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rev port estomatol med dent cir maxilofac . 2026;67(1):11-20 13

being from the Air Force General Staff (21.4%), Air Base 1 (28.3%) (Figure 1). Most military personnel reported brushing
(10.8%), Air Base 6 (12.2%), and the Lisbon Pole of the Armed their teeth at least twice daily (81.9%) with fluoride toothpaste
Forces Hospital (8.3%). (88.6%). Only 12.8% reported flossing daily (Table 3). The most
The mean HUDBI score was 6.82 (SD=1.61), with a median common time for brushing was “before going to bed” (81.1%)
of 7 (range: 1–10). The items with the highest percentage of (Figure 2). A significant association was found between the
agreement were concerns about bad breath (96.1%), tooth col- HUDBI and the frequency of brushing (p=0.004) and flossing
or (95.0%), and gum color (75.3%) (Table 1). (p<0.001), with military personnel who brush and floss more
Table 2 displays the sample’s sociodemographic and mili- frequently having higher HUDBI scores. The vast majority
tary characteristics, along with their relationship to the re- (91.7%) reported having received information about oral health
spective HUDBI scores. Most military participants were male care from an oral health professional. Moreover, most partici-
(83.9%), and the most common age group was 40-49 years old pants (70.3%) reported “occasional” consumption of sugary
(32.6%). The military rank with the highest representation was foods (Table 3).
Sergeant (66.1%), and most participants reported having com- The most common self-reported oral health problems
pleted secondary education (12 years of schooling) (63.9%). among the military were recurrent aphthous stomatitis (51.9%),
A statistically significant relationship was found between tooth decay (46.1%), and tooth sensitivity (36.7%) (Figure 3).
HUDBI scores and the age group (p=0.045), military position Only 6.1% of participants reported no oral health problems in
(p=0.026), and education level (p=0.039). Higher HUDBI scores, the past year. Nearly all respondents (99.1%) reported having
indicating better behaviors and attitudes, were observed in the more than 20 natural teeth. A significant association was found
50+ age group, among officers, and in participants with a com- between HUDBI score and gingival bleeding (p<0.001), canker
pleted university degree (Table 2). sores (p=0.002), and dental trauma (p<0.001). Military personnel
Regarding oral health behaviors, most participants cited who reported gingival bleeding or recurrent aphthous stoma-
routine procedures as the reason for visiting the dentist in the titis had lower HUDBI scores. Conversely, those who reported
past year, specifically “cleaning” (30.3%) or preventive visits dental trauma showed higher index values (Table 4).

Table 1. Frequency of the HUDBI items (n=360).
I agree
Item
% (n)
1. I don’t worry much about visiting the dentist. 1.9 (7)
2. My gums tend to bleed when I brush my teeth. 18.1 (65)

3. I worry about the color of my teeth. 95.0 (342)
4. I have noticed some white, sticky deposits on my teeth. 39.4 (142)
5. I use a child-sized toothbrush. 1.4 (5)
6. I think that I cannot help having false teeth when I am old. 12.2 (44)
7. I am bothered by the color of my gums. 75.3 (271)
8. I think my teeth are getting worse despite my daily brushing. 20.8 (75)
9. I brush each of my teeth carefully. 51.4 (185)
10. I have never been taught professionally how to brush. 16.9 (61)
11. I think I can clean my teeth well without using toothpaste. 7.5 (27)
12. I often check my teeth in a mirror after brushing. 54.4 (196)
13. I worry about having bad breath. 96.1 (346)
14. It is impossible to prevent gum disease with toothbrushing alone. 53.9 (194)
15. I put off going to the dentist until I have a toothache. 5.3 (19)
16. I have used a dye to see how clean my teeth are. 11.7 (42)
17. I use a toothbrush which has hard bristles. 16.4 (59)
18. I don’t feel I’ve brushed well unless I brush with strong strokes. 14.2 (51)
19. I feel I sometimes take too much time to brush my teeth. 45.0 (162)
20. I have had my dentist tell me that I brush very well. 29.4 (106)
21. I floss at least once a week. 71.9 (259)