Oral Hygiene Performance Research Articles

Evaluation of oral self-care behavior among laypersons and dental students

Background. The goals of this study were to identify oral self-care behavior and knowledge among dental students at Basrah Dentistry College and laypersons, as well as to assess the effectiveness of knowledge in improving oral hygiene performance in our culture. Materials and methods. Students and laypersons completed a self-administered questionnaires in their dormitories that included information on age, gender, tooth cleaning material, and frequency of tooth cleaning. The questionnaire was based on Google form questions found on the internet. The data were analyzed using SPSS statistics for Windows version 22. The association was considered statistically significant when P <0.05. Result. The total of 281 persons from both dental students & laypersons participated in the study. All the questionnaires were returned after the completion and were analyzed. The study shows that there is low deference between dental students and laypersons due to the availability of many sources of information nowadays such as dental clinics, internet and TV. Dental students perform better in oral hygiene than laypersons, which is undoubtedly owing to the lectures they receive in their studies and the setting of practical work in the college clinic, which makes them more interested and motivated. Conclusion. The outcome of the study is that there is a low level of knowledge about oral self-care procedures in dental students than in lay persons. So, there is a need to educate laypersons to increase their concern about oral hygiene and a need to instruct dental students on how to influence laypersons that will visit their clinic in the future.

The effect of preoperative oral hygiene on postoperative infections after cystectomy and urethroplasty—A quasi‐experimental study

AbstractResearch has demonstrated that systematic preoperative oral hygiene reduces nosocomial infections after elective thoracic surgery. However, the impact of preoperative oral hygiene on patients undergoing urologic procedures is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of systematic preoperative oral hygiene on prescriptions with antibiotics following cystectomy or urethroplasty. A quasi‐experimental study design included all patients undergoing elective radical cystectomy or urethroplasty from 1 January 2018 to 31 May 2021. Patients undergoing cystectomy or urethroplasty were grouped into a prospective intervention group and a retrospective control group. Patients in the intervention group were admitted from 1 January 2020 to 31 May 2021, and were recommended to brush their teeth and rinse their mouths with chlorhexidine gluconate 0.12% four times a day starting 2 days before surgery and continuing until the morning of the operation. Patients admitted from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2019 received no oral hygiene recommendations and were used as a retrospective control group. Data on oral hygiene performance were self‐reported and collected at admission and data on prescription of antibiotics were collected through the patients' records. The relative risk was calculated to report the effect of the intervention. In total, 39 patients with cystectomy were in the intervention group, whereas 31 were in the control group. For patients having urethroplasty, 27 were in the intervention group and 98 were in the control group. The effect of oral hygiene on the prescription of antibiotics for patients who completely adhered to the oral hygiene recommendations showed a relative risk of 0.554 (95% CI 0.333–0.921) p = 0.02 for cystectomy and 0.825 (95% 0.308–2.209) p = 0.70 for urethroplasty. This study showed a statistically significant reduction in the prescription of antibiotics following oral hygiene recommendations for patients undergoing cystectomy. However, no statistically significant effect was demonstrated for patients undergoing urethroplasty. Despite this result, it seems important to be aware of oral hygiene in patients undergoing surgery to potentially reduce the number of infections and the use of antibiotics because of the antimicrobial resistance that the healthcare system faces.

Accuracy and applicability of periodontitis risk assessment tools: A critical appraisal.

Currently, periodontal risk assessment finds application at first visit (to identify individuals at high risk of either disease incidence, if still healthy, or disease progression, if already diseased) as well as at patient monitoring after active treatment and enrolment in a supportive periodontal care program. Although the current case definition of periodontitis embeds a prognostic determination (ie, periodontitis grade) that showed a predictive value for periodontitis-related tooth loss, some limitations of periodontitis grade call for the implementation of different risk assessment tools in clinical practice. For some of these, significantly higher accuracy in predicting tooth loss during supportive periodontal care was reported compared with periodontitis grade. Validated periodontal risk assessment tools may be functional to obtain greater adherence to the suggested preventive and treatment protocols, improve oral hygiene performance, and tailor supportive periodontal care. Interestingly, periodontal risk can also be informative of the risk of peri-implantitis in patients programmed for implant placement or rehabilitated with dental implants. A critical appraisal on the rationale behind risk assessment and the balance between the advantages and limitations of exercising risk assessment in periodontology is presented.

