Introduction: It is important to know about the myths and misconceptions, especially in India, where general and oral health is embroiled in various myths and ritualistic practices. Objectives: The purpose of this study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of dental myth and utilizes socio-dental impact locus of control scale (SILOC) health model, as the theoretical framework to understand the dental myth and belief and possible reasons for noncompliance with recommended health action. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by the out-patients attending dental institute, in Bengaluru city. A total of 150 individuals were included, data were collected using a pretested and validated three-part questionnaire including demographic data, questions regarding dental myth, and seven items SILOC. Data obtained were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and spearman’s rank correlation. Results: Almost all the participant believed in one or more dental myth. About 71.3% of the participant had high (≥11) SILOC scores. Statistically significant difference (P < 0.001) was found between mean SILOC scores and gender with males having a lower mean score (14.94) as compared to females (18.62). When SILOC scores and myth scores were compared against socioeconomic status, it showed statistically significant difference (P < 0.001), between them. The SILOC scores highly correlated with myth scores. Conclusion: Various dental myth and false perception still lurk in the minds of the population, to discourage the unhealthy practices; we the health professionals have to provide intensive health education and promote the adoption of healthy practices. It would be prudent to familiarize professionals to understand these myths and beliefs as they act as barriers toward seeking treatment. Key words: Culture, Gender, Internal-external control, Oral health, Social class

1. 14 International Journal of Preventive and Public Health Sciences • Jul-Aug 2015 • Vol 1 • Issue 2
Original Article
ABSTRACT
Introduction: It is important to know about the myths and misconceptions, especially in India, where general and oral health is
embroiled in various myths and ritualistic practices.
Objectives: The purpose of this study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of dental myth and utilizes socio-dental impact
locus of control scale (SILOC) health model, as the theoretical framework to understand the dental myth and belief and possible
reasons for noncompliance with recommended health action.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by the out-patients attending dental institute, in Bengaluru
city. A total of 150 individuals were included, data were collected using a pretested and validated three-part questionnaire
including demographic data, questions regarding dental myth, and seven items SILOC. Data obtained were statistically analyzed
using descriptive statistics, t-test, and spearman’s rank correlation.
Results: Almost all the participant believed in one or more dental myth. About 71.3% of the participant had high (≥11) SILOC
scores. Statistically significant difference (P 0.001) was found between mean SILOC scores and gender with males having
a lower mean score (14.94) as compared to females (18.62). When SILOC scores and myth scores were compared against
socioeconomic status, it showed statistically significant difference (P 0.001), between them. The SILOC scores highly correlated
with myth scores.
Conclusion: Various dental myth and false perception still lurk in the minds of the population, to discourage the unhealthy
practices; we the health professionals have to provide intensive health education and promote the adoption of healthy practices.
It would be prudent to familiarize professionals to understand these myths and beliefs as they act as barriers toward seeking
treatment.
Key words: Culture, Gender, Internal-external control, Oral health, Social class
INTRODUCTION
Oral health means much more than healthy teeth. Despite
remarkable worldwide progress in the field of diagnostics,
curative and preventive health, there are people still living in
isolation far away from civilization with their traditional values,
customs, beliefs, and myth intact. Cultural forces bind people
and also profoundly shape their lives. Culture has its own
influence on health and sickness and that is greatly depicted
by the values, beliefs, knowledge, and practices shared by
the people.1
Good oral health is a major resource for social-
economic and personal development of individuals. It is
observed that some individuals who never had oral health
symptoms but still go for care while others, in spite of the
presence of symptoms, do not seek dental care. Beliefs
and values within the general population associated with
these behaviors are not well-understood.2
Myths are defined
as stories shared by a group of people, which are part of
Dental Myth, Fallacies and Misconceptions and its
Association with Socio-Dental Impact Locus of Control
Scale
Ripika Sharma1
, Pramila Mallaiah2
, Shanthi Margabandhu3
, G K Umashankar4
, Shweta Verma1
1
Post-graduate Student, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Mathrusri Ramabai Ambedkar Dental College and Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka,
India, 2
Professor and Head, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Mathrusri Ramabai Ambedkar Dental College, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India,
