Conference paper
Assessment of the Patient's Education and Motivation in the Maintaince of Oral Hygiene
F. Arifhodžić
M. Malić
M. Gojkov
S. Hadžić
E. Pašić
Abstract
Good oral hygiene is conditio sine qua non in prevention of dental caries and periodontal diseases. The acceptance of obtained information related to maintain good oral hygiene depends on several factors such as: age, educational level, personal skill, socioeconomic level etc. Previous studies revealed that almost 50 % of the general population use a toothbrush only to maintain their oral hygiene (Karihovski B et al., 2001). Malendijk B et al 1995, Koivulsit A et al., 2003, showed that people with a lower level of general education very rarely, or not at all, brush their teeth. A total of 117 randomly selected patients who attend the Clinics at our Faculty was enrolled in our study. All of them agreed to fulfill the questionaire designed by the investigators.
The majority of our patients were highly educated (high school and university degree; 33.3 % and 43.6% respectively). A high percentage of the investigated patients were already educated in oral hygiene through their dentist and media (63.8%), dentist and non-preofessionals (54.6%) and dentist and dental nursing stuff in 47% of cases. A relatively high percentage (61.5%) of the investigated patients consider that there is no need for additional instructions related to oral hygiene. More than 50% of our cases only use toothbrush in their oral hygiene. The frequency of brushing the teeth was twice daily in the majority of the investigated patients, while replacements of an old toothbrush with a new one within a period of 3 months was in 79.5% of cases. One quater of the investigated patients who suffer from some kind of dental problem do not ask immediately for dental intervention.
Our results have shown that the level of maintenanace of oral hygiene is rather high. Such results could be related to the high level of general education of the subjects enrolled in the study, and previously obtained education in oral hygiene.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
11136
URI
Publication date:
15.9.2003.
Visits: 1.946 *