Gagging Problem Assessment: a re‐evaluation

The Gagging Problem Assessment (GPA) is an instrument to evaluate dental gagging. Although the GPA seemed to be reliable and valid in a pilot study, a replication study with more subjects was needed. Based on the pilot study, the number of items was reduced, resulting in the revised version of the GPA (GPA‐R). The aims of this study were to replicate the reliability of the GPA‐R and to investigate the correlation between dental gagging and general anxiety. Dental gagging patients (n = 59) were compared with a control group (n = 17) at t0 and 3 weeks later. The ‘gagging group’ also filled in the SCL‐90 anxiety scale. Gagging‐specific homogenous domains and internal consistency were determined. Stability and distinguishing capacity of the GPA‐R were assessed. SCL‐90‐Anxiety scores were compared with standard values in a non‐clinical population. The GPA‐R patient part was able to reliably discriminate between the absence or the presence of dental gagging. However, the reliability of the GPA‐R‐dentist part was insufficient. The GPA‐R seems to be sensitive to subtle differences in acts of the dentists. To overcome these problems, more detailed and explicit instructions on how to use the GPA‐R should be formulated and more specific gagging stimuli should be included. The ‘gagging group’ reported ‘fear of choking’ significantly more often than the control group (P = 0·008). This finding might be important for the treatment of dental gagging. Considering the outcome of our study, development of a new diagnostic gagging tool needs another approach that focuses on gagging severity.     

Perceptions of Japanese and Canadian dental hygiene students towards their profession

Abstract: Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions towards the profession and level of self‐esteem of Japanese and Canadian dental hygiene students. Methods: Third year dental hygiene students enrolled in a Japanese and a Canadian dental hygiene programme were asked to participate in a survey study. An instrument was developed to obtain students’ opinions about the profession. The present study also explored dental hygiene students’ levels of self‐esteem, and the relationship with perceptions towards profession. Results: Scores for dimensions including ‘Motivation’, ‘Expectation’ and ‘Environment’ were significantly higher among the Canadian students over Japanese students. The level of explicit self‐esteem of the Canadian students was significantly higher than that of the Japanese students, and it was positively correlated with their expectations of the profession. Conclusions: There were significant differences in perceptions between Japanese and Canadian dental hygiene students. It is suggested that educational strategies should be planned to positively influence the students’ perceptions toward the profession and improve the level of self‐esteem.     

The importance of teaching communication in dental education. A survey amongst dentists,students and patients

The aim of our study was to evaluate the subjective importance of teaching communication in the dental curriculum by conducting a survey amongst dentists, students and patients. Three questionnaires about communication‐related issues were developed in which different questions could be rated on a five‐point Likert scale. These questions included the subjective importance of the dental team’s friendliness, an elaborated consultation, modern office equipment or the dentist’s technical skills. Seven hundred and twenty‐nine questionnaires were completed [233 by dentists (32%), 310 by students (43%) and 185 by patients (25%)]. Eighty‐seven percentage of the dentists, 84% of the students and 84% of the patients supported an integration of communicational issues in dental education; 94.7% of the dentists and 77.2% of the patients attached vital importance to the dentist–patient relationship regarding the therapeutic outcomes. Dentists with prior communicational training experience would spend significantly (P < 0.001) more money for further courses. The results show the publicly perceived importance of integrating aspects of communication in dental education.     

Dental beliefs: factor structure of the revised dental beliefs survey in a group of regular dental patients

The aim of this study was to investigate the factor structure of the revised dental beliefs survey (DBS‐R) in a group of regular dental patients. The study group consisted of 278 patients (mean age 54 yr), 61% of whom were women. The DBS‐R item mean value was 1.6. Principal component analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed. The initial PCA among the 28 DBS‐R items showed four factors with eigenvalues of > 1 explaining 67% of the total variance. Five different CFA models were tested. The final model revealed a four‐factor solution with one second‐order factor (i.e. a hierarchical CFA). Thus, the latent second‐order variable, ‘dental beliefs’, explains the variance from all DBS‐R items through the four first‐order factors labeled ‘ethics’, ‘belittlement’, ‘communication and empathy’, and ‘control and anxiety’. The results suggest a somewhat different factor structure of DBS‐R than previously reported for dental‐fear patients. Hence, the underlying factor structure of the DBS‐R may differ between different patient groups. The results point towards the use of the original 28‐item DBS‐R and interpreting the scale as measuring an overall construct of ‘dental beliefs’ and thus patients’ attitudes and feelings related to dentists and dentistry.     

