International Journal of Medicine Research

Authors
Adnan Karaibrahimoğlu, Said Karabekiroğlu, Nimet Ünlü

Abstract
Aim: Konya province is one of the arid lands surrounded with high mountains in Central West Anatolia, Turkey. The level of underground water has been decreasing. Most of the consumption occur in agriculture, but household consumption is also crucial and should be managed for saving. Tap water is used carelessly for many purposes in houses. In this study, we aimed to estimate the wasted water during tooth brushing in Konya province and determine the rate of water consumption awareness. Methods: This is a cross-sectional survey study conducted in restorative dental clinics with 1037 volunteer patients. The participants were asked about dental care behavior and the usage of tap during brushing. Results: According to the results, we found that age, gender, education level, frequency and duration of tooth brushing were related with the awareness of using tap water significantly. We calculated the daily consumption per person using the rates and then, we estimated the annual wasted water during dental care in Konya as 210,000 m³. Conclusions: It is suggested that using excessive water should be avoided since it gets rid of the benefits of dentifrice, and the taps with innovative design for water saving should be used commonly.