Oral Hygiene Behaviors, Periodontal Awareness, and Self-Reported Periodontal Symptoms Among Adults: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Objectives: The study aim was to investigate the relationship between oral hygiene behaviors, periodontal awareness, and self-reported periodontal symptoms among adults using a questionnaire and an internally consistent awareness scoring system. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted for adults aged 18-65 years. The dataset comprised 412 respondents, of whom 386 questionnaires were complete and eligible for analysis. The survey included sociodemographic variables, toothbrushing frequency and duration, interdental cleaning, mouthrinse use, smoking, dental attendance patterns, previous periodontal treatment history, awareness of common periodontal signs, and self-reported symptoms. Awareness scores were calculated on a 0-20 scale. Descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, one-way ANOVA, post hoc Tukey tests, and multivariable logistic regression were used with p< 0.05. Results: Mean age was 31.8 +- 9.6 years; 58.0% of participants were women. Twice-daily toothbrushing was reported by 56.0%, while 38.6% used interdental cleaning aids. The mean periodontal awareness score was 12.7 +- 3.8. Higher awareness scores were observed among respondents with university education, regular dental attendance, and interdental cleaning habits (p< 0.001). Gingival bleeding was the most frequently reported symptom (47.4%), followed by dentin hypersensitivity (33.9%) and halitosis (29.8%). In multivariable analysis, irregular dental attendance, current smoking, and absence of interdental cleaning independently increased the odds of reporting at least one periodontal symptom. Conclusions: Within the limits of this survey-based study, better oral hygiene behaviors and regular preventive dental attendance were associated with stronger periodontal awareness and a lower burden of self-reported periodontal symptoms. Public-health strategies in periodontology should address not only knowledge deficits but also the translation of knowledge into daily plaque-control behavior.