Dentist Empathic Accuracy Is Associated With Patient-Reported Reassurance

ObjectivesThe aim of this work was to determine dentists’ ability to accurately estimate patients’ anxiety level during dental treatment (ie, “empathic accuracy”) and to determine the strength of the association between empathic accuracy and patient-reported reassurance.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 177 adult patients who underwent different invasive dental procedures (ie, extractions or procedures requiring injections and drilling) performed by 10 different dentists from 3 dental offices in the Netherlands. Patients reported their anxiety level during treatment and the extent to which they felt reassured by the dentist using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Simultaneously, the dentists estimated patients’ anxiety level. Empathic accuracy was calculated as an absolute difference between patient-reported anxiety (100-point VAS) and dentist estimation of anxiety (100-point VAS).ResultsAgreement between dentists’ assessment of patients' anxiety and patient-reported anxiety proved good, intraclass correlation coefficient (177) = 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53-0.71. A small to medium-sized positive correlation, r (177) = 0.15; 95% CI, 0.00-0.29, was found between dentists’ empathic accuracy and patient-reported reassurance. A negative correlation was found between empathic accuracy and patients’ anxiety scores, r (177) = ?0.23; 95% CI, ?0.38 to ?0.09.ConclusionsGiven that greater empathic accuracy was associated with higher patient-reported reassurance during treatment, training young dental professionals in empathic accuracy might help patients feel reassured. Importantly, our results also suggest that with elevated levels of patient anxiety it is increasingly challenging for dentists to recognise this emotion, and thus support the patient in anoptimal manner.     

Implementation of evidence‐based dentistry into practice: analysis of awareness,perceptions and attitudes of dentists in the World Dental Federation–European Regional Organization zone

Based on evidence‐based dentistry (EBD) being a relatively new concept in dentistry, the attitudes, perceptions and level of awareness of dentists regarding EBD, and perceived barriers to its implementation into daily practice, were comparatively analysed in six countries of the FDI (World Dental Federation‐Federation Dentaire Internationale)‐European Regional Organization (ERO) zone (France, Georgia, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Turkey). For this purpose, a questionnaire, ‘The Relationship Between Dental Practitioners and Universities’, was developed by the FDI‐ERO Working Group and applied by National Dental Associations (NDAs). A total of 850 valid responses were received, and cumulative data, comparisons between countries and potential impact of demographic variables were analysed. Regarding EBD, similar percentages of respondents reported that they ‘know what it is’ (32.8%) and ‘they practice’ (32.1%). Most respondents believed that ‘EBD is beneficial’ (89.1%); however, they had different thoughts regarding ‘who actually benefited from EBD’. Of the participants, 60% believed that ‘dentists experience difficulties in implementing EBD’. Although lack of time, lack of education and limited availability of evidence‐based clinical guidelines were among the major barriers, there were differences among countries (P < 0.05). Significant differences were also observed between countries regarding certain questions such as ‘where EBD needed to be taught’ (P < 0.05), as both undergraduate and continuing education were suggested to be suitable. Age, practice mode and years of practice significantly affected many of the responses (P < 0.05). There was a general, positive attitude toward EBD; however, there was also a clear demand for more information and support to enhance dentists’ knowledge and use of EBD in everyday practice and a specific role for the NDAs.     

Dental fear affects adolescent perception of interaction with dental staff

The main purpose of this study was to explore whether subjective perception of interaction with dental staff is associated with dental fear in a population‐based sample of 18‐yr‐old adolescents (n = 773). The interaction was measured using the Patient Dental Staff Interaction Questionnaire (PDSIQ), validated with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, which yielded the factors of ‘kind atmosphere and mutual communication’, ‘roughness’, ‘insecurity’, ‘trust and safety’, and ‘shame and guilt’. Dental fear was measured using the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS). Gender and sense of coherence (SOC) were included as potential confounding variables. Adolescents with high dental fear more often perceived their interaction with dental staff negatively and more often felt insecure than others. This difference persisted after adjustment for gender and SOC. In conclusion, adolescents with high dental fear may perceive their interaction with dental staff more positively if the staff succeed in creating a positive, trusting, approving, and supportive atmosphere with kindness, calmness, and patience. The communication and interaction skills of dental staff may play a particularly important role when encountering highly fearful dental patients.     

