Dental problems are among the main concerns of seafarers and a relevant cause of medical consultations aboard international vessels. Seafarers may neglect their oral hygiene during long voyages and are known for their excessive intake of beverages or unhealthy food which contains copious amounts of fermentable carbohydrates and sugars, which are prime risk factors of dental caries. Majority of studies done on oral health status of seafarers are dated. This paper presents a questionnaire developed by Centro Internazionale Radio Medico (CIRM), the Italian Telemedical Maritime Assistance Service (TMAS) to investigate the oral hygiene condition of seafarers and to assess their awareness and sensitivity on this pertinent health problem.

A questionnaire including 26 questions covering general information about the subject, including denture status, smoking, drinking and eating habits, general appearance of gingiva, oral muscosa and lips was developed. The research questionnaire was created to assess the oral health situation of Seafarers on board various ships around the world. The questionnaire was forwarded to different ships using the platform of Centro Internationzionale Radio Medico in Rome. Twenty-six questions on various oral hygiene indicators were part of the questionnaire. Captains of the ship were requested to summarize the results on a summary sheet provided by CIRM. CIRM started out sending questionnaire at the end of June 6 and the project concluded in October.

In the 3 months of the survey, CIRM assisted 1,198 ships. All these ships were requested to take part in the research survey. CIRM received positive response from 65 vessels. The rate of return was 5.4%. Two thousand and sixty seamen filled the questionnaire. No difficulty was reported by ship's captains in summarizing the results of the survey.

The findings of the research will be presented in an original research article after completion of data analysis. Captains of the ships who took part in the project were awarded certificates of appreciation for their effort. The results of the project will be useful in future policy initiatives regarding oral healthcare of seafarers.

Mahdi SS, Mancini M, Sibilio F, Amenta F. Research Questionnaire on Perception of Seafarers about Oral Hygiene and Oral Dietary Habits. World J Dent 2015;6(1):1-4.