Oral Hygiene Treatment Research Articles

Association between periodontitis and cardiometabolic index (CMI): a study from NHANES 2009–2014

Cardiometabolic index (CMI) is a novel anthropometric metric that integrates lipid and adiposity characteristics. The correlation between periodontitis development and CMI is ambiguous. The objective of this study was to establish the association between CMI and periodontitis by analyzing data from the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) database. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a cohort of 6188 people selected from the NHANES database, covering the period from 2009 to 2014. The study employed multivariate logistic regression to examine the independent correlation between CMI and periodontitis. Subgroup data were analyzed and interaction tests were conducted to assess the impact of variables on the correlation between CMI and periodontitis. The CMI index was significantly and positively associated with the presence of periodontitis (β = 0.03, 95%CI(0.01, 0.05), p = 0.0092). In addition, a U-shaped relationship was found between CMI index and periodontitis severity in an older American population (65 < = age < = 80, with a folding point of 1.44, p = 0.008). This study demonstrates a significant correlation between CMI and periodontitis, positioning CMI as a crucial indicator for assessing periodontal health. Future efforts should prioritize oral hygiene interventions for patients with elevated CMI levels to facilitate early intervention and enhance overall health outcomes.

Protein Network Alterations in G-CSF Treated Severe Congenital Neutropenia Patients and Beneficial Effects of Oral Health Intervention.

Severe congenital neutropenia (SCN) is a raredisorder characterized by diminished neutrophil levels. Despite granulocytecolony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) treatment, SCN patients remain still prone tosevere infections, including periodontal disease-a significant oral healthrisk. This study investigates the host proteome and metaproteome in saliva andgingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of G-CSF-treated patients. We used label-free quantitative proteomics on saliva and GCF samples from SCN patients before (n=10, mean age: 10.7±6.6 years) and after a 6-month oral hygiene intervention (n=9,mean age: 11.6±5.27 years), and from 12 healthy controls. We quantified 894 proteins in saliva (648 human,246 bacterial) and 756 proteins in GCF (493 human, 263 bacterial). Predominant bacterial genera included Streptococcus, Veillonella, Selenomonas, Corynebacterium, Porphyromonas, and Prevotella. SCN patients showed reduced antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and elevated complement proteins compared tohealthy controls. Oral hygiene intervention improved oral epithelial conditionsand reduced both AMPs and complement proteins. SCN patients have aunique proteomic profile with reduced AMPs and increased complement proteins, contributing to infection susceptibility. Oral hygiene intervention not onlyimproved oral health in SCN patients but also offers potential overall therapeuticbenefits.

The effects of school-based hygiene intervention programme: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Children are susceptible to infections due to frequent participation in school group activities and their often-suboptimal hygiene practices. Frequent infections in children affect school attendance, academic performances, and general health. The effectiveness of school-based hygiene-related intervention programmes need to be informed by updated high-quality synthesised evidence. In this systematic review, we searched PubMed and Cochrane CENTRAL for randomised and non-randomised interventional studies that evaluated school-based hygiene-related interventions. We assessed risk-of-bias (Cochrane risk-of-bias 2 tool), performed random-effect meta-analysis (RevMan 5.4) and rated certainty-of-evidence (GRADE). Thirty-nine trials (41 reports), published from 2011 to 2024 from 22 countries were included. Twenty-three studies contributed data for meta-analysis. All school-based interventions were compared with standard curriculum and demonstrated very low to low certainty-of-evidence due to study methodological limitations and imprecision. Hand-body hygiene interventions may improve knowledge, attitudes and practices (SMD 2.30, 95%CI 1.17 to 3.44, 6 studies, 7301 participants), increase handwashing practices (RR 1.75, 95%CI 1.41 to 2.17, 5 studies, 5479 participants), and reduce infection-related absenteeism (RR 0.74, 95%CI 0.66 to 0.83, 5 studies, 1017852 observations). Genital hygiene interventions may improve attitude (SMD 6.53, 95%CI 2.40 to 10.66, 2 studies, 2644 participants) and practices (RR 2.44, 95%CI 1.28 to 4.68, 1 study, 1201 participants). However, intervention effects on oral hygiene appeared mixed, with worsening of the oral hygiene score (SMD 3.12, 95%CI 1.87 to 4.37, 2 studies, 652 participants) but improved dental hygiene (SMD -0.33, 95%CI -0.53 to -0.13, 3 studies, 4824 participants) and dental caries scores (SMD -0.34, 95%CI -0.52 to -0.16, 4 studies, 2352 participants). Limited evidence suggests that interventions targeting hand-body and genital hygiene practices may improve knowledge, practices, and infection-related absenteeism. However, the effects on oral hygiene intervention appeared mixed. Future research should strengthen randomisation and intervention documentation, and evaluate hygiene-related behaviour, academic performances and health outcomes.

