RESEARCH ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ORAL HYGIENE

A MINI RESEARCH SUBMITTED TO THE

R & D CLUB OF S.M.K TAMAN S.E.A., P.J.

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE SIXTH FORM COURSE

2011

BY JONATHAN HENG FUQIANG S M K TAMAN SEA, PETALING JAYA

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Firstly, I would like to record my grateful appreciation to all the Form 6 teachers, especially Pn Tan Sin Wah and Pn Vasanthy for their guidance and support. I would also like to thank my dad for taking his effort to look through my work. This research would not have been a success if not for the cooperation and support of several parties including the involvement of members of the research and development club who helped us in no small way. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank my group members namely Men How, Saystri, Kah Lin, Hoc Leong, Alexander, and Sathes for their hard work and team spirit to ensure the success of this research project. Last but not least, I must thank the students of 4 Cempaka for their involvement in this research by giving kind co-operation and undivided support and time to be willing respondents to our survey.

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ABSTRACT
The study investigates the importance of oral hygiene among secondary school students. The purpose of the study is to investigate the awareness of oral hygiene among secondary school students and to identify their oral health status. The outcome highlighted a high degree of student awareness of oral hygiene and indicates their positive attitude towards it. There exist a small number of students quite unaware about the importance of oral hygiene which can affect their appearance and oral health.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ........................................................................................................................ii ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................................... iii CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 6 Statement of Problem .................................................................................................................. 6 Purpose of Study ........................................................................................................................... 6 Significance of Study ..................................................................................................................... 6 Research Question ........................................................................................................................ 7 Operational Definition .................................................................................................................. 7 CHAPTER 2-LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................... 10 Overview ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Site .............................................................................................................................................. 10 Participants ................................................................................................................................. 10 Instruments ................................................................................................................................. 10 Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................... 10 CHAPTER 4 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................... 11

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CHAPTER 5 - CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................. 29 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 29 Summary of the Study ................................................................................................................ 29 Findings ....................................................................................................................................... 29 Implications................................................................................................................................. 30 Limitation .................................................................................................................................... 31 Recommendation and Future Research ..................................................................................... 32 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................... 33 EXAMPLE SURVEY PAPER ................................................................................................................ 35 SURVEY PAPERS DID BY STUDENTS OF 4 CEMPAKA ....................................................................... 38

CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION
Statement of Problem
Oral hygiene among students in Malaysia is not on par with the standard set by the World Dental Assiositation which would cause many oral health problems among Malaysian students. Besides that, students who are unaware about their oral hygiene tend to not care about their oral health. Therefore, this study was carried out to identify the level and knowledge of oral hygiene awareness among secondary school students.

Purpose of Study
In the proposed study, I will investigate the importance of oral hygiene among secondary school students. Specifically, this study aims to: Investigate the students level of awareness on oral hygiene. Determine how aware secondary school students are on their habits, status and knowledge of oral hygiene. Outcomes and insights acquired through this study are expected to create awareness among school students on their practice of oral hygiene.

Significance of Study
Conclusions drawn from this study will enable the society and its elites, i.e., dentist, teachers etc., to better determine the way forward in assisting students by identifying level of oral hygiene. For instance, if it is found, in this study, that level of oral hygiene among students does negatively affect a students image, then various departments can derive methods to overcome this problem. Besides that it can educate the students and create awareness to the public.

Therefore, this study was carried out in order to identify the level and knowledge of oral hygiene among secondary students .

Research Question
What are students level of awareness and knowledge on oral hygiene?

Operational Definition
For the purpose of this research: Awareness Having or showing realization, perception, or knowledge

Knowledge The fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience

Oral Hygiene Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping the mouth and teeth clean to prevent dental problems and bad breath.. Oral Health Dentistry is the known evaluation, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the soft and hard tissues of the jaw (mandible), the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body.

