Impact of a periodontal course on oral hygiene and gingival health among senior dental students.

Abstract

This survey attempted to determine the impact of the periodontal course on oral hygiene and gingival health among 50 senior dental students. The course included the following: patient motivation, instruction in oral hygiene procedures and plaque control, scaling and curettage, temporary splinting and occlusal adjustment. Without advance notice, plaque deposits were scored using the Plaque Index and gingival health was determined using the Gingival Index. The results were collected at the beginning and at the end of the periodontal course (about 2 months). The results were analyzed using the paired t-test. No improvement of either oral hygiene or gingival health was noted at the end of the periodontal course. It seems that even some dental students, who should know the direct relationship between bacterial plaque and periodontal diseases and should be better motivated than the average patient, failed to demonstrate effective oral hygiene. It is difficult to expert an improvement of patient oral hygiene, when the patients have been motivated by students who are unable to perform satisfactory personal oral hygiene themselves. It is suggested that a greater emphasis be placed on patient motivation and instruction in oral hygiene throughout the dental curriculum.