Exploring Oral Health Beliefs and Behaviour Among Tibetan Immigrants of Bylakkupe

Purpose: To explore the oral health beliefs and behaviour among Tibetan immigrants of Bylakkupe village. Materials and Methods: A stratified random sampling technique involving 366 Tibetan monks in Bylakkupe monasteries was used in this study. The oral health beliefs were measured using a pre-tested questionnaire. Results: The results showed that seriousness was higher compared to other domains in the health belief model. Further, as the duration of the stay increased, the perceived importance was also higher among the population studied. Conclusion: The results show that in general, although the seriousness of oral health was high among the participants, the perceived benefit of dental treatment was relatively low. Keywords: immigrants, oral health beliefs, oral health care, perceived importance, seriousness