CHAPTER 2-LITERATURE REVIEW

Habits A WHO Collaborative Study conducted Cross-National Survey on Health Behaviour in school-aged children, was to describe the oral hygiene habits (toothbrushing and flossing) of 11-year-old schoolchildren in 22 countries. At least 1300 school children participated in this study. The children brushed most favorably in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, and Norway (83-73% brushed twice a day). More-than-once-a-day toothbrushing was especially uncommon (from 26 to 33%) among boys in Finland, Lithuania, Russia, Estonia, and Latvia. Toothbrushing frequency differed significantly according to school performance in Canada, the Czech Republic, Scotland, Poland, Northern Ireland, and Wales and between different socio-economic groups in Northern Ireland, Wales, the Czech Republic, Scotland, Poland, and Russia. Use of dental floss was rare. In general, flossing was less frequent among boys than among girls. Daily flossing was most common among Canadian adolescents (25%). Awareness The Office of National Statistics together with the Universities of Birmingham, Dundee, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Wales conducted an Adult Dental Health survey in the UK.The purpose of the survey is to identify the behavioural indicator whether people say they go to a dentist for a regular dental check-up, an occasional dental check-up or only when they have trouble with their teeth. The proportion of dentate adults in the UK who report attending for regular dental check-ups has risen from 43% in 1978 to 59% in 1998. Older adults (over 55 years old) were the most likely to say they attend for regular dental check-ups. Many younger adults (1624) said they went to a dentist less often than 5 years previously, they were also the least likely to say they attend for regular dental check-ups.

Knowledge The Second Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou , China have started a study of oral health knowledge among college students. 3356 undergraduates from three Jinzhou colleges take a closed-questionnaire on oral health. Results show that college students lack the basic oral health knowledge.Only 59.7% of the students answered correctly.The female students were significantly better than the male students.(55.9% for boys,62.7% for girls).The medical students were significantly better than other students.(63.4% for the medical students, 57.0% for other students.) The students who major in oral cavity were significantly better than other medical students(66.8% for the students who major in oral cavity,62.3% for other medical students). The rate of correctly answering significantly increased with the increase of the educational span.

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses the methods of collection & analyzing of data, the strategies put forth and characteristics of the study.

Overview
This study is purposed to investigate the awareness of oral health among students. There are three main aspects of a students awareness that this study will focus on: habits, status and awareness and knowledge on oral health.

Site
This study was carried out in a co-ed national secondary school in Petaling Jaya. This site was chosen as the area has a balanced population of students of various socio-economic backgrounds. Sekolah Menengah Kebangasaan Taman S.E.A. was chosen as it fulfils the criteria.

Participants
The participants of this study consist of students from various financial and educational background from a Form 4 class that is 4 Cempaka. A total of 18 males and 22 females from the class were involved in the study.

Instruments
Survey forms containing 10 questions for the execution of this study. Each item has 2 to 5 options.

Data Analysis
The survey data was collected and was then analyzed using graphs, charts and pie charts.

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CHAPTER 4 RESULTS
This chapter disscusses the findings of the Questionnare that were given out.Tables, bar charts and pie charts were used to display the results. Table 1: Gender Of Students In 4 Cempaka Gender of student Boys Girls Total Figure 1: Gender Of Students In 4 Cempaka Number of Student 18 22 40 % 45% 55% 100%

45% 55%
Boys Girls

Table 1 showed the gender of students in 4 Cempaka which comprised of 18 (45%) males and 22 (55%) female students.

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Table 2: Ethnicity Of Students In 4 Cempaka Race of student Malay Chinese Indian Others Total Number of Student 0 35 4 1 40 % 0.0% 87.5% 10.0% 2.5% 100.0% Number of Male Student 0 18 0 0 18 % 0.0% 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% 100.0% Number of Female Student 0 17 4 1 22 % 0.0% 77.3% 18.2% 4.5% 100.0%