Association between dental pain and depression in Korean adults using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships between the prevalence of depression and dental pain using a well characterised, nationally representative, population‐based study. This study analysed data from the 2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 4886). Oral health status was assessed using the oral health questionnaire, and oral examination was performed by trained dentists. Depression was defined as the participant having been diagnosed as depression during the previous year. Logistic regression was applied to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), controlling for a range of covariates. Results demonstrated that participants included in ‘root canal treatment is necessary’ showed higher prevalence of self‐reported dental pain; in particular, participants with depression presented more dental pain than those without depression. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, self‐reported dental pain increased in participants with depression. The AOR (95% CI) for having self‐reported dental pain was 1·58 (1·08–2·33) in dentists' diagnosis of no dental pain/depression group, 1·62 (1·32–1·98) in dentists' diagnosis of dental pain/no depression group and 2·84 (1·10–7·37) in dentists' diagnosis of dental pain/depression group. It was concluded that depression was associated with dental pain after adjustment for potential confounders in Korean adults. Thus, dentists should consider the possible presence of psychopathology when treating patients with dental pain.     

Relative performance of different dental professional groups in screening for occlusal caries

Brocklehurst P, Ashley J, Walsh T, Tickle M. Relative performance of different dental professional groups in screening for occlusal caries. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2012. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – Objectives: The use of role substitution, where different levels of practitioner undertake the duties of the most qualified clinician, is common in medicine and dentistry. Proponents argue that role substitution has the potential to increase dentists’ efficiency and effectiveness, thereby freeing up resources to improve access and reduce oral health inequalities. Given the current global economic climate, many countries are re‐examining models of service provision to utilize role substitution. The objective of this study was to determine whether different members of the dental team could meet the diagnostic threshold set by the World Health Organization, when screening photographs of occlusal surfaces for dental caries. Methods: Participants were sampled purposively and included; final‐year dental students, final‐year hygiene‐therapy students, primary care dentists, hygiene‐therapists and dental nurses. Following a brief training package, participants were asked to score 102 clinical photographs of both carious and noncarious extracted teeth and determine whether the tooth was ‘healthy’ or had ‘suspected decay’. The time delay between consecutive photographs was set at 8‐s. Judgment decisions were compared against the International Caries Detection and Assessment System as the gold standard, with scores of two or less representing ‘healthy’. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values were determined for each participant and clinical group. Kappa was calculated to determine test–retest reliability. Results: Dental nurses had the highest median sensitivity (87.9%), although all groups were comparable. The median specificity for the groups was lower than their sensitivity scores, with dentists scoring the highest (71.0%). Dentists also scored the highest median positive predictive value (57.8%), whilst dental nurses scored the highest negative predictive value (91.3%). The median level of agreement was high for all groups; the highest median score was for the final‐year dental students (88.9%). Conclusions: Even with minimal training, different members of the dental team show the potential to screen for occlusal caries to a similar standard as primary care dentists. This requires further testing in vivo, but has important implications for the productivity and design of the future dental workforce.     

Development and validation of the Burdens in Oral Surgery Questionnaire (BiOS‐Q)

Patients’ perspective is increasingly re‐cognised as an important outcome measure in oral surgery. However, how patients perceive the surgical treatment cannot be assessed currently. This would be an important indicator for process‐related quality of care. It was the aim to develop and to validate an instrument for the assessment of patient‐based measures of process‐related quality of care in oral surgery. The new Burdens in Oral Surgery Questionnaire (BiOS‐Q) was developed in two steps in patients undergoing oral surgery. First, an item pool was created using semi‐structured interviews in 90 patients. Second, a preliminary version was applied in 297 consecutively recruited patients to assess redundancy, completion rates, face validity, difficulty and distribution. Psychometric properties of the final version of the questionnaire were evaluated. The BiOS‐Q consists of 16 items and showed satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0·84) and excellent test–retest reliability (ICC = 0·90). The questionnaire's mean score was significantly correlated with dentists’ burdens (r = 0·44) and patients’ overall satisfaction (r = 0·39) indicating sufficient validity. The BiOS‐Q is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of patient‐based process‐related quality of care in oral surgery.     