P138 The impact of cystic fibrosis on periodontal disease and oral hygiene levels in adults: results from a clinical study

To conduct a cross-sectional study on PWCF (People with CF) investigating gingivitis prevalence, periodontitis prevalence, oral hygiene performance, calculus levels and self-reported oral hygiene habits and to compare results to those of an age and sex matched control group.

Impact of peri-implant soft tissue characteristics on health and esthetics.

To review the impact of key peri-implant soft tissue characteristics on health and esthetics. The keratinized mucosa width (KMW), the mucosal thickness (MT), and the supracrestal tissue height (STH) are essential components of the peri-implant soft tissue phenotype. An inadequate KMW (<2 mm) has been associated with local discomfort upon oral hygiene performance and increased risk for the onset of peri-implant diseases. A minimum buccal MT (≥2 mm) is generally required to prevent esthetic issues related to the effect of transmucosal prosthetic elements on the color of the mucosa and can also contribute to long-term mucosal stability. STH is directly related to marginal bone remodeling patterns during the early healing process that follows the connection of transmucosal prosthetic components. Short STH, generally defined as <3 mm, has been consistently associated with marginal bone loss resulting from the physiologic establishment of the mucosal seal. Insufficient STH may also derive into the fabrication of unfavorable transmucosal prosthetic contours, which frequently results in unpleasing esthetic outcomes and predisposes to submarginal biofilm accumulation. Peri-implant soft tissue dehiscences (PISTDs) are a type of peri-implant deformity that are associated with esthetic issues and often occur in sites presenting KMW, MT, and/or STH deficiencies. PISTDs should be correctly diagnosed and treated accordingly, usually by means of multidisciplinary therapy. Understanding the impact of different dimensional and morphologic features of the peri-implant mucosa on health and esthetic outcomes is fundamental to make appropriate clinical decisions in the context of tooth replacement therapy with implant-supported prostheses.

Influence of digital media in the oral health education of mother-child pairs: study protocol of a parallel double-blind randomized clinical trial

BackgroundDental caries is the most common non transmissible chronic disease in childhood and the control of dental biofilm in children is one of the greatest challenges in oral disease prevention. Digital media applications can help patients in improving their oral hygiene performance and reducing the number of appointments due to pain and discomfort reasons. This study aims to investigate the use of an smartphone application (WhatsApp) to deliver oral health education to mother-child pairs, with the ultimate goal of controlling dental biofilm and caries through digital activities focused on oral hygiene.MethodsThis study was designed as a randomized, double-blind, parallel clinical trial involving 100 pairs of mothers and children (6–12 years old). The mothers and children will be randomly allocated to the control group (n = 50 pairs), who will receive a single visit conventional oral health education, or to the experimental group (n = 50 pairs), who will receive both a single visit conventional oral health education and educational videos through WhatsApp Messenger, twice a week. Before randomization of the groups and after the intervention, pairs will be evaluated regarding to plaque index (VPI), gingival bleeding index (GBI), and number of decayed, missing and filled permanent or primary teeth (DMF-T) modified by the inclusion of active non-cavitated carious lesions (Nyvad criteria). Socioeconomic data, dental history, and oral health literacy will obtained using questionnaires (Oral Health Literacy Assessment Task for Paediatric Dentistry; BOHLAT-P). Chi-square, Student’s t-test, paired Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney, and Friedman tests will be used with a 5% significance level.DiscussionThis intervention proposal is designed to motivate behavioral change in mother-child pairs. We hypothesize that adding digital media to traditional oral health programs will provoke improvements in oral hygiene behavior and health outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the effect of educational videos communicated by digital media (WhatsApp) on the oral health of mother-child pairs evaluated by long-term dental examinations. In addition, we will assess the maternal level of comprehension of the provided information via a literacy assessment tool. The clinical trial is registered at the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (No. RBR-7s8bw6m).

Is There a Link between COVID-19 and Periodontal Disease? A Narrative Review.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic greatly affected human well-being, social behavior, global economy, and healthcare systems. Everyday clinical practice in dentistry has been adjusted to the increased hazards of aerosol production by routine dental procedures. The objective of this study was to assess the existing literature to determine possible mechanisms of a relationship between COVID-19 and periodontitis, as well as describe findings from relevant epidemiological studies.Scarce data exist in the literature that directly addresses the relationship between the two diseases. However, several data describe the role of the oral cavity and periodontal tissues as portals of entry of severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the contribution of cytokines known to be produced in periodontal disease to severe forms of COVID-19. It is also suggested from the current literature that periodontal disease, shown to be associated with systemic diseases such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, shares common risk factors with—especially—severe forms of COVID-19.Further clinical studies are required to establish the relationship between these diseases. Oral hygiene performance and intact periodontal tissues can assist in mitigating the pandemic, and it is suggested that dental practitioners can contribute to identifying at-risk patients.