Figure 2: Ethnicity Of Students In 4 Cempaka

10% 3% 0%

Malay Chinese Indian

87%

Others

Figure 3: Ethnicity of Male students in 4 Cempaka

Figure 4: Ethinicity of female students 4 Cempaka

5% 0% Malay Chinese 100% Indian Others 77% 18% Malay Chinese Indian Others

In Figure 3, class 4 Cempaka consisted of 35 Chinese (87% )(18 male and 17 Female) , 4 Indians (4 females, 18.2% ) and 1 female (4.5%) from the Others category. Table 3: Financial Status Based On Students Perspective

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Financial status Very Good Good Moderate Very Poor Total

Number of Student 1 14 22 3 40

% 2.5% 35.0% 55.0% 7.5% 100.0%

Number of Male Student 0 7 9 2 18

% 0.0% 38.9% 50.0% 11.1% 100.0%

Number of Female Student 1 7 13 1 22

% 4.5% 31.8% 59.1% 4.5% 100.0%

Figure 5: Financial Status Based On Students Perspective

8%

2% 35%
Very Good Good Moderate Very Poor

55%

Figure 6: Financial Status of Male Students

Figure 7: Financial Status of Female Students

0% 11% 39% Very Good Good Moderate Very Poor 32% 59% Very Good Good Moderate Very Poor 5% 4%

50%

Based on the analysis of the students perception on financial status in Figure 3, the respondents in 4 Cempaka, a majority of them stated that they were from moderate financial status families (9 males and 13 females). Only 35% of the class stated that they came from families of good financial status (7 male,7 female) and 7.5 % of the class (3 males and 2 females) claimed that they came from very poor families. Interestingly, one female student stated that she came from a family of very good financial status.

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Analysis of the Response of the Class This part of the study will illustrate the response of the class to the various questions of the questionnaire based on the gender. Figure 8: Frequency Of Brushing Teeth By Students

8% 20%

7% Once Twice Thrice 65% After each meal

In Figure 8, Out of the total, 65% of the class brushed their teeth twice a day while 20% of the class students brushed their teeth thrice a day. Of the remainder, 8% brushed their teeth once and 7% of the class students brushed after every meal.

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Table 4: Frequency Of Brushing Teeth By Students By Gender Male 16.7% 77.8% 0.0% 5.6% 100.0% Female 0.0% 54.5% 36.4% 9.1% 100.0% Total 7.5% 65.0% 20.0% 7.5% 100.0%

Once Twice Thrice After Each Meal Total

3 14 0 1 18

0 12 8 2 22

3 26 8 3 40

Figure 9: Frequency Of Brushing Teeth By Students By Gender

16 14 Number of Students 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Once Twice Thrice After Each Meal Male Female

In Figure 9, of those respondents who brushed their teeth twice a day, 77.8% or 14 students were male while 54.5% or 12 students were female. 36.4% or 8 female students brushed their teeth thrice a day. There were no male students in this category. Only 3 students for those who brushed their teeth after every meal. Of these, 2 were female students and one was a male student.

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Figure 10: Teeth Flossing Among Students

25%

17% Yes No Sometimes

58%

In Figure 10, out of the total respondents, 58% or 23 students did not floss their teeth. 17% or 7 students flossed their teeth while 25% or 10 students flossed their teeth sometimes. Table 5: Teeth Flossing By Gender Male 22.2% 61.1% 16.7% 100.0% Female 13.6% 54.5% 31.8% 100.0% Total 17.5% 57.5% 25.0% 100.0%

Yes No Sometimes Total

4 11 3 18

3 12 7 22

7 23 10 40

Figure 11: Teeth Flossing By Gender

Number of Student 15 10 5 0 Yes No Sometimes Male Female

Analysis of the responses to this question state in Figure 11 showed that a majority of students from both gender did not floss their teeth. Of 40 respondents, 23 students or 57.5% did not floss their teeth. Of these, 11 of them were males while 12 were females. Only 4 out of 18 male students or 22.2% of the gender group practised flossing while 3 out of 22 female students or 13.6% of their gender group flossed their teeth. In addition, 3 male students or 16.7% of their gender group and 7 female students or 31.8% of their gender group responded that they sometimes floseds their teeth.
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Figure 12: Tongue Cleaning Among Students

