Abstract

Background: Dental plaque plays a substantial role in the onset of oral diseases, particularly periodontal conditions. Various plaque indices (PI) have been introduced as valuable instruments for assessing oral hygiene competence. Despite their advantages, dental practitioners, including both dentists and periodontists, often do not fully harness these indices as part of their regular clinical practice. The aim of this research is to assess the usage of various plaque indices among dental professionals in clinical practice, dental educational institutions, and research environments.
Methods: The current cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 dental professionals, aged over 18 years, using a convenience sampling method, with both genders included. The study participants were interviewed about the role, use, purpose, and type of plaque index through nine well-framed multiple-choice questions. Data were collected using Microsoft Excel and analyzed statistically using SPSS version 20.0 software.
Results: In the present study, a total of 100 dental practitioners participated; 70% males and 30% females. Their ages ranged from 24 to 47 years, with a mean age of 28.51 years. A significant proportion, 83% and 94%, agreed on the importance of plaque indices in both periodontal practice and periodontal epidemiological studies, respectively. Regarding the frequency of using plaque indices, 44% of participants reported using them very frequently in dental school, 11% in clinical practice, and 38% in epidemiological research.
Conclusion: The study found a notable disparity between high awareness (83% and 94%) of plaque indices' significance and their limited practical integration, with only 44% utilizing them frequently during dental school and a mere 11% in clinical practice, highlighting the imperative need for targeted interventions to enhance their routine usage.

Keywords

Plaque, Index, Dental plaque, Periodontal health, Dental professionals.

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