Intensive Oral Hygiene Interventions during Therapy of Acute Leukemia May Result in Detrimental Outcomes: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Objectives There are no standard guidelines on oro-dental care during induction therapy of acute leukemia (AL). This study aimed to assess the effect of intensive oral hygiene practice on oral mucositis, infection, and disease outcomes compared to standard clinical practice. Materials and Methods Newly diagnosed patients with AL were randomized to receive either standard oral hygiene protocol (group A, n = 92) or comprehensive oral hygiene protocol (group B, n = 91). In group A, the oral hygiene indexes were measured by the dentist at baseline and at the end of treatment. In group B, weekly monitoring of oral hygiene indexes by the dentist and interventions in the form of oral cavity inspection, probing for gum health, and use of a soft toothbrush and education on oral hygiene practices were carried out. Results The frequency of mucositis was higher in group B (60%) than in group A (40%; p = 0.09). There was no difference in the median Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S; 0.5 vs. 0.6) and Silness and Loe plaque index (0.4 vs. 0.25) between the groups. The local (11 vs. 1%; p = 0.005) and systemic infection rate (82.2 vs. 65.2%; p = 0.009) were higher in group B than in group A. Conclusion This study failed to show the superiority of a comprehensive oral hygiene protocol compared to standard protocol in reducing oral mucositis in patients receiving induction therapy for AL. We hypothesize that frequent intervention in the oral cavity may lead to the dissemination of infection.

What Are The Optimum Plaque Control Methods For Patients With Fixed Orthodontic Appliances?

Fixed appliance therapy is an integral facet of contemporary orthodontics. Despite the benefits of orthodontic care to the patient , fixed appliances, in the absence of effective and sustained oral hygiene, can result in deleterious effects to the dentition and supporting structures. The current evidence regarding the effectiveness of available methods for plaque control during fixed appliance therapy is considerable but with significant variation between studies. No review to date has summarised the available evidence for different oral hygiene interventions. The purpose of this article is to summarize the evidence for plaque control methods based on the best available evidence. In this way, our research may serve to assist clinicians in educating patients regarding optimum plaque control during fixed appliance therapy.

More than a mouth to clean: Case studies of oral health care in an Australian hospital.

This study aimed to explore older patients' oral health status, their opinions about oral health care and their experiences with oral health care while in hospital. Improving older adults' oral health is considered an urgent priority at both the national and international levels, especially for hospitalised older patients who have been found to have poor oral health. However, a one-size-fits-all standardised approach to oral care delivery may not be the answer. This study was an embedded, multiple-case study, integrating qualitative and quantitative data. Seven patients were recruited from a geriatric ward of an acute hospital in Australia and participated in semi-structured interviews and oral health assessments using the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) in June-July 2022. Data were analysed descriptively and presented in case summaries. OHAT assessments identified oral health problems in all patients, but not all patients self-reported problems with their mouths. Each patient valued oral health care, but the reasons given varied. Patients had established, individualised oral health care routines, which they brought to hospital. Clinical observations of patient's oral health status might not match the patient's own judgement of their oral health and, if not explicitly addressed, may mask the need for oral health and hygiene intervention. Assessment and care planning needs to incorporate patients' own perceptions of their oral health and existing oral health care routines. Oral health histories may provide a means of facilitating this person-centred oral health care for older patients in hospital.