18% 50% 32%

Yes No Sometimes

In Figure 12, out of the total respondents, 20 students or 50% cleaned their tongues. 13 students or 32.5% did not clean their tongues while 7 students (17.5%) replied that they cleaned their tongue sometimes. Table 6: Tongue Cleaning By Gender Male 44.4% 27.8% 27.8% 100.0% Female 54.5% 36.4% 9.1% 100.0% Total 50.0% 32.5% 17.5% 100.0%

Yes No Sometimes Total

8 5 5 18

12 8 2 22

20 13 7 40

Figure 13: Tongue Cleaning By Students

15 Number of Student 10 5 0 Yes No Sometimes Male Female

Based on gender results in Figure 13, 8 out of 18 male students or 44.4% of their gender group cleaned their tongues while 12 out of 22 or 54.5% of the female gender group did this. 5 male students or 27.8% and 8 females or 36.4% of their respective gender groups did not clean their tongues. For those who responded that they cleaned their tongues sometimes, 5 were male respondents or 27.8% and 2 were females or 9.1% of their respective gender groups.

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Figure 14: Time Taken To Brush Their Teeth By Students

50%

50% < 5 Minutes 5 Minutes >

In Figure 14, out of the total, 50% of the class students brushed their teeth more than 5 minutes while the other 50% brushed their teeth less than 5 minutes. Table 7: Time Taken To Brush Their Teeth By Gender Male 44.4% 55.6% 100.0% Female 54.5% 45.5% 100.0% Total 50.0% 50.0% 100.0%

< 5 Minutes 5 minutes > Total

8 10 18

12 10 22

20 20 40

Figure 15: Time Taken To Brush Their Teeth By Gender

14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 < 5 Minutes 5 Minutes >

Number of Student

Male Female

In Figure 15, 18 male students,10 students (55.6%) brushed their teeth more than 5 minutes and 8 students (44.4%) brushed their teeth less than 5 minutes. For female students, 12 students or 54.5% brushed their teeth less than 5 minutes while 10 students or 45.5% brushed longer than 5 minutes.

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Figure 16: Students Perception On Current Oral Hygiene Status

10% 15% Very Poor Poor Good Very Good Excellent 0% 0%

75%

In Figure 16, a total of 75% of the students thought that their oral hygiene status was good. Only 6 of them thought their oral hygiene wass very good while 4 students thought they had excellent oral hygience. Table 8: Students Perception On Current Oral Hygiene Status By Gender Male 0.0% 0.0% 88.9% 0.0% 11.1% 100.0% Female 0.0% 0.0% 63.6% 27.3% 9.1% 100.0% Total 0.0% 0.0% 75.0% 15.0% 10.0% 100.0%

Very Poor Poor Good Very Good Excellent Total

0 0 16 0 2 18

0 0 14 6 2 22

0 0 30 6 4 40

Figure 17: Students Perception On Current Oral Hygiene Status By Gender

20 15 10 5 0 Very Poor Poor Good Very Good Excellent Male Female

In Figure 17, a total of 88.9% male and 63.6% of female students expressed that their oral health status was good. 6 females thought that their oral hygiene status was very good while 4 students (2 male,2 female) thought they had excellent oral hygience.

Number of Students

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Figure 18: Dental Visit By Students

15%

Yes No 85%

Outcome statistics in Figure 18 indicated that 85% of students had visited a dentist. The remaining 15% had never visited a dentist.This was testimony that the majority of students were aware of the need to have good oral hygiene. Table 9: Dental Visit By Students By Gender
Male 94.4% 5.6% 100.0% Female 77.3% 22.7% 100.0% Total 85.0% 15.0% 100.0%

Yes No Total

17 1 18

17 5 22

34 6 40

Figure 19: Dental Visit Of Students By Gender

18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Yes No

Number of Student

Male Female

From Figure 19, it was evident that 85% of the class (94.4% males and 77.3% females) had visited the dentist. Only 6 students (1 male,5 females) have not visited a dentist before.