Effectiveness of game-based oral health education method on oral hygiene performance of 12-year-old private school children in Lucknow City: A field trial

Background: Health education is a part of health promotion and disease prevention measures to improve the oral health and well-being of all children. When education and entertainment are combined to make the process of learning a joyful one, it facilitates and reinforces child's learning in a thought-provoking and self-motivating format. Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of conventional and game-based oral health education on oral hygiene performance of 12-year-old private school children of Lucknow city. Materials and Methods: The study population aged 12 years comprised 160 participants. This was followed by a school survey in which the 12-year-old school children were randomly assigned into two groups: Group A and Group B after the necessary inclusion and exclusion criteria. A pretest evaluation of their knowledge regarding oral health and the estimation of debris index simplified and plaque index was carried out. Children in Group A were given oral health education through PowerPoint presentation once daily for 7 days. Children in Group B were educated through the play method (i.e., crosswords and quiz with PowerPoint presentation). The evaluations regarding oral health-related knowledge were done using pretested, predetermined questionnaire, and debris scores, and plaque scores were recorded using debris index simplified component of OHI-S by (J. C Green and Jack R Vermillion 1964) and Plaque Index by Loe H (1967), respectively, on postintervention 1, 3, and 6 months. Statistical analysis was done using the t-test and ANOVA test which was carried out using the SPSS software version 21.0 for Windows, and the value of P < 0.001 was considered statistically significant. Results: In Group B, high knowledge scores of 4.05, 4.73, and 6.02 were obtained on postintervention 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. In both the groups, there was a significant increase in good oral hygiene scores and a significant decrease in debris scores and plaque scores on postintervention 1, 3, and 6 months' follow-up, but much better scores were seen in group B compared to Group A at both the follow-ups. Conclusion: As the knowledge scores of children increased and debris score and plaque score decreased considerably, thereby the implementation of game-based oral health education program is an easy and effective method in improving the oral health and preventing oral diseases.

Screening the Periodontal Health Status and Oral Hygiene Practice in Preschool and Primary School Children

The aim of this study was to evaluate the periodontal health status and oral hygiene practices among 4-12 year old children.Materials and Methods: A total of 300 children aged from 4-12 years old, 144 males &amp; 156 females constituted the study population. The study was conducted at dental clinic of Pedodontic &amp; preventive department at al Rafidain College of dentistry, Baghdad/Iraq. Periodontal health status of the sample was examined using plaque and gingival indices and oral hygiene practice-related information was gathered by direct interviews.Results: both PI &amp; GI means value showed fluctuation within the three age groups. With the highest value reported in the 7-9 years old children of both genders. Both periodontal parameters were of higher values in the females children. The frequency of tooth brushing showed a positive correlation with age and a negative correlation with both PI&amp;GI. The gingival inflammation assessment showed that mild gingivitis is the most prevalent type of gingivitis within the three age groups with the highest prevalence in the 7-9 years old group of both genders. Regarding oral hygiene performance. Majority of the children 171 (57%) practice daily oral hygiene, with the females showing higher percentage of tooth brushing performance. among whom 35% brushed twice/day and 65% brushed once/day. Out of the children who brushed their teeth 42% brushed at night,23% early in the morning and 35% at both timing, 62% used the horizontal tooth brushing method and the rest 38% used the vertical method. None of the screened children practiced dental flossing.Conclusion: Despite the daily oral hygiene practiced by the majority of children in the sample , mild gingivitis was prevalent therefore parents ,caregivers&amp; teachers should be targeted during oral health education campaigns to encourage them to teach the correct tooth brushing habits to the children. We suggest that school based oral health promotion and education programmes should be instituted to give positive reinforcement of the oral hygiene practices the child may have learnt at home and to educate those who had never brushed their teeth before starting primary school.