Preoperative oral hygiene treatment reduces bacterial transport and colonization during intubation for orthopedic surgery.

The process of infection by bacteria and viruses involves invasion, establishment, growth, and parasitization. Poor oral hygiene and dysbiosis are significant risk factors for pneumonia. The aim of this study was to evaluate bacterial transport into the trachea during intubation for orthopedic surgery and the impact of oral hygiene treatment. The study cohort included 53 patients with fracture who underwent surgical procedures under general anesthesia and were divided into two groups: an oral hygiene treatment (OHT) group (n = 27) and a control group (n = 26). Before intubation, the OHT group underwent preoperative oral hygiene treatment. Microbiological culture was used for detection and counting of bacteria from the oropharynx, trachea, and tip of the endotracheal tube (ETT). Patients in the OHT group had a lower pathogen detection rate and lower degree of bacterial colonization in the oropharynx, trachea, and ETT tip. Preoperative oral hygiene treatment is able to reduce bacterial transport and colonization during orthopedic surgery, thus providing an important adjunct to pre-anesthesia care.

Oral hygiene and periodontal treatment interventions for reducing blood pressure in hypertensive adults from low and middle-income countries: a systematic review

Oral hygiene and periodontal treatment interventions for reducing blood pressure in hypertensive adults from low and middle-income countries: a systematic review

IMPACT OF ORAL HYGIENE INTERVENTIONS ON STROKE PATIENTS: RAPID REVIEW

IMPACT OF ORAL HYGIENE INTERVENTIONS ON STROKE PATIENTS: RAPID REVIEW

Interdental oral hygiene interventions elicit varying compositional microbiome changes in naturally occurring gingivitis: Secondary data analysis from a clinical trial.

To evaluate the effect of different oral irrigators on the sub-gingival microbiome composition in patients with naturally occurring plaque-induced gingivitis. Sub-gingival plaque was collected from adults participating in a clinical trial assessing the efficacy of oral hygiene with two different oral irrigators (Waterpik Water Flosser [Group 1] and Oral-B Water Flosser [Group 2]) versus dental flossing (Group 3) for microbiome analysis. Plaque samples were reflective of naturally occurring plaque-induced gingivitis at baseline and of gingival health at the endpoint (4 weeks). Clinical measures of gingival inflammation were collected, and the sub-gingival microbiome was analysed by 16S rRNA sequencing to identify amplicon sequence variants. Oral hygiene instruction with self-performed manual toothbrushing and water-jet irrigation led to significant reductions in inflammation for all groups; both oral irrigators outperformed flossing in bleeding-on-probing reduction (p < .001). Microbiome diversity of sub-gingival plaque remained relatively stable over time, but significant changes were noted in certain taxa, consistent with increases in the relative abundance of commensals and reductions in late colonizers and periodontal pathogens in the water-jet groups. Reduction in gingival inflammation at 4 weeks within the water-jet groups is accompanied by slight but critical changes in microbiome composition. Although biodiversity does not substantially change within 4 weeks during the resolution of naturally induced gingivitis, significant relative increases in commensal early colonizers such as Streptococcus, Veillonella and Fusobacterium were accompanied by a shift towards a less anaerobic microbiota associated with return to health. These changes were contingent upon the type of interdental hygiene, with Group 1 exhibiting more significant alterations in microbiome composition towards a periodontal-health-compatible community.