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Table 10: Students Last Dental Visit When was the last time you visited a dentist? Less than one year ago More than one year ago More than two years ago TOTAL Figure 20: Students Last Dental Visit Number of student 15 9 10 34 % 44.1% 26.5% 29.4% 100.0%

29% 44% Less than one year ago More than one year ago More than two years ago 27%

In Figure 20, of those who visited their dentists, 15 students or 44.1% of students visited their dentist less than a year ago while 26.5% of that students last visited the dentist more than one year but less than 2 years ago.Some 10 students or 29.4% last visited their dentist more than two years ago.

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Table 11: Students Last Dental Visit By Gender Male 35.3% 29.4% 35.3% 100.0% Female 52.9% 23.5% 23.5% 100.0% Total 44.1% 26.5% 29.4% 100.0%

Less Than One Year Ago More Than One Year Ago More Than Two Year Ago Total

6 5 6 17

9 4 4 17

15 9 10 34

Figure 21: Students Last Dental Visit By Gender

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 Less Than One Year Ago More Than One Year Ago More Than Two Year Ago

Number of Students

Male Female

In Figure 21, Of male students, 6 or 35.3% visited their dentists less than a year ago. Of female students,9 or 52.9% visited their dentists less than a year ago. This showed that more female students rather than male students visited the dentists within a year. For those who visited their dentists within one to two years, 5 students or 29.4% were males while 4 or 23.5% were female. Statistics showed that 6 out of 17 males or 35.3% visited their dentists more than two years ago. Comparatively, only 4 female students or 23.5% were in this category.

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Table 12: Students Purpose For A Dental Visit What was the purpose of your visit? Examination, prevention Need for a filling/extraction Special treatment i.e. endodontics,prosthodontics,orthodontics TOTAL Figure 22: Students Purpose For A Dental Visit Number of student 23 2 9 34 % 67.6% 5.9% 26.5% 100.0%

Examination, prevention 26% Need for a filling/extraction 6% 68% Special treatment i.e. endodontics,prosthodontics, orthodontics

In Figure 22, of the reasons for a dental visit, a majority of 23 students or.67.9% visited the dentist for oral examination and prevention. Some 9 students or 26.5% went for special treatment while 2 students or 5.9% visited the dentist for fillings and extractions.

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Table 13:Dental Visits By Gender Male 64.7% 11.8% 23.5% 100.0% Female 70.6% 0.0% 29.4% 100.0% Total 67.6% 5.9% 26.5% 100.0%

Examination,Prevention Need For a Filling/Extraction Special Treatment Total

11 2 4 17

12 0 5 17

23 2 9 34

Figure 23: Dental Visits By Gender

14 Number of Students 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Examination,Prevention Need For a Filling/Extraction Special Treatment Male Female

In Figure 23, of those who visited their dentists for examination and prevention of cavities, 11 students or 64.7% were males while 12 or 70.6% were female students. Only 2 male students or 11.8% visited the dentist for a tooth filling or extraction. The balance of 9 students of which 4 were males (23.5%) and 5 (29.4%) were females sought special dental treatment such as orthodontics .

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Figure 24: Students Perception Of Toothbrush Quality On Their Oral Health

20% 10% 70% Yes No Maybe

In Figure 24, a total of 28 students or 70% were of the opinion that a good quality toothbrush was important for the maintenance of good oral hygiene. 4 students or 10%, however, disagreed. The remaining 8 students or 20% expressed a maybe response. Table 14: Students Perception Of Toothbrush Quality On Their Oral Health By Gender Male 66.7% 11.1% 22.2% 100.0% Female 72.7% 9.1% 18.2% 100.0% Total 70.0% 10.0% 20.0% 100.0%

Yes No Maybe Total

12 2 4 18

16 2 4 22

28 4 8 40

Figure 25: Students Perception Of Toothbrush Quality On Their Oral Health By Gender
20 Number Of Students 15 10 5 0 Yes No Maybe Male Female

In Figure 25, a majority of the students (66.7% males,72.7%) agreed that a good quality toothbrush can positively affect their oral hygiene, only 4 students (2 males,2 females) disagreed. Some 8 students (4 male,4 female) responded with a mayberesponse.