Study of the impacts of patient‐educators on the course of basic sciences in dental studies

Ever since 2006, Nantes University dental educators have started organising lectures led by the mother of a young patient suffering from ectodermic dysplasia (patient‐educator) to help second‐year students to better understand how important it is for their future dental work to better understand basic sciences. In this study, we have analysed this training experience on students' motivation. For this purpose, students were asked to complete questionnaires 10 days after the patient‐educator's lecture (early assessment; n = 193) and 4 years later, during the last year of their dental studies (delayed assessment; n = 47). Moreover, 3 years after the first lecture, we analysed the ability of students to diagnose a mother carrying the ectodermic dysplasia genetic disorder, using a case‐based learning exercise with a patient showing dental features similar to those exposed by the patient‐educator (measure of knowledge; n = 42). Ten days after the lecture, the early assessment shows that all the students were interested in the lecture and 59% of the students declared being motivated to find out more about genetics whilst 54% declared the same thing about embryology courses. Moreover, 4 years later, 67% of the students remembered the patient‐educator's lecture a little or very well. Three years after the course, 83% of the students diagnosed ectodermal dysplasia whilst studying the case‐based example that listed typical dental phenotypes. In conclusion, this study shows that this original educational approach enhances dental students' motivation in learning basic sciences and that patient‐educators could offer many benefits for students and patients.     

Assessing short and long‐term educational impact of visits to hospice via a combination of qualitative methods

While qualitative methods have gained considerable recognition in medical education research, employing multiple qualitative data sources in assessing long‐term educational impact is rare. Utilising in‐depth data analysis method to six cross‐sectional cohorts (2004–2009) of students’ reflection papers (n = 213), this article demonstrates how students experienced subtle but important shifts in their attitudes (including personal, professional and spiritual domains) after making field visits to a hospice centre as part of the Special Needs Dentistry module. For retrospective assessment of learning retention, a pilot focus group was conducted with three junior faculty members who participated in the field visits to a hospice during their own undergraduate training. A subsequent focus group was conducted with graduates of the 2008 (n = 8) cohort using a refined discussion guide arising from the analysis of pilot group results. Graduates were unanimous in stating that the visits had sown ‘seeds’ in their minds and hearts, seeds which started to grow after they completed dental school and began to practice. This is demonstrative of the long‐term positive educational impact of the pedagogical design that entailed a special site visit coupled with post‐visit debrief and written reflection.     

Opinions on the provision of dental care in Iowa nursing homes

Using a stratified random sample, a questionnaire was mailed to 400 practicing dentists and 200 directors of nursing (DONs). Response rates were 58.3% for dentists and 50% for DONs. Dentists were representative of Iowa dentists, with 85% male, mean age 49.1 years, and 22.4 years in practice. All DONs were female, with mean age of 44.9 years. Of the participating dentists, 86% had provided dental care for nursing home residents, but the majority of care was completed in dental offices. Three‐quarters of dentists were somewhat/not interested in nursing home dentistry. Dentists and DONs held common perceptions of the most frequent problems related to care provision at nursing homes: low financial reimbursement, especially for Medicaid patients; no portable dental equipment; no suitable area for dentistry; dentist's preference to treat patients at their dental practice; and transportation of residents to a dental practice. Dentists and DONs had some differing perceptions about oral health care (p < .01). Minimal dental care was provided on‐site at Iowa nursing homes.     