Effects of remote digital monitoring on oral hygiene of orthodontic patients: a prospective study

BackgroundRemote digital monitoring during orthodontic treatment can help patients in improving their oral hygiene performance and reducing the number of appointments due to emergency reasons, especially in time of COVID-19 pandemic where non-urgent appointments might be discouraged.MethodsThirty patients scheduled to start an orthodontic treatment were divided into two groups of fifteen. Compared to controls, study group patients were provided with scan box and cheek retractor (Dental Monitoring®) and were instructed to take monthly intra-oral scans. Plaque Index (PI), Gingival Index (GI), and White Spot Lesions (WSL) were recorded for both groups at baseline (t0), every month for the first 3 months (t1, t2, t3), and at 6 months (t4). Carious Lesions Onset (CLO) and Emergency Appointments (EA) were also recorded during the observation period. Inter-group differences were assessed with Student's t test and Chi-square test, intra-group differences were assessed with Cochran’s Q-test (significance α = 0.05).ResultsStudy group patients showed a significant improvement in plaque control at t3 (p = 0.010) and t4 (p = 0.039), compared to control group. No significant difference was observed in the number of WSL between the two groups. No cavities were detected in the study group, while five CLO were diagnosed in the control group (p = 0.049). A decreased number of EA was observed in the study group, but the difference was not significant.ConclusionsIntegration of a remote monitoring system during orthodontic treatment was effective in improving plaque control and reducing carious lesions onset. The present findings encourage orthodontists to consider this technology to help maintaining optimal oral health of patients, especially in times of health emergency crisis.

Kiddie Doctors Education Strategy in Improving the Knowledge, Attitude, and Oral Hygiene Status of Elementary School Children.

ABSTRACTObjectives:This study aimed to assess the improvement in the knowledge, attitude, and oral hygiene scores of elementary school children after being provided education by kiddie doctors.Materials and Methods:A quasi-experiment design with pretest–posttest control group model was conducted on 143 students belonging ages 8–12 years old in two selected elementary schools. Kiddie doctors educated their peers three times at four-week intervals. Baseline data were collected a week before the education, and the final data were collected a month after the third education session. Data regarding knowledge and attitude were collected using questionnaires filled in by the respondents. The oral hygiene index simplified (OHIS) and patient hygiene performance (PHP) index data were obtained through intra-oral examinations. Data were analyzed using dependent and independent t tests and multiple linear regression analysis.Results:After receiving education, there was a change in the knowledge, attitude, OHIS, and PHP scores (P = 0.005). Kiddie doctors were estimated to decrease the OHIS and PHP scores by 0.312 and 0.579 points, respectively.Conclusions:The education provided by kiddie doctors improved the knowledge, attitude, and oral hygiene status of children. Kiddie doctors could help health workers who are still constrained in routine promotional activities.

Comparison of impact of oral hygiene instructions given via sign language and validated customized oral health education skit video on oral hygiene status of children with hearing impairment.

Children with special health-care needs have limitations in oral hygiene performance due to their potential motor, sensory, and intellectual disabilities and so are more prone to have compromised oral health. This study aimed to compare the impact of oral hygiene instructions given via sign language and a validated customized oral health education skit video on oral hygiene status of children with hearing impairment (CHI). Ethical clearance was obtained from the institutional ethical committee for research activities. The study was carried out across CHI schools of Wardha district, Maharashtra, India. Sixty-eight CHI, within the age group of 6-13 years, were divided into two educational intervention groups: customized oral health educational video (Group A) and sign language (Group B). A structured questionnaire was designed to gather information about the routine oral hygiene practices via the Indian Sign Language. Baseline Gingival Index (GI)-S and Plaque Index-S indices were recorded. Based on the group assigned, oral hygiene instructions were given on a daily basis. Reassessment was done after 4 weeks. Unpaired t-tests were performed (P < 0.05) to determine if significant differences exist between the two groups. Postintervention plaque scores between Group A and Group B were 0.12 ± 0.22 and 0.07 ± 0.22, respectively, and the difference between the two was statistically insignificant (P = 0.330). For GI, scores in Group A and Group B were 0.03 ± 0.12 and 0.04 ± 0.12, respectively, and the difference was statistically insignificant (P = 0.669). Both sign language and the validated customized video modeling have been proved to be positively influencing the oral hygiene status of CHI equivalently.

