Use and perceived benefits of mouthwash among Malaysian adults: an exploratory insight

This study aimed to explore the use and perceived benefits of mouthwash among Malaysian adults. Method: This is a cross-sectional study which was conducted in public places around the states of Selangor and Penang, Malaysia. It is a questionnaire-based study which was conducted as face-to-face interview. A convenience sample of 792 mouthwash users was recruited in 2013 in an ethically approved study (International Medical University). The study instrument was formulated on the basis of literature search and subjected to 20 experts for validation purpose. A pilot study was conducted to compute Cronbach Alpha (0.78). Data was entered into PASW version 20. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. Results: A response rate of 99% was achieved. More than two third of the respondents are female, suggesting women are more likely to use mouthwash (n ¼486; 61.8 %). The major reason to use mouthwash were to mask halitosis (n¼287; 36.5%) and to prevent oral diseases (n¼243; 30.9%). Majority knew that fluoride helps in reducing plaque (n¼599; 76.1%) and tooth decay (n¼631; 80.2%). Respondents were not clear that only tooth brushing alone is insufficient to prevent gum disease (n¼553; 70.3%). More than two thirds perceived that mouthwash is useful in reducing plaque (n¼567; 72.0%) as well as periodontal disease (n¼580; 73.7%). Respondents perceived that mouthwash is more effective in eliminating halitosis (n¼714; 90.7%) and preventing caries (n¼630; 80.1%). The frequency of mouthwash use was statistically significant with age, gender, race and monthly income (p¼0.018. 0.091, 0.010, 0.030) . Conclusion: This study indicates that Malaysian adults have good knowledge on the use and perceived benefits of mouthwash. A nationwide study is advocated to gather more information from general population, targeting the use of mouthwash in a large scale to minimize oral health problems