3
Professor, Department of Public Health Dentistry, Mathrusri Ramabai Ambedkar Dental College and Hospital, Bengaluru, India, 4
Reader,
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Mathrusri Ramabai Ambedkar Dental College and Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
DOI: 10.17354/ijpphs/2015/11
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR:
Dr. Ripika Sharma,
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Mathrusri Ramabai Ambedkar Dental College, 1/36, Cline Road, Cooke
Town, Bengaluru - 560 005, Karnataka, India. E-mail: ripikasharma@gmail.com
Submission: 06-2015; Peer Review: 07-2015; Acceptance: 08-2015; Publication: 08-2015;

2. International Journal of Preventive and Public Health Sciences • Jul-Aug 2015 • Vol 1 • Issue 2 15
www.ijpphs.comSharma, et al.: Dental Myth and its Association with SILOC
their cultural identity, having a strong influence in seeking
treatment during illness. In scientific terms myth is referred
to as extensive and unquestioned false perspective. The
concept of dental myth usually emerges from false traditional
beliefs and non-scientific knowledge. These myths are further
firmly fixed in the psyche of future generation over a space
of time, and thus guide the patients in the wrong protocol
which can lead to difficulty for dentist to provide satisfying
treatment.3,4
Individual beliefs and values about maintaining or regaining
health as illustrated by one’s behavior falls under the theoretical
domain of locus of control (LOC) (Rotter, 1954). LOC has long
been related to physical and psychosocial outcomes, as well
as with preventive behavior. Scales with some success have
been developed and utilized to measure both physical and
psychosocial development.
However, oral health outcomes have been given the least
attention. One reason for the same is the scarcity of adequate
measures that assess LOC and its effect on oral health
behavior. The most recognized multidimensional health locus
of control scale utilized to measure general health (Wallston
et al., 1978); this scale was not recommended by its authors
for use with other more specific health conditions such as oral
health behavior. An LOC scale specific to oral health may be
useful for many oral health providers and oral health educators.
Building on the existing, but limited empirical foundation may
contribute to a better understanding of oral health seeking
behavior; whether a matter of belief in random chance, one’s
own internal beliefs, or through belief in powerful others outside
of one’s self.2
Many researchers have used the basic LOC scales but
found the scales needed to be modified to measure specific
diseasesorconditions.Thedisadvantageusingmultidimensional
scales is, they take more time to administer, provide more
in depth assessment and are difficult to score in a clinical
setting. Hence in the present study, a socio-dental impacts
LOC scale (SILOC) developed by Acharaya et al., is used. This
scale is short, easily adaptable to different populations and
age groups, the scale combines the advantages of the one-
dimensional and multidimensional scales by including three
subcategories of internal, powerful others, and chance on a
one-dimensional scale. Several studies suggested that people’s
general health beliefs were inherent to their culture and played
a key role in influencing their health care seeking and health
behaviors. Therefore, any health intervention must consider,
an understanding of culture, tradition, beliefs, and patterns of
family interactions.5
On exploration, it was found that not many studies had
been done, and not much data is available related to this
subject. There have been no studies reported in the literature
on the relationship between SILOC and dental myth, therefore
if the association is understood, health professionals can be
made more aware of the circumstances and can plan health
education intervention programs that might lead to the adoption
of particular LOC belief which may aid in improving the overall
oral health of the community.
The purpose of this current study is aimed at assessing
the prevalence of dental myth among the population and to
determine the association of SILOC scale with the dental myth.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The present study was a “cross-sectional study” conducted
to assess the prevalence of dental myth and to determine the
association of SILOC scale with the dental myth among the
outpatients attending dental institute.
Study Population
The study was conducted by the outpatient in the age of
20-60 years visiting Mathrusri Ramabai Ambedkar Dental
College and Hospital in Bengaluru city. All the patients attending
the outpatient department (OPD) and who voluntarily agree to
participate were included in the study. Confidentiality of the
identity of a person was maintained.
Sampling Technique
Sampling: The sample size was calculated based on the number
of out-patients visiting dental institute.
Sample size was calculated using the following formula:
n = [DEFF*Np (1−p)]/[(d2
/Z2
1-α/2
* (N−1)+p* (1−p)]
The sample size calculated with confidence level 95%
was 132
Assuming 10% nonresponse rate sample size was rounded
off to 150
Data was collected over a period of 2-month from
March 2015 to June 2015
Ethical clearance was obtained from the institutional review
board.