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Figure 26: Students Perception On Brushing Method

10%

8%

82%

Yes No Don't Care

In Figure 26, 33 students or 82.5% of all respondents perceived that a good brushing method was imperative for maintaining good oral hygiene. Some 3 students or 7.5% responded negatively while 4 students or 10% indicated that they were not concerned with it. Table 15: Students Perception On Brushing Method By Gender Male Female Yes 14 77.8% 19 86.4% No 1 5.6% 2 9.1% Don't Care 3 16.7% 1 4.5% Total 18 100.0% 22 100.0% Figure 27: Students Perception On Brushing Method By Gender
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33 3 4 40

Total 82.5% 7.5% 10.0% 100.0%

Number Of Students

15 10 5 0 Yes No Don't Care Male Female

In Figure 27, the analysis by gender showed of those who concurred with the statement that a good brushing method was important for good oral hygience maintenance; 19 students or 85.4% were female students while 14 or 77.8% were male students. Of those who disagreed, 2 or 9.1% were female students and 1 or 5.6% was a male. Of the students who were not concerned at all with this statement, 3 or 16.7% were males while 1 or 4.5% was a female.

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Figure 28: Students Knowledge On Fluoride

3% 12% 0% Pleasant Taste Soft Feeling Prevent Cavities Price

85%

In Figure 28, 34 students or 85% of the respondents displayed knowledge that fluoride was important in preventing cavities, 5 students or 12% of the sample size thought it had a pleasant taste and 1 student thought that it was value for money from the price perspective. No one responded to the option that the toothpaste felt soft due to the flouride content. Table 16: Students Knowledge On Fluoride By Gender Male 0.0% 0.0% 100.0% 0.0% 100.0% Female 22.7% 0.0% 72.7% 4.5% 100.0% Total 12.5% 0.0% 85.0% 2.5% 100.0%

Pleasant Taste Soft Feeling Prevents Cavities Price Total

0 0 18 0 18

5 0 16 1 22

5 0 34 1 40

Figure 29: Students Knowledge On Fluoride By Gender

20 Number Of Students 15 10 5 0 Pleasant Taste Soft Feeling Prevents Cavities Price Male Female

In Figure 29, all the male students showed awareness that fluoride was added to toothpaste to prevent cavities. However, not all female students agreed on this statement. Only 16 female students or 72.7% concured with this statement. 5 female students or 22.7% of them agreed that fluoride was added to the toothpaste so that it can have a pleasant taste while 1 female student or 4.5% agreed it was added in for pricing purpose .
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Figure 30: Students Perception Of Tooth Extraction As a Preferred Treatment

37% Yes No

63%

In Figure 30, some 25 student or 63% disagreed with this statement while 15 students or 35% agreed with this statement. Table 17: Students Perception Of Tooth Extraction As a Preferred Treatment By Gender Male 27.8% 72.2% 100.0% Female 45.5% 54.5% 100.0% Total 37.5% 62.5% 100.0%

Yes No Total

5 13 18

10 12 22

15 25 40

Figure 31: Students Perception Of Tooth Extraction As a Preferred Treatment By Gender

14 Number Of Students 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Yes No Male Female

In Figure 31, 10 female students or 45.5% agreed while 5 male students or 27.8% subscribed to this statement. They believed that extraction was the only viable option. However, of the 25 students who disagreed, 13 students or 72.2% were males while 12 students or 54.5% were females.They believed there were alternative treatments available.

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CHAPTER 5 - CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Introduction
The following chapter begins with a brief summary of the findings of students status and awareness of oral hygiene in Chapter 4. This chapter will discuss the significance of the study, its limitations, its implications, recomendations and future research.

Summary of the Study

The study was carried out to investigate the status and awareness of oral hygiene among students. The overall results based on gender will be explained in detail in this chapter.