Oral cleanliness in daily users of powered vs. manual toothbrushes \u2013 a cross-sectional study

BackgroundToothbrushing is a daily routine. Still, when adults are asked to manually perform oral hygiene to the best of their abilities, a considerable amount of plaque persists. Little is known about the performance of people who use a powered toothbrush. The present study thus analysed whether the capability to achieve oral cleanliness is better in people for whom powered toothbrushing is a daily routine.MethodsUniversity students, who either performed powered (N = 55) or manual (N = 60) toothbrushing for more than 6 months on a daily basis were asked to clean their teeth to the best of their abilities by their own device. Plaque was assessed prior to and immediately after brushing. Furthermore, gingival bleeding, recessions, periodontal pocket depths and dental status were assessed. Oral hygiene performance was video-taped and analyzed with respect to brushing duration, sites of brushing and application of interproximal cleaning devices.ResultsNo differences between groups were found with respect to plaque before and after brushing, clinical parameters and overall brushing duration (all p > 0.05, all d < 0.156). After brushing, plaque persisted at approximately 40% of the sections adjacent to the gingival margin in both groups.ConclusionsNo advantage of daily powered toothbrushing as compared to daily manual toothbrushing was seen with respect to oral hygiene or clinical parameters. The capability to achieve oral cleanliness was low, irrespective of the type of toothbrush under consideration. Additional effort is thus needed to improve this capability.

Effect of dental health education on the knowledge and attitude among expectant mothers: A questionnaire study

Background:Although dental caries levels have declined and stabilized the world over, the problem of early childhood caries has remained persistent in many areas of the world affecting certain segments of society, especially the socially deprived, who remain at high risk to this disease. Parents have an essential role in mediating between their children and environment for which prenatal period is the best time for health interventions. This mediation is done through preventive services they provide to their children such as dietary habits supervision, oral hygiene performance, and other practices that can be enhanced by prenatal dental health education.Purpose:The purpose of the study was to evaluate, by means of a questionnaire, the expectant mother’s knowledge and attitude toward dental health and to test the effectiveness of the health education tool.Materials and Methods:The baseline questionnaire consisted of 27 questions, which was distributed to 138 participants. Subsequently, provision for dental health education was made in batches of 20. After 3 weeks, 10 questions were randomly selected from the first questionnaire for reassessment session. Paired t test was used for statistical analysis.Results:The mean overall knowledge improved from 67.4% to 97.32% and attitude improved from 75.83% to 99.22%.Conclusion:Knowledge and attitude of mothers was found to increase on provision of dental health education, which were retained even after a period of 3 weeks.

Assessment of Oral Hygiene Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices among Medical Students in a Medical College in the State of Telangana: A Cross-sectional Survey

Context: KAP model of analysing the knowledge of oral hygiene aids, performance and measures among medical students. Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of oral hygiene among medical students aged 17-35 years. Materials and methods: A 500 medical students of various grades were self-administration of pre-tested structured closed-ended questionnaire was given to each student in their classrooms. All the questions regarding oral hygiene were filled by the students in 15 min duration. Results: 95.4 % of subjects agree that oral health is important for general health. 69.4% of the participant’s brush their teeth once daily, 28.4% of them brush twice daily 64.0% of the participants prefer combined type of motion. 49.0% individuals change their toothbrush once in 2-3 months. 92.2% of subjects change their brushes in 2-3 months. Conclusion: The knowledge regarding oral hygiene was satisfactory except knowledge about dental floss. Visiting a dentist is still not considered a preventive dental behaviour.

Association of Personality Traits with Oral Health Status: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background-Gingivitis is inflammation of gingival. The most common cause of gingivitis is poor oral hygiene. Personality is the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character. The oral health of the people may be affected by different personality characters. .The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the personality traits on oral hygiene performance and gingival health in dental OPD patients. Objectives-To assess the relationship between different personality traits with oral hygiene index score, gingival index score, plaque index score, oral hygiene practice, other habits, dental visits, income groups, education. Materials and Methods- In total 620 subjects of Department of Periodontlogy from Swargiya Dadasaheb Kalmegh Smruti dental College and Hospital, Nagpur India were selected for the study. The personality characters were assessed by using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised Short-form (EPQRS). Based on this questionnaire, the subjects were divided in to three subgroups Extroversion, Neuroticism and Psychoticism. Result-It was found that Simplified Oral Hygiene Index, Plaque Index Gingival Index was more in person with neuroticism type of personality. Conclusion -The findings of the present study suggested that there exist no co relation between various personality traits and associated oral health status. However further trials should be conducted in future to validate the present findings.

