Abstract

Background: Dental practitioners should be well aware of diagnosing and treating oral ulcers. During dental education, undergraduates and interns should be given adequate knowledge about oral ulcers. Thus, the present study was conducted to assess the knowledge and awareness of oral ulcers among undergraduate dental students and interns at King Khalid University.

Methodology: The present cross-sectional study was a questionnaire-based study conducted from March 2021 to May 2021. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to assess the demographic variables, information regarding knowledge and awareness about oral ulcers.

Results: A total of 307 participants aged 20 - 25yrs were included in the study, with 77.52% undergraduates of different education levels and 22.47% interns. 15 questions were asked to assess the knowledge and awareness among dental students about oral ulcers. Statistically, the relation between answers to all questions was derived using Chi-square statistical analysis, and a significant relation was observed among all options for most of the questions.

Conclusion: The study concluded that dental students were aware of oral ulcers but still require adequate knowledge for careful examination and identification of the underlying causes and management of oral ulcers. Thus, we advocate that specific awareness courses should be conducted among dental students so that oral ulcers can be diagnosed at early stages and managed effectively.

Keywords: Dental Undergraduates; Interns; Knowledge; Oral Ulcers

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