A proposal for a problem‐oriented pharmacobiochemistry course in dental education

Problem‐oriented learning is an effective method of learning that increases students' learning motivation, improves the relationship amongst students and results in open‐minded discussions. In this study, a new problem‐oriented pharmacobiochemistry course related to ‘oxidative metabolism of drugs by cytochrome P450 (CYP450) systems’ was designed. Students were divided into seven groups. Three keywords related to drug interaction through CYP450 were provided to each group in order for them to conduct research on the information given. After 1 month, the groups attended a session under the supervision of a tutor to solve a simulated problem case that was designed using the keywords. At the end of the integrated course, a multiple‐choice examination was given. The success rate of 76 students who attended the course was found to be significantly higher than the success rate of the students who received the lecture‐based course only (P < 0.0001). A questionnaire containing 20 items (Cronbach's alpha: 0.92) was administered to the students to learn about their perception regarding this educational model. The questionnaire was evaluated using the Likert scale. Student feedback was very positive, with fourteen answers rated as ‘agree’ and the remaining six rated as ‘strongly agree’. Students thought that the problem‐oriented model was very enjoyable and useful in regard to dental education. Based on these results, we conclude that this course model may help achieve an integrated curriculum for dental school programmes.     

Dental health of dentists' children in Mongolia

Summary. Objectives. To describe the dental health of dentists’ children, to evaluate its association with their dentist‐parents’ background and work‐related characteristics and to compare it with that of children in the general population in Mongolia. Design. Cross‐sectional survey, questionnaire‐based data. Subjects. Dentists’ children, aged 3–13 years. Sample. All dentists (n = 250) actively practising in the capital city of Mongolia. Results. The dentists’ children's dmft ranged from 0 to 12, and DMFT from 0 to 8; 50% were caries‐free. The younger the children, the higher was their total caries experience expressed as the sum of DMFT + dmft scores (r = ?0·22; P = 0·001). Dentist‐parents’ background and work‐related factors were not associated with their children's caries status (P > 0·05). When dentists’ children were compared with their counterparts at the population level, mean dmft for 6‐year‐olds was 2·6 for (urban) dentists’ children, 6·5 for children in the urban population and 0·9 for those in rural population of equivalent age. Mean DMFT for 12‐year‐olds were 1·0, 1·8 and 1·2, respectively, in the same three groups. In general, (urban) dentists’ children in all age groups had better dental health than did their urban counterparts at the population level. Among 5–7‐year‐olds, dentists’ children had worse dental health than did their counterparts in the rural population. Conclusions. Despite the dentists’ knowledge and awareness, their children demonstrated higher rates of dental caries than expected. This suggests that Mongolian dentists may have insufficient preventive orientation. In particular, the primary dentition of younger children seems to be poorly valued. In Mongolia, dentists should have better training and education in modern methods of caries prevention and their advantages. Appreciation and care of the primary dentition need to be improved at all levels of oral health promotion in Mongolia.     

A reliability study of clinical occlusal tooth wear measurements

Tooth wear represents a clinical problem that is becoming increasingly important in ageing populations. Attrition caused by bruxism is its most visible sign. To determine the optimal moment to start the restoration of the worn dentition, one should first be able to measure the amount of tooth wear reliably in the clinical setting. So far, most studies of tooth wear severity have been performed on dental study casts. However, such an indirect approach is less applicable to the everyday dental practice, the more so because by grading of casts, the identification of dentine exposure is hard or even impossible to achieve. In this study, occlusal tooth wear was assessed clinically in 45 volunteers (17 men; 28 women; mean age 33·7 ± 10·7 years), TMD patients and symptom‐free persons alike, on four occasions: two calibrated examiners graded the occlusal wear at two different points in time, using a 5‐point scale (0=no wear; 1=visible wear within the enamel; 2=visible wear with dentine exposure and loss of clinical crown height <1/3; 3=loss of crown height between 1/3 and 2/3; 4=loss of crown height >2/3). The overall values of the intra‐rater and interrater reliability, expressed as Cohen's κ, were substantial (κ=0·632–0·678) and did not differ significantly from one another (repeated measures anova : F_3,19=1·428, P=0·266). The clinical variable ‘quadrant’ (e.g. right maxillary dental arch) did not influence the values of κ whereas the interrater reliability during the first session was better for the element types ‘incisors’ and ‘cuspids’ than for the element type ‘premolars’ (one‐way anova : F_3,23=4·577, P=0·012; post hoc Bonferroni tests: P=0·030 and 0·036). Qualitative assessment of the clinical variable ‘severity of wear’ indicated that the more advanced the tooth wear is, the more reliably it can be graded. The presence of restorations did not influence the reliability. It was concluded that occlusal tooth wear can be assessed reliably in the clinical setting, especially in the anterior parts of a dentition that demonstrates considerable wear. (Supported by the lOT)     