Inclusion Criteria
• Patients attending dental OPD in the age group of
20-60 years.
Exclusion Criteria
• People who refused to participate in the study
• People who could not comprehend the questions of the
study despite the assistance.
Collection of Data
Questionnaire
A questionnaire was developed to assess the prevalence
of dental myth among the population and to determine the
association of SILOC scale with the dental myth. All the questions
were given alternative choices to help the respondents to make
quick decisions, and respondents were asked to tick the most
appropriate answer from the given list of answers.
Before the questionnaire was definitely established, the
questions were pretested in a pilot study on 20 patients, to
assess their ability to understand it. The questionnaire appeared
to be easily understood and was finalized with no modification.
Its respective psychometric properties were assessed as
follows. Content validity was assessed by a panel of ten experts
made up of staff members of all the departments of Mathrusri
Ramabai Ambedkar Dental College and hospital, Bengaluru.
The purpose was to depict those items with a high degree of
agreement among experts Aiken’s V index was used to quantify
the concordance between experts for each item and the values
higher than 0.85 were always obtained. Cronbach alpha was
0.74 indicating good reliability.
Permission was obtained from the institution authorities to
administer the questionnaire to the patients. The objective of
the study was explained to all who participated in the study

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and also informed consent was obtained from all them. The
completed questionnaire was collected back in 10-15 min by
the investigator and checked for completeness. Any incomplete
forms were asked to be completed.
The questionnaire was divided into three parts:
Section 1: Contained questions on personal data that recorded
name, age, gender, occupation, religion, and monthly income.
The revised Kuppuswamy Scale was used to assess the
socioeconomic status (SES). This most widely used Indian scale
divides the population into 5 categories ranging from 1; the
highest SES group to 5; the lowest, based on their educational
level, occupation and income.
Section 2: Consisted of 16 close-ended questions regarding
dental myth. The questions 1-5 were based on myth regarding
dental caries. The questions 6-9 were about myths regarding
tobacco and oral cancer. The questions 10-16 were related to
dental problem and treatment related dental myth.
Section 3: Consisted of seven item SILOC scale. The first two
items of the scale evaluates the level of the individual’s ownership
regarding his or her oral health status; items three and four,
evaluates for the impairment caused by dental caries or missing
teeth or periodontal disease, item five, evaluates for the oral activity
limitation, and items six and seven evaluates for the restriction
in participation and interaction with the society due to poor oral
health. The responses for the items were in the Likert format (1-5)
with the lower scores signifying “internality” and the higher scores
pointing to an “external” LOC. The scoring ranged from 7 to 35.
The interquartile range for the SILOC scores was used to classify
the population into low, moderate and high LOC groups.
For further statistical analysis, responses to the questions
were recorded as correct or incorrect and each of the correct
answers was given a score of 1 and the wrong answer score of
0 for the questions regarding dental myth.
Statistical Analysis
Data from the returned questionnaire; were encoded and
statistical analysis was performed using the software statistical
package for social sciences (IBM SPSS version 21). Descriptive
statistics, included percentages, frequencies, and t-test,
and Chi-square were used to find out significant differences
P 0.05. A scatter plot was used to visualize the relationship
between dental myth and SILOC.
RESULTS
The present study was a cross-sectional design, using
structured questionnaire; the study was conducted to assess
the prevalence of dental myth and to determine the association
of SILOC scale with dental myth among the outpatients
attending the dental institute.
Section 1
Demographic details (Table 1)
A total of 150 adults aged 20-60 years attending Mathrusri
Ramabai Ambedkar dental hospital OPD were approached
to participate in the study. The participants had a mean age
of 35.4 years, with about 50.7% of the participant in the age
group 20-40 years of age (Figure 1). Among 150 participants,
76 (50.7%) were males, and 74 (49.3%) were females (Figure 2).
The majority of participants were from the lower middle-class
category of SES 73 (48.7%) (Figure 3).
Section 2
Responses for questions regarding dental myth
Table 2 shows the descriptive for questions under the domain
“myths related to dental decay, tobacco and oral cancer, dental
problems, and treatment related myth.”
