KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND PRACTICE OF MISWAK USE AMONG PRACTICING DENTAL PROFESSIONALS IN TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS IN KARACHI.

Objective: To determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of use of miswak for prevention of oral problems among dental practitioners working in tertiary care hospital in Karachi. Methods: A KAP study was conducted in 4 tertiary care hospitals of Karachi. 1 of which was private and 3 were public sector. Total 203 participants were interviewed that met the inclusion criteria and gave their written consent. The data was collected by the principal investigator through a structured questionnaire specifically designed for the study. Results: The study results showed that only 37.4% of them knew that miswak is made from salvadora persica and 93.1% think miswak helps in oral health. . 63.1% of them think miswak is the best alternative of toothbrush, dandasa etc. 8.9% believe miswak use is not the best dental cleaning tool for people who live in a country with low economic status. 22.2% of the dental practitioners of them use miswak and 52.7% recommended miswak to their patients. Conclusion: The study revealed that the level of knowledge of dental practitioners was overall adequate except for their level of attitude and practice were overall inadequate and unsatisfactory. Key Words: Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Miswak, Dental Practitioner