Oral health of international undergraduates: from importance to knowledge and conducts toward oral pathologies

Objective: The study's goal has been to scrutinize the importance of oral health and also the frequency and the means used to perform oral cavity cleaning, as well as, assessing the knowledge and behavior of undergraduates towards oral diseases. Methods: It is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach, which counted with undergraduates from different nationalities. Data collection took place by the application of a questionnaire. Results: For the participants, the importance of oral health was related to disease prevention, aesthetics, self-esteem and overall health. With regards to the frequency and the means used in brushing, they all cleaned the oral cavity daily and most of them used both toothbrush and toothpaste. Furthermore, they have associated oral diseases with pain, bleeding, dental problems and lack of brushing. Besides dentistry professionals, they also sought physicians and nurses to solve dental problems. Conclusion: Although they recognize the importance of oral health, the knowledge of undergraduates about oral pathologies was considered insufficient.