Table 1: Demographic characteristics
Demographics Frequency (n (%))
Age (years)
18‑25 29 (19.3)
26‑40 76 (50.7)
40 45 (30.0)
Gender
Male 76 (50.7)
Female 74 (49.3)
Occupation
Unemployed 3 (2)
Semi‑skilled worker 10 (6.7)
Skilled worker 41 (27.3)
Clerical, shop owner, farmer 25 (16.7)
Semi profession 22 (14.7)
Profession 49 (32.7)
Education
Primary school certificate 11 (7.3)
Middle school certificate 40 (26.7)
High school certificate 49 (32.7)
Intermediate o post high school 9 (6.0)
Graduate or post graduate 18 (12.0)
Honors 23 (15.3)
Income: (In rupees)
1600 3 (2)
4810‑8009 10 (6.7)
8010‑12019 41 (27.3)
12020‑16019 47 (31.3)
16020‑32049 49 (32.7)
SES
Upper 31 (20.7)
Upper middle 18 (12.0)
Lower middle 73 (48.7)
Upper lower 26 (17.3)
Lower 2 (1.3)
SES: Socioeconomic status
Figure 1: Age distribution

4. International Journal of Preventive and Public Health Sciences • Jul-Aug 2015 • Vol 1 • Issue 2 17
www.ijpphs.comSharma, et al.: Dental Myth and its Association with SILOC
Myth related to dental caries
About 55 (36.3%) of the participants had a myth that dental decay
occurs because their teeth are soft, 88 (58.7%) of the participants
believed that decay in milk teeth need not be treated as they are
going to fall off anyways and 81 (54%) of the participants had
misconception that placing cloves on the carious tooth relieves
pain. 74 (49.3%) of the participant responded that they would
prefer to undergo extraction when in pain rather than saving it. The
majority of the participant 105 (70%) had wrong belief that swelling
caused by painful tooth should be fomented with hot water.
Myth related to tobacco and oral cancer
Almost 117 (78%) of the participant were aware about the
fact that chewing of pan is not good for oral health, almost
124 (82.7%) participant disagreed that only aged people suffer
from oral cancer. About 40 (26.7%) participant believed that
chewing of paan improves bowel movement after heavy meals.
Chewing betel nut quid with slaked lime prevents gum problem
was believed by 45 (30%) of the participant.
Myth related to dental problems and treatment
Most participants 105 (70%) had a notion that all dental
treatment are painful. About 105 (70%) of the participant
believed that it is not important to visit a dentist unless in pain.
About 100 (66.7%) believed that tooth once treated will not
require any further treatment in future. More than half of the
participants believed that professional cleaning by a dentist
causes loosening of teeth. About 96 (64.0%) participants
believed in the myth that extraction of upper jaw teeth affects
eye vision. 95 (63.3%) had an opinion that bleeding while
brushing is a normal phenomenon.
Almost all the participant believed in one or more dental
myth.
Section 3
Seven item SILOC score
SILOC scale consisted of seven items (Table 3) shows the
descriptive for questions under the domain for SILOC. The
responses were in the Likert format (1-5); the scoring ranged
from 7 to 35. SILOC scores were classified based on their score
into low (≤7), moderate (8-10), and high (≥11) and the proportion
Figure 2: Gender distribution
Figure 3: Socioeconomic status
Table 2: Responses of participants regarding dental myth
Questions n (%)
Agree Disagree Don’t know
Myth related to dental decay: Dental decay occurs because my teeth are soft 55 (36.7) 79 (52) 16 (10.7)
Decay in milk teeth requires no treatment as they are going to fall anyways 88 (58.7) 53 (35.3) 9 (6.0)
Placing cloves in a decayed tooth always relieves pain 81 (54) 60 (40) 9 (6)
Any tooth pain due to decay, it is better to extract rather than saving 74 (49.3) 76 (50.7) 0 (0)
Swelling caused by painful tooth should be fomented with hot water 105 (70) 45 (30) 0 (0)
Tobacco related dental myth: Chewing of pan is good for oral health 22 (14.7) 117 (78) 11 (7.3)
Only aged people get cancer in the mouth 19 (12.7) 124 (82.7) 7 (4.7)
Chewing of pan improves bowel movement after heavy meal 40 (26.7) 92 (61.3) 18 (12.0)
Betel nut quid chewing with slaked lime can keep gum problems away 45 (30) 93 (62) 12 (8)
Dental problems and treatment related dental myth: All dental treatments are painful 05 (70) 41 (27.3) 4 (2.7)
If I am not in pain I do not need to visit the dentist 115 (76.7) 33 (22.0) 2 (1.3)
Extraction of teeth of upper jaw causes loss of vision 96 (64.0) 51 (34.0) 3 (2.0)
A tooth once treated does not require any more treatment 100 (66.7) 48 (32.0) 2 (1.3)
Cleaning of teeth by a dentist causes loosening of teeth 89 (59.3) 60 (40) 1 (0.7)
Bleeding of gums is normal during brushing 95 (63.3) 55 (36) 0 (0)
More you brush using hard bristles, whiter your teeth becomes 15 (10) 135 (90) 0 (0)

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of participants in these groups were 28 (18.7%), 15 (10%), and
107 (71.3%), respectively, (Table 4 and Figure 4).
