Abstract :
To know the prevalence of misconceptions and cultural beliefs related to
oral health among the patients visiting the out-patient department
(OPD) at Era Lucknow Medical College, Lucknow. In this crosssectional study 500 volunteering subjects, who belonged to the age
group of 18 yrs and above, were selected randomly. They were provided
with a self administered structured questionnaire which included twenty
two dichotomous questions which were already pretested through a pilot
study. The study reveals that there is still actual presence of various
myths and misconceptions among our population. Such beliefs and
practices were seen more common in people with poor educational background and low socioeconomic status. The
data collected in our study also reveals that various misconceptions has been successfully eradicated through
education and various health awareness programmes, thus emphasizes the role of our health providers in spreading
awareness and knowledge among the local population. Overall the study reveals the presence of various false beliefs
and myths in our population, but along with this the study also highlights the importance and success of various health
awareness programmes and educational modules in eradicating these misconceptions.
Keyword :
Misconception, Oral health, Dentistry.