CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOR AND AWARENESS OF MEDICAL STUDENTS ABOUT DENTAL EROSION AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH CONSUMPTION OF CARBONATED/ACIDIC BEVERAGES

Abstract

Objective: Irreversible loss of dental hard-tissue due to a chemical process is termed as dental erosion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the awareness of under-graduate medical students about dental erosion and its association with intake of acidic/carbonated beverages and to assess their consumption behavior. Methods: This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study conducted on 220 undergraduate medical students. Data were collected as mean and percentages and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 27.0. Results: More than half of the participants n=118 (53.64%) reported that they consumed some form of acidic/carbonated beverages on a weekly basis in varying frequencies. The pattern of consumption of 1–2 servings (approx. 300 ml/serving)/day was most commonly seen in 25% participants. About 82.73% had the knowledge of dental erosion and 81.82% were aware that carbonated/acidic beverages are the reason of dental erosion. Conclusion: Medical students had accurate knowledge and positive attitudes toward dental erosion and its association with intake of carbonated/ acidic beverages. Despite being well aware about adverse effects of carbonated/acidic beverages consumption, many of them presented with harmful consumption behaviors.