Mean SILOC scores and mean myth scores were compared
against gender, we found statistically significant difference
(P 0.001), between mean SILOC scores and gender, with
males having a lower mean score (14.94) as compared to
females (18.62) (Table 5). There was no statistically significant
difference found between myth scores and gender.
When SILOC scores and myth scores were compared
against SES, it showed statistically significant difference
(P 0.001), between them (Tables 6 and 7).
On comparing mean SILOC Scores with mean myth scores
using t-test, they were found to be significantly associated with
each other (P 0.001) (Table 8).
Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to
correlate SILOC scores with dental myth scores; it was seen
that those with higher SILOC scores had significantly higher
myth scores (Figure 5).
DISCUSSION
India, a developing country faces many challenges in rendering
oral health needs. There is a very strong influence of the various
myths on health seeking behavior in Indian population consisting
of people from different cultural backgrounds. Myths are part
and parcel of everyone’s lives. Myths are a roadblock for access
to better oral health among the population.
Table 4: Distribution of SILOC scores in the study population
SILOC scores n (%)
Low 28 (18.7)
Medium 15 (10)
High 107 (71.3)
SILOC: Socio‑dental impact locus of control scale
Table 5: Mean SILOC scores and myth scores in relation to gender
Gender n Mean SILOC P value Mean myth score P value
Male 76 14.94 0.001#
7.75 0.08#
Female 74 18.62 8.77
P≤0.05: Significant, #
Denotes student t‑test, SILOC: Socio‑dental impact
locus of control scale
Figure 4: Distribution of SILOC scores in the study population
Figure 5: Scatter plot for the relationship between dental myth and socio-dental
impact locus of control scale scores
Table 3: Responses of participants for SILOC
Items n (%)
Only me,
no one
else
Mainly me, but
also my family,
*dentist and
friends to a
small extent
Mainly my family,
*dentist, and
friends but also
to a small extent,
myself
Mainly fate or
god but also my
family, *dentist
and friends to a
small extent
Fate or
god only,
definitely
not me
Who is responsible for keeping my teeth healthy? 77 (51.3) 25 (16.7) 4 (2.7) 33 (22.0) 11 (7.3)
If I have good oral health, who should get the credit? 50 (33.3) 37 (24.7) 15 (10) 21 (14) 27 (18)
If I get tooth decay or ache, who is to blame? 78 (52.0) 10 (6.7) 19 (12.7) 38 (25.3) 5 (3.3)
If I have missing teeth, or sensitive teeth or bleeding/swollen gums,
who is to blame?
110 (73.3) 8 (5.3) 30 (20.0) 0 (0) 2 (1.3)
If I have difficulty in eating, speaking, chewing and enjoying food
because of problems with my teeth or mouth, who is to blame?
94 (62.7) 30 (20) 0 (0) 12 (8.0) 14 (9.3)
If I have difficulty in smiling, mixing with friends or indulging in social
activities because of problems with my teeth, who is to blame?
47 (31.3) 11 (7.3) 13 (8.7) 66 (44.0) 13 (8.7)
If people make fun of me because of the condition of my teeth and
mouth, who is to blame?
