Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice about Teeth Bleaching Among Subpopulation in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study

One of the most popular cosmetic dental procedures is teeth whitening. The public's comprehension of its safety and appropriate use, however, is still lacking. The purpose of this study is to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices about teeth whitening among the population in Saudi Arabia.

Using a validated questionnaire, 500 persons in Saudi Arabia participated in a cross-sectional survey. The survey evaluated participant knowledge, opinions, and teeth-whitening behaviors in addition to demographic information. SPSS was used to analyze the data, and a significance level of p < 0.05 was considered significant.

Most participants (88%, n=440) understood that getting a dental consultation was necessary before getting teeth whitening. On the other hand, only 29.2% (n=146) thought the bleaching was safe, while 53.6% (n=268) were unsure. Better attitudes and understanding about teeth whitening were substantially correlated with higher educational attainment (p < 0.001). While most people knew that smoking causes tooth discoloration (94.8%, n=474), fewer people knew that other factors, such as too much fluoride, can also cause it (59%, n=295).

Most people in Saudi Arabia understand how important it is to get professional advice before bleaching their teeth. However, there are still false beliefs about its safety, especially among the less educated. It is advised to implement focused educational programs to raise public awareness and encourage safer teeth-whitening procedures.