicator that attitude and practice were affected. However, identification of etiological factors emphasizes on educational approaches, and empowerment of patients and community towards awareness are the most important factors for preventive strategies.