37 (24.7) 12 (8.0) 0 (0) 33 (22) 68 (45.3)
SILOC: Socio‑dental impact locus of control scale

6. International Journal of Preventive and Public Health Sciences • Jul-Aug 2015 • Vol 1 • Issue 2 19
www.ijpphs.comSharma, et al.: Dental Myth and its Association with SILOC
As systems are becoming more entangled and people’s
expectations of health-care are increasing with great flare.
Understanding the myths and misconceptions about oral
diseases is of prime importance in providing excellent care
and health education to both patients and healthy individuals,
as the high prevalence of these myths will further prevent such
population from obtaining proper dental care even if it could be
made available to them.
Myths are usually passed on from one generation to the
next and can be prevalent in a population due to a variety of
reasons such as poor education, cultural beliefs, and social
misconceptions. It is very difficult to break this chain as it is
deep-seated in the society. Hence, it is important to know
about these myths and misconceptions.6,7
Especially in India, where general and oral health is
embroiled in various myths and ritualistic practices. It would
be prudent to familiarize professionals to understand these
myths and practices to assist the people, to attain behavioral
modifications. Unfortunately, little epidemiological data is
available for India. Some common myths regarding oral health
prevail in the populations which may act as barriers toward
seeking treatment and have an unscientific base and can prove
to be harmful to health and also life threatening. Inadequate
knowledge of the etiology, course, and outcome of disorders
and disease states makes it difficult to initiate health behavioral
changes.8
In the present study, a SILOC developed by S. Acharya
et al., is used, the possible advantages of the SILOC scale is that
it can be adapted for use in different age groups and cultures by
modifying the responses. For example, in this study, for “powerful
others,” the “family, friends and dentist” were included as people
who would wield a powerful influence on their lives. “Family” was
an umbrella term which included parents, grandparents, siblings
and other relatives. The reason for this was that the extended
family occupies a central position in Asian societies by providing
material, moral and emotional sustenance and supports to all its
members. Hence, the role of the family influence on individual
attitudes cannot be overestimated. Similarly, for “Chance” LOC,
the responses were “fate” and/or “God.” India is well known for
its concept of “Karma” which instills a fatalistic attitude toward
life. An individual who has an external LOC would blame his or
her fate or God for their oral problems. This scenario would be
same in most Asian cultures.9
The results of the current study in context to myth regarding
dental caries showed that more than 50% of the participants
believed that decay in milk teeth need not be treated as they are
going to fall off anyways and it is in accordance with the finding
of Vignesh et al., and Khan et al. These findings reveal that the
masses are still not aware about the importance of primary/milk
teeth, the importance of milk teeth should be communicated to
masses as they are vital for masticatory function, aesthetics, for
maintenance of space for the erupting permanent teeth, and
aids in development of jaws.1,3,4
The majority of the participants responded that they place
clove on the decayed tooth to get rid of pain. As we know a
toothache is a dreadful thing, unfortunately, they have a nasty habit
of striking in the night, thanks to changes in blood flow, and when
the dentist’s office is closed. Cloves are a spice hailing from India
and Indonesia, used to warm mulled drinks and chai. Traditionally
been thought to cure toothache and this old wives’ tale has
scientific merit. Cloves contain eugenol, a phenyl propene that is
used commonly in medicine and dentistry as a local antiseptic
and anesthetic. Chewing on cloves can serve to numb and clean
the affected area. We should also keep in mind, that cloves numb
toothaches but aren’t a replacement for treatment.10,11
Almost half of the participant responded that they would
prefer undergoing extraction when in pain rather than saving
it. This may be because people have inadequate knowledge
about treatment modalities in saving a tooth, or they feel once
the tooth is infected and is painful it’s better to knock out the
teeth at one shot rather than undergoing multiple sitting of root
canal treatment which is also more expensive.3
Table 6: Association of SILOC scores with SES of the study population
SILOC
scores
SES P value
Upper class Upper middle class Lower middle class Upper Lower class Lower class
Low 24 4 0 0 0 0.001*
Medium 3 1 11 0 0
High 4 13 61 25 3
Total 31 18 72 26 3
P≤0.05: Significant, *Denotes Chi‑square, SILOC: Socio‑dental impact locus of control scale, SES: Socioeconomic status
Table 7: Association of dental myth scores with SES of the study population
Myth
scores
SES P value
Upper class Upper middle class Lower middle class Upper Lower class Lower class
Low (8) 29 17 22 2 0 0.001*
High (8) 2 1 50 24 3
Total 31 18 72 26 3
P≤0.05: Significant: *Denotes Chi‑square, SES: Socioeconomic status
Table 8: Comparison of mean myth and mean SILOC score
Mean Scores Mean±SD P value
Mean myth score 8.25±3.60 0.001*
Mean SILOC score 16.76±7.04
P≤0.05: Significant, *Denotes t‑test, SILOC: Socio‑dental impact locus of
control scale, SD: Standard deviation

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The majority of the participant had wrong belief that swelling
caused by painful tooth should be fomented with hot water. In
reality fomentation done for reducing the pain associated with
a decayed tooth may not worsen the pain at times, but it may
lead to cellulitis in some cases.12
Most participants had a notion that all dental treatment
are painful; these findings are in accordance with the findings
of study done by Khan et al.4
About 70% of the participant
believed that it is not important to visit a dentist unless in pain.
