The aim of this study was to evaluate oral hygiene behaviors and plaque control efficacy of patients visited for professional periodontal therapy. The association between oral health behaviors and compliance of the patients on periodontal therapy was investigated.
Method:
Data were collected from the patients visited Department of Periodontology, Dental Hospital, Kyung-Hee University from December 2010 to March 2012. Among 1,603 patients diagnosed as periodontitis, 1,116 patients were selected based upon inclusion and exclusion criteria. On the first day of visit, the patients answered questionnaires about their oral hygiene behaviors. O’Leary index(O’Leary, 1972) was used to evaluate plaque control efficacy. All of the patients received non-surgical periodontal therapy followed by surgical or maintenance therapy. Compliance to subsequent periodontal therapy was assessed retrospectively by reviewing treatment records. The association between oral health behaviors and compliance was evaluated using univariate multiple logistic regression model.
Result:
1. Average tooth brushing frequency and duration were 2.58±0.77 times/day and 2.63±1.08 minutes
2. At the first visit, mean O’ Leary index was 75.08±16.84%.
3. Patients brushed theirs teeth 4 times/day and 3-4 minutes/time showed significantly lower levels of O’ Leary index compared to other groups.
4. Overall compliance to periodontal therapy was 43.9%, with average follow-up period of 15.3 months.
5. Logistic regression analysis revealed that patients brushing teeth 3-4 times/day were apt to be cooperative with sequential periodontal therapy compared to the group who brushes teeth once daily (OR=2.24, 2.77, respectively).
Conclusion:
Patients willing to get periodontal treatment show very low plaque removal efficacy, although their brushing frequency and duration are acceptable. Patients brushing their teeth more than 3 times/day seem to be more compliant to periodontal therapy than patients brushing once daily. Accordingly, dentists need to exert every effort to improve patients' self-efficacy, especially when they have poor oral hygiene habit.