Awareness of patients with impacted teeth about impacted teeth in Turkey: A questionnaire study

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge and awareness levels of patients who have at least one impacted tooth and who had previously applied to the dentist. Study design: This study was conducted in patients aged 15 years and older who applied to Ordu University Faculty of Dentistry for routine examination and agreed to fill out the questionnaire form. A total of 325 people participated in the survey conducted to determine the awareness of patients applying to the faculty of dentistry about their existing impacted teeth. A Pearson's chi-square test was used for hypothesis testing when expected frequencies exceeded 5. Results: It was determined that 56.9 % (185) of the participants were aware of their existing teeth, while 43.1 % (140) were not aware. When the patients were evaluated according to the in-stitutions they had visited, it was seen that the group who were most aware of the presence of impacted tooth were those who apply to the faculty of dentistry (74.4 %). The rate of being informed by dentists in the institutions that they had previously visited was higher in patients with university or post-university graduates (p < 0.05). The most common information given by the dentists to the patients about their impacted dental problems was that the tooth should be followed up (40.4 %), while the removal of the tooth constituted 28.4 % of the information given. Conclusion: This study showed that although patients are aware of their existing impacted teeth, their level of knowledge about the risks it may pose is low. For a healthy oral care and health, patients should be adequately informed about impacted teeth.