Pain is the symptom which occurs only in the final stages of
dental caries and providing treatment at this phase is far more
expensive; these findings reveal that the participant had very
poor knowledge about prevention of dental diseases. More than
half of the participants believed that professional cleaning by a
dentist causes loosening of teeth, the results are in line with the
findings of study done by Vignesh et al.3
In fact in reality, it is
recommended to get professional cleaning done every 6 months
tomaintainproperoralhygiene.Themajorityoftheparticipanthad
an opinion that bleeding while brushing is a normal phenomenon
which in reality is the early sign of gum problem and if adequate
measures taken at this time to maintain proper oral hygiene it
can prevent further progression of disease and morbidity. Most
of the participants believed in the myth that extraction of upper
jaw teeth affects eye vision. This is a misconception inherited
due to false exaggerated information promulgated by those who
had previous personal negative dental experiences.13
Vision is
not affected in any way by undertaking treatment of the upper
teeth including its extraction.
In the current study, one positive finding was that most of
the participants were aware about the adverse effect of pan
chewing.
MeanSILOCscoresandmeanMythscoreswhencompared
against gender statistically significant difference was found
between mean SILOC scores and gender, with males having
lower mean score as compared to females. These findings are
not in accordance with the study was done by Acharaya et al.
High SILOC scores signifying externality, the reason behind this
may be women have strong faith in god and in god’s action;
religious faith attenuates the women’s fear and reduces their
perceived threat of the disease. Fatalism has been defined as
the perception that individuals have the limited influence to
change the course of the disease, to detect it early or to prevent
it. It is the belief that an individual’s health is beyond their control
and that survival is based on luck, fate, and destiny. Fatalistic
attitudes may lead to a lack of participation. Faith as a facilitating
factor can be encouraged and supported by the health care
system if health promotion messages are tailored to appeal the
masses. Fatalism, along with fear, is a perception that is formed
for a long-time through one’s sociocultural context and it is too
difficult to uproot, one possible way to counteract fatalism is by
providing knowledge, By doing that, we will “plant the seeds”
for future efforts.14-16
In the present, the mean SILOC scores were significantly
higher among those who had higher myth score, with positive
correlation seen between SILOC scores and myth scores.
Previous research has shown that an external LOC was
associated with poorer oral health indicators.
Irrespective of the area of residence (whether residing in
urban or rural areas) every one of us, have our own beliefs and
practices concerning health and disease.17
Limitations of Our Study
Data reported in this study cannot be generalized to the entire
Indian population since the study was conducted in urban
setting. Exploration of research, to know other myths prevailing
in the society is necessary. Furthermore, quantitative and
qualitative research studies on a larger sample and for a longer
period are essential to circumvent the limitations of the current
study, and more research is needed to validate the results of
this study.
CONCLUSION
The study population has considerable belief in myth and higher
SILOC scores, pointing to an “external” LOC.
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HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE:
Sharma R, Mallaiah P, Margabandhu S, Umashankar GK, Verma S. Dental
Myth, Fallacies and Misconceptions and its Association with Socio-
Dental Impact Locus of Control Scale. Int J Prevent Public Health Sci
2015;1(2):14-20.