Evaluation on the Oral Health Promotion Program for Kindergarten Students

Background/Objectives: We operated a three-step promotion program in order to improve children’s oral health. Based on the program, we tried to demonstrate the efficacy by time and the necessity of education for daycare teachers and protectors as they would be in charge for children’s oral health status. Methods/Statistical analysis: A total 189 subjects who are teacher of kindergarten or protector of preschooler at J city, Chungcheongbuk-do province were enrolled, and from March 2013 they conducted a survey for a month. Oral health promotion program was operated for total 193 preschool children at age 6 or 7. It included theoretical and practice education for appropriate behaviors for oral health. Findings: Regarding oral health promotion program, each PHP index (Patient oral Hygiene Performance) by time presented improved plaque score as education had been repeated (p<0.001). The survey for improvement of children’s tooth brushing practices demonstrated the rate of children with oral health instruction experience as 21%, and with fluoride-containing dentifrice usage as 43%. Only 42% of subjects were aware of appropriate amount of dentifrice for children (pea-size). Improvements/Applications: For supporting qualified oral health behaviors for children, it is necessary to develop modules based on health promotion model which could lead children’s attitude and performance for oral health.

Prevalence of Gingival Recession and its Relationship to Past Orthodontic Treatment in Nepalese Young Adults

Introduction: Gingival recession is characterized by apical migration of gingival margin from the cementoenamel junction. Prevalence varies from 3-100%, and appears to be lower in younger age groups.Objective: To determine the prevalence and severity of gingival recession in young adult Nepalese population and to assess the relationship between brushing technique, smoking habit and past orthodontic treatment with gingival recession.Materials &amp; Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 160 healthy patients (age 18-25 years) with routine dental examinations and information regarding age, smoking habit, oral hygiene habits, brushing technique and past orthodontic treatment. Clinical examination included visible gingival inflammation, visible dental plaque, and gingival recession. SPSS version 20 was used to analyze the data. Chi-Square test was used to evaluate relationships between the variables.Result: Out of total participants; gingival recession was found in 21.3%, gingivitis in 40% and plaque in 20%. The prevalence, extent, and severity of recession were correlated with past orthodontic treatment. There was association between gingivitis, past orthodontic treatment and smoking with gingival recession.Conclusion: Orthodontic patients must undergo regular oral hygiene performance and periodontal maintenance in order to maintain healthy gingival tissue during active orthodontic therapy. The combined orthodontic-periodontic interdisciplinary approach could be effective in these situations.Orthodontic Journal of Nepal, Vol. 6 No. 1, June 2016, pp.7-11

Effects of Oral Health Promotion Program for Adolescents from Multicultural Families

Objectives: This study aims to implement an oral health promotion program to improve oral hygiene performance of adolescents from multicultural families and assess changes in knowledge, awareness and behavior in oral health. Methods/Statistical Analysis: The oral health promotion program was explained to multicultural school teachers and students that were located in the C area at dormitory type technical schools for multicultural adolescents in Korea, and under their consent 44 students participated in the program. Findings: It was verified that the three consecutive dental health promotion programs with immigrated adolescent of multicultural families as the recipients had a positive effect on the dental health knowledge, awareness, and behavior of the students. This is being thought that the research that has operated a dental health promotion program and has evaluated the results of the education with adolescents of multicultural families will have meaning itself in the insufficient current status. It is being expected that this research may be used as base line data to the development of dental health promotion programs for adolescents of multicultural families. Improvements/Applications:There is a lack of research with the theme of dental health management programs, making it difficult to directly compare with this advanced research.

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Gingival Health among Patients under Active Orthodontic Treatment

Information and awareness on gingival health enhances knowledge and from such knowledge comes commitment and motivation for people to alter their lifestyles to prevent gingival and periodontal disease. Repeating the oral hygiene instructions on each visit, prophylactic programs and good oral home care are effective measures to prevent plaque accumulation and gingival enlargement for patients who are undergoing orthodontic treatment. This study is undertaken to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of gingival health among orthodontic patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 180 patients coming to the Department of Orthodontics at KIST Medical College and Teaching Hospital who are undergoing active orthodontic treatment. The questionnaire, was given to all selected patients to complete the answers, included questions about knowledge on gingival health, practices and attitude of patients regarding oral hygiene performance. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS version 21. Result: Knowledge on gingival health reveals that 62.2% of participants were aware of gingival disease. 59.4% of participants followed oral hygiene instructions very often and used interdental aids (dental floss: 58.2%,interdental brush:60.9%,toothpick 67.4%) irregularly. Only 27.8% in this survey followed the oral hygiene instructions very strictly. Use of interdental aids in various age group was found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: Successful plaque control clearly demands appropriate knowledge about gingival health, individuals’ practice and attitude to remove plaque with a long term commitment from the dental professional and the patient as cotherapist.