Findings
The results and discussions of Chapter 4 reveal that the habit cultivated by students for good oral hygiene was at the same level for both genders. It can be concluded that both genders practice correct oral hygiene habits except for flossing. Flossing is not cultivated as a habit of students. This could be due to the long length of time required to do flossing. Besides that, there was still a minority who were unaware that they have not cultivated good oral hygiene habits. This might be due to ignorace or non-interest in maintaining good oral hygiene habits. Apart from that, it is clearly seen that most of the female students were more aware than male students on their oral hygiene. We can see that most of the female students go for check ups regularly and do special treatment for they believed that good of oral hygiene helps to

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improve ones appearence. Eventhough the male students are not as aware as the female students, both genders state that their oral hygiene is good. Last but not least, majority of the male students have more knowledge on oral health than female students as majority of the male students answered the question correctly while most of the female students answered wrongly. This may be due to their perception of qualities and method used by dentist were not understood by the students. This is also supported by the study carried by The Second Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning Medical University, Jinzhou , China colleges which showed that college students lack the basic oral health knowledge

Implications
From the study,we can deduce that students from 4 Cempaka are aware about the importance of good oral hygiene though there appears that there exist a handful of students who are still unaware about the importance of oral hygiene and that they have yet to cultivate good oral habits. Students who are not aware of their oral hygiene should read articles on oral hygiene in books or browse the internet. Additionally, teachers and parents should assist these students by impressing upon them an awareness on the importance of oral hygiene. Our goverment could also help to instill the awareness of oral hygiene via the school curriculum and through public campaigns. Students must be made to understand that good habits and knowledge of oral hygiene can help improve their oral health status and also at the same time, enhance their appearence and confidence. This is crucial in this era where competition is keen in order to secure positions and jobs in good corporations.

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Lastly, an indepth knowledge about oral hygiene must be instilled from young to ensure they can enjoy good oral health when they attend school or become young adults. If students have the knowledge and awareness of good oral hygiene and practices healthy habits such as teeth brushing and tongue cleaning, they can be assured of a life free from tooth decay and loss as well as other dental problems.

Limitation
There are limitations in this study. Firstly, the sample size of this survey of 40 students is too small. This size is not representative to indicate the oral health of the students of SMK Taman SEA generally. As such the conclusions will not be reflective nor can be accepted is true or practical to be used as policy guidelines. Secondly, this miniscule study would not be representative of all secondary students of Malaysia. In the same vein, it can hardly be used as a benchmark to compare oral hygiene standards on a regional or global basis. As the respondents are still at a tender age, their maturity level may affect how they interpret the questions in the questionnaire. The range of maturity of the respondents. As such the standard deviation for this study will unavoidaby be large. Finally, as the study is done in an urban area where oral hygiene is so much higher, it cannot be used to reflect the level of oral hygiene in the rural areas of the country.

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Recommendation and Future Research

The research was carried out only on a small scale. We hope future researchers can carry out a similar study but on a larger scale so that it could be more representative and reflective of the status of oral health among secondary school students. We are sure such finding will be more useful to be use as inputs for policy consideration of the goverment to elevate the status of oral health among secondary school students nationally. By extention, we would also like to recommend that a similar study be conducted on the Malaysian public so that we can have national level statistics towards planning for a more comprehensive health policy for all Malaysians.

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REFERENCES
Adult dental health survey Retrieved excerpt 13 June 2011 from http://www.nature.com/bdj/journal/v190/n4/abs/ 4800918a.html Ameeta Nanda, Navin A. Ingle. (2002). Study of fear of dentistry: JIDA; 73:104-10. Chawla H.S. (1985). Dental health promotion, reaching the needy: JIDA. 57:387-95. Dentist - How Often Should You See the Dentist for Check Ups and Cleanings Retrieved excerpt 3 March 2011 from http://dentistry.about.com/od/dentalfactsfaqs/ f/checkupfrequent.htm Dummer MH, Addy M, Kicks R, Anne kingdom. (1987). The effect of social class on the prevalence of caries, plaque gingivitis and pocking in 11 - 12 year old children in South Wales. J Dent; 15;185-90. Eight Darned Good Reasons to Floss Your Teeth Retrieved excerpt 3 March 2011 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Eight-Darned-GoodReasons-to-Floss-Your-Teeth&id=151436 Leo Polo CT. Carol man- der, Christine Utting, Kaden Watkins and Rock W.P. ( 1991). the world health organization goals for oral health A progress report. Community Dent Health:8:245 -51. National Oral Health Organization. (1986). National Oral Health Policy: JIDA ;58:397-401.

