Influence of continued oral health education on treatment effect of elderly patients with periodontal disease

Abstract

Objective To explore the influence of continued oral health education on treatment effect of elderly patients with periodontal disease. Methods Totals of 62 elderly patients with age from 60 to 74 years old and with periodontal disease treated in Department of Stomatology from January 2014 to February 2015 were selected and randomly divided into experimental group and control group, each with 31 cases. Patients in the control group were given routine oral hygiene education, while patients in the experimental group were given continued oral health education at home. After 1, 3 and 6 months of treatment, plaque index and gingival index of patients in the two groups were compared. Results For both groups, plaque index and gingival index at first visit and 1 month after treatment showed no significant difference (P>0.05); 3 and 6 months after the treatment, plaque index and gingival index of patients in the experimental group were fewer than those in the control group (P<0.05). 1, 3 and 6 months after the treatment, plaque index and gingival index of patients in the experimental group were relatively stable, yet lower than before the treatment (P<0.05); 1 month after treatment, plaque index and gingival index of patients in the control group were lower than before the treatment (P<0.05), yet 3 and 6 months after the treatment, the number grew gradually to the level before the treatment. Conclusions Positive and effective continued oral health education can help to maintain long-term curative effect of periodontal disease, alleviate gingiva inflammation and thus improve obviously periodontal condition of the patients. Key words: Aged; Health education; Continued nursing; Periodontal disease