The Journal of

  Background: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of a dental student’s education and health volunteers' education on the knowledge, attitude, performance of housewives.

  Methods: In this study first a questionnaire and a booklet containing oral health instructions were prepared. Then 80 women attending two health centers were chosen for the study.

  Health volunteers received oral health instructions. Women were allocated into 2 groups group A received oral health education from a dental student, while group B was trained by health volunteers.

  Both groups completed the questionnaire and the plaque index scores were recorded. After this step all participant were supplied by the oral health instruction booklet. The filling of the questionnaires and recording the plaque index scores were repeated after 3 months.

  Using Wilcoxon ranks test and Mann-Whitney test the data were then analyzed.

  Results: The results of this study showed a significant increase in knowledge, attitude and performance while the plaque index decreased after 3 month. Comparing the effect of oral health education there was no significant difference between a dental student and health volunteers.

  Conclusion: The finding of this study indicated that health volunteers could serve as oral health trainers in the community.

Introduction: The present study aimed to explore the impact of preventive dimensions of a dentistry education program on the behavior, oral hygiene, and gingival health of a group of dentistry students of Yazd province.

Methods: 51 junior and senior dentistry students of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences volunteered to participate in the study. Participants were asked to fill in the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI). Also, clinical examinations to assess Gingival Bleeding Index and O'leary Index were conducted.

Results: Comparison of junior and senior participants’ responses to the HU-DBI items indicated a statistically significant difference between the two groups on items 1, 8, 10, 15, 17, 18, 20, and 21. While the senior group showed lower Gingival Bleeding and O'leary indexes in comparison to its junior counterpart, the junior group showed a higher HU-DBI mean score in comparison to the junior group. Furthermore, participants with higher HU-DBI mean scores were found to show lower Gingival Bleeding and O'leary indexes.

Conclusion: Findings of the study indicate that junior dentistry students, in comparison to senior ones, had better gingival health and oral hygiene.