Impact of Supplementary Visual Aids on Oral Hygiene Levels

Objective: To assess the impact of visual aids, when given as an adjunct to verbal oral hygiene instruction. Method: Plaque levels of 41 patients were recorded at baseline. All patients were subsequently given a standard oral hygiene demonstration with verbal reinforcement. In a double blind manner, 19 patients were also given an experimental leaflet: richly illustrated and giving guidance in the recommended techniques of toothbrushing, flossing, and the use of interdental brushes. 22 patients were given a control leaflet containing useful information about the nature and hazards of periodontal disease, but nothing pertaining to oral hygiene technique. Patients were reviewed within 2-4 weeks, and plaque levels were recorded for a second time. Result: Patients from both experimental groups showed an improvement in recorded plaque levels. Patients given the experimental leaflet showed a statistically significantly greater decrease in plaque levels than patients given the control leaflet (2 tailed t-test; p<0.0001). Conclusion: Visual aids provide significant reinforcement of verbal oral hygiene instruction compared to verbal oral hygiene instruction alone