COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE USE OF TOOTH PICKS ON GINGIVA STATUS IN LAMTEH VILLAGE BANDA ACEH

Abstract

Excessive use of toothpicks as a tooth cleaning tool can lead to tooth and gum disease. The people of Lamteh Village, Banda Aceh City are known to have a habit of using toothpicks after every meal. This study aims to determine the knowledge of toothpick use on gingival status. The study was conducted using a cross sectional design. The research sample as many as 83 people from Lamteh village were used as samples for this study. Data was collected through questionnaires and gingival index cards. Data were analyzed by chi-square test. The results of the bivariate analysis of knowledge of toothpick use with gingival status showed that the p-value = 0.000. So it can be concluded that there is a relationship between knowledge of toothpick use and gingival status in Lamteh Village, Banda Aceh City. It is recommended that the public raise awareness of toothpicks for gum health and understand the benefits, risks and use of toothpicks.