Background: Knowledge of oral health is a fundamental prerequisite for healthy behavior, allowing individuals to take measures to protect their overall health. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the knowledge of oral health as well as to assess the oral hygiene habits among healthcare and non-healthcare students. Methods: The study was based on a questionnaire and was conducted among 1088 students. Most of the students, 67.6% were non-healthcare students. Data were processed by Mann–Whitney or Kruskal–Wallis one-way ANOVA test. Results: The correct median score and interquartile range were 11 (9–13) for all surveyed students, 11 (9–12) for students in non-healthcare programs and 13 (11–14) for students in healthcare programs. Students did not significantly differ in the knowledge of oral health by gender (p = 0.082) but did differ by age, study program, and year of study (p ≤ 0.001). Students whose family members work in the field of dental medicine also showed better oral health knowledge (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: The results showed good oral health knowledge among tested university students. However, it is important to emphasize that students who showed better knowledge more often used additional aids to maintain oral hygiene; therefore, the obtained data underline the importance of students’ further education in order to better understand and maintain oral health.

BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate attitudes and knowledge regarding oral health and infant oral health among pregnant women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 325 pregnant women in the Republic of Croatia who completed an anonymous online questionnaire (Google forms) from January to June 2019. The questionnaire was divided into three parts. The first part contained questions about the demographic data experience about oral health in pregnancy. The second part was related to the knowledge of the relationship between oral health and pregnancy. The third section consisted of questions related to knowledge about the oral health of children at the earliest age. The results were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation analysis, and Chi-square test. RESULTS: The women are mostly informed about oral health in pregnancy from their dentists (53.54%) and least from their general doctors (4%). In pregnancy, gingival bleeding was observed by 52.31% of respondents and tooth mobility by 12.31%. The Chi-square test found that there was a difference in attitude regarding the age at which they should stop breastfeeding between respondents who had their first pregnancy and those who already had children. Only 9.23% of respondents are aware that breastfeeding can cause tooth decay. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women in the Republic of Croatia do not have sufficient knowledge, and they are neither aware of the importance of oral health during pregnancy nor infant oral health.

Objectives: Self-esteem plays a crucial role during adolescence in a shaping of an individual’s overall well-being and confidence. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the self-esteem in adolescents and their smile aesthetics, as well as to assess the alignment of opinions on this matter between adolescents and dentists. Methods: Sample included 413 students in Split-Dalmatia County, aged 13 to 18 (60% females). Data on demographic issues, orthodontic history, and desire for orthodontic treatment were collected by the self-administrated questionnaire. Coopersmith's Self-Esteem Inventory was also used. Smile aesthetics was assessed by each participant and dentist independently using an Aesthetic Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN AC). Results: Self-esteem was higher in adolescents who rated their smile aesthetics equally to the dentist than in those who considered their aesthetics to be worse than the dentist (18.5 vs. 16; P = 0.011). The multiple linear regression revealed that the self-esteem of adolescents was positively related to undergone previous orthodontic treatment (β = 1.286, P = 0.020) while negatively related to the female gender (β = −2.531, P ≤ 0.001) and IOTN AC assessed by dentist (β = −0.356, P = 0.015). It was not related to educational level or desire for orthodontic treatment. Conclusion: The self-esteem in adolescence is influenced the most by gender, but the orthodontic treatment and better smile aesthetics might also contribute.