Comparison of knowledge levels between boarding and non-boarding high school students in selecting rapid orthodontic care operators in Biringkanaya District, Makassar City

Perbandingan tingkat pengetahuan siswa SMA boarding dan non-boarding dalam pemilihan operator perawatan ortodonti cekat di Kecamatan Biringkanaya Kota Makassar

Abstract

The high prevalence of malocclusion has led to an increased demand for fixed orthodontic treatment. This phenomenon is exploited by non-professional practitioners, which risks harming patients if the choice of practitioner is inappropriate; therefore, it is necessary to determine the level of knowledge underlying decision-making, taking into account differences in environment and access to information between boarding and non-boarding secondary school students, by comparing the level of knowledge of boarding and non-boarding secondary school students in Makassar regarding the selection of fixed orthodontic treat-ment practitioners. Using a quantitative method and an analytical observational design via a cross-sectional study approach, 150 respondents (75 boarding stu-dents and 75 non-boarding students) were involved in Biringkanaya District, Makassar City. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analysed using an independent samples t-test, which showed that the mean knowledge level of non-boarding students (62.17) fell into the ‘adequate’ category, whilst that of boarding students (52.03) fell into the ‘inadequate’ category. Statistical analysis revealed a significant level of 0.000 (p<0.05), proving a significant difference in knowledge levels between the two groups. It was concluded that non-boarding students possess a higher level of knowledge regarding the selection of fixed orthodontic appliances.