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Oral Care Information, Articles & Resources | Colgate Oral & Dental Health Info Retrieved excerpt 3 March 2011 from http://www.colgate.com/app/CP/US/EN/OC/ Information/ Articles/Oral-and-Dental-Health- Basics/Oral-Hygiene/Oral-HygieneBasics/article/Taking-Care-of-Your-Teeth.cvsp Oral health behavior patterns among Tanzanian university students: a repeat cross-sectional survey.Retrieve from 3 March 2011. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6831/1/2 Oral Hygiene Habits of 11-year-old Schoolchildren in 22 European Countries and Canada. Retrieved excerpt 13 June 2011 from http://jdr.sagepub.com/content/76/9/1602.short Szatko F, Wierzbicka M, Dybibaska E, Struycka I, Iwonicka- Frankowska E. (2004) Oral health of Polish three-year-olds and mothers oral health-related knowledge. Community Dent Health, 21(2): 175-80. The Analysis of Survey on 3356 Jinzhou College Students' Oral Health Knowledge Retrieved excerpt 13 June 2011 from http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTALJZYX200704012.htm Toothache Causes & Solutions - A Complete Consumer Guide Retrieved excerpt 3 March 2011 from http://www.yourdentistryguide.com/toothachecauses/ Visiting the Dentist - Reasons to Visit the Dentist Retrieved excerpt 3 March 2011 from http://dentistry.about.com/od/dentalhealth/ tp/visit_dentist.htm

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EXAMPLE SURVEY PAPER

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SMK Taman SEA This questionnaire was done by the Form 6 students of SMK Taman SEA, Petaling Jaya, Selangor as a Research & Development study paper for the Year 2011. Its purpose is to evaluate and to investigate the trend of oral hygiene of people and to instil awareness to the importance of maintaining proper oral hygiene and ensure good oral health.

Form: Race: Gender:

1 Malay Male

3 Chinese Female Very Good

4 Indian

6 Others

Financial Status:

Good

Moderate

Very Poor After each meal

1. How many times do you brush your teeth a day? Once Twice Thrice 2. Do you floss your teeth? Yes

No

Sometimes

3. Do you clean your tongue? Yes No 4. How long do you brush your teeth? <5 minutes >5 minutes

Sometimes

5. How do you describe your current oral health status? Very poor Poor Good Very good

Excellent

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6. Have you visited the dentist before? Yes No For those who answered Yes for Question 6 When was the last time you visited a dentist?
Less than one year ago More than one year ago More than two years ago

What was the purpose of your visit? Examination, prevention Need for a filling/extraction Special treatment i.e. endodontics, prosthodontics, orthodontics Endodontics The branch of dentistry that deals with reformation of teeth by using braces Prosthodontics The branch of dentistry that deals with the replacement of missing teeth and bridges,dentures,or other artificial devices. Orthodontics The branch of dentistry that deals with diseases of the tooth root,dental pulp,and surrounding tissue(Gum). 7. Do you think it is important to use a good quality toothbrush? Yes No Maybe 8. Do you think a proper method of brushing teeth is important? Yes No Dont Care 9. Fluoride is added to toothpaste because of Pleasant taste Soft feeling

Prevents cavities

Price

10. If your tooth is very painful do you think that the extraction is the only possible treatment? Yes No THANK YOU Your time and effort is greatly appreciated for helping us complete this questionnaire.

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SURVEY PAPERS DID BY STUDENTS OF 4 CEMPAKA

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