Standardised Practice-Based Oral Health Data Collection: A Pilot Study in Different Countries

BackgroundThe Oral Health Observatory (OHO), launched in 2014 by FDI World Dental Federation, aims to provide a coordinated approach to international oral health data collection. A feasibility project involving 12 countries tested the implementation of the methodology and data collection tools and assessed data quality from 6 countries.MethodsNational dental associations (NDAs) recruited dentists following a standardised sampling method. Dentists and patients completed paired questionnaires (N = 7907) about patients’ demographics, dental attendance, oral health–related behaviours, oral impacts, and clinical measures using a mobile app. In addition, participating dentists (n = 93) completed an evaluation survey, and NDAs completed a survey and participated in workshops to assess implementation feasibility.ResultsFeasibility data are presented from the 12 participating countries. In addition, the 6 countries most advanced with data collection as of July 2020 (China, Colombia, India, Italy, Japan, and Lebanon) were included in the assessment of data quality and qualitative evaluation of implementation feasibility. All NDAs in these 6 countries reported interest in collecting standardised, international data for policy and communication activities and to understand service use and needs. Eighty-two percent of dentists (n = 76) reported a patient response rate of between 80% and 100%. More than 70% (n = 71) of dentists were either satisfied or very satisfied with the patient recruitment and data collection methods. There were variations in patient oral health and behaviours across countries, such as self-reporting twice-daily brushing which ranged from 45% in India to 83% in Colombia.ConclusionsOHO provides a feasible model for collecting international standardised data in dental practices. Reducing time implications, ensuring mobile app reliability, and allowing practitioners to access patient-reported outcomes to inform practice may enhance implementation.     

Efficacy of a trauma‐focused treatment approach for dental phobia: a randomized clinical trial

It has been hypothesized that treatment specifically focused on resolving memories of negative dental events might be efficacious for the alleviation of anxiety in patients with dental phobia. Thirty‐one medication‐free patients who met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM‐IV‐TR) criteria of dental phobia were randomly assigned to either Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) or a waitlist control condition. Dental anxiety was assessed using the Dental Anxiety Questionnaire (DAS), the Dental Fear Survey (DFS), a behavior test, and dental attendance at 1‐yr of follow up. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing was associated with significant reductions of dental anxiety and avoidance behavior as well as in symptoms of post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The effect sizes for the primary outcome measures were d = 2.52 (DAS) and d = 1.87 (DFS). These effects were still significant 3 months (d = 3.28 and d = 2.28, respectively) and 12 months (d = 3.75 and d = 1.79, respectively) after treatment. After 1 yr, 83.3% of the patients were in regular dental treatment (d = 3.20). The findings suggest that therapy aimed at processing memories of past dental events can be helpful for patients with dental phobia.     

Oral health‐related quality of life and its relationship with health locus of control among Indian dental university students

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess the relationship between Oral Health‐Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) and Health Locus of Control (HLC) among students in an Indian dental school. Materials and methods: A cross sectional study design was used. Three hundred and twenty‐five dental students returned completed forms containing the 14 item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP‐14) and the 18 item Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC). Results: The results showed that the perceived OHRQoL differed among students studying in different stages of the dental course. The OHRQoL dimensions of ‘Social Handicap’ and ‘Handicap’ were significantly (P < 0.01) lower among the later years of the course than the freshman year students. There was a sharp increase in Self‐reported dental problems, in particular, Malocclusion, Tooth decay, Calculus among the third year and final year students respectively. The OHIP‐14 scores were significantly higher among those with self‐reported oral problems. Correlation analysis between the OHIP‐14 and the MHLC scores also showed a statistically significant (P < 0.01) correlation between the ‘Chance’ dimension of the MHLC and OHIP‐14 scores. Conclusions: The results of this study underscored the relationship between the OHRQoL and HLC and of importance of assessing health attitudes and their impact on OHRQoL among the dental student community.