Risk Factors for Dental Caries in Elementary School Children Aged 6-12 in Indonesia (Systematic Literatur Review)

Background: The highest prevalence of dental caries was in the group of children aged 5-9 years (92.6%), and in the age group 3-4 years was 81.1%. Unhealthy teeth and mouth can affect a child's development because the condition of the milk teeth will determine the growth of the child's permanent teeth. Caries are influenced by brushing teeth, how to brush teeth, consumption of cariogenic foods, knowledge, and possibly many other factors that can affect caries. Purpose: to review the collected literature on risk factors for dental caries in children aged 6-12 years in Indonesia. Methods: This study used the literature review method which began with searching research results in 3 databases, namely PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar with predetermined inclusion criteria. Results: The articles that have been obtained in this literature show that there are many variables in the process of dental caries in elementary school children in Indonesia. These variables are divided into several discussion groups, namely individual characteristics, parental characteristics, consumption patterns, dental and oral hygiene, socioeconomic status, and dental and oral health interventions. Conclusion: there are many variables selected to be risk factors for dental caries, but not all variables are proven to be risk factors for dental caries in elementary school children. This is because other factors make the hypothesis rejected.

Substantiation of the use of digital methods for assessing the dental status of the oral cavity in normal and pathological conditions

Relevance. Diseases and processes of microbial nature in the oral cavity, such as caries, the hygienic condition of the oral cavity and its individual biotopes in terms of their diagnosis and sanogenetic therapy, are still an urgent problem in dentistry.&#x0D; The purpose of the study. To conduct pathogenetic and clinical substantiation of the use of an objective digital express method of Raman-fluorescence diagnostics to assess the dental status of the oral cavity "in situ" in patients with cardiac arrhythmia while taking anticoagulants.&#x0D; Material and method. Based on the use of a hardware and software complex of the "InSpectrM" type, 150 people aged 35-55 years with cardiac arrhythmia on the background of taking anticoagulants or without them (in a comparative aspect) were examined. Patients are divided into 2 groups. In each group, the indicators of oral homeostasis at the metabolic, morphometric, functional and clinical levels were evaluated using both digital and classical "ad oculum" method before and after controlled and/or uncontrolled oral hygiene treatment. The following indicators were diagnosed: tissue aerobicity/anaerobicity, type of metabolism, saliva volume and saliva microbial contamination index, digitized Schiller-Pisarev sample, oxygenation index, mineralization, periodontal and hygienic indices, represented by a pie chart to assess the clarity of the results obtained in their relationship.&#x0D; Results. It is shown that the proposed digital, express Raman-fluorescent technology for assessing the dental status of the oral cavity eliminates the presence of errors amounting to 200-400% when measuring the "ad oculum" hygienic status of the oral cavity and allows obtaining results in the relationship of all elements of oral homeostasis.It was shown p0.05 that in patients taking anticoagulants with controlled hygienic treatment of the oral cavity, its hygienic condition approaches the norm, unlike patients with uncontrolled hygienic treatment. All the studied indicators p0.05 have positive dynamics. The necessity of remineralizing therapy after each hygienic treatment of hard tooth tissues is substantiated.It is proved that for a comprehensive assessment of the hygienic condition of the oral cavity, it is necessary to use both the method of Raman-fluorescence diagnostics and separate methods of "ad oculum", which complement each other in the relationship.

Poor Oral Health in Trauma Intensive Care Unit Patients: Application of a Novel Oral Health Score.

Background: Although oral hygiene in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) has been shown to reduce hospital-associated infections, baseline and progressive oral health are often not reported because of lack of a standardized tool. The Oral Health Risk Assessment Value Index (OHRAVI) is a comprehensive oral assessment validated by dental providers. This study hypothesizes that non-dental providers can use OHRAVI in trauma ICU patients with minimal training and acceptable inter-rater reliability (IRR). Patients and Methods: Dentulous adult patients in the ICU at a level 1 trauma center were scored, excluding those with severe orofacial trauma. The eight categories of the OHRAVI were scored 0 to 3 (best to worst) with summed total and index (average) score. Index scores 1 or less need routine oral care; greater than 1-2 require moderate care; and greater than 2-3 require extensive oromaxillofacial care. Inter-rater reliability was assessed by two to three raters with Krippendorff's α (≥0.80 for good and ≥0.667 for acceptable). Results: Eighty-four ratings were completed across 34 patients, with 16 patients (47%) scored by all three raters. Ten patients (29%) had an index score <1. The average index score for patients was 1.28 (median, 1.34; range, 0.63-2). Krippendorff's α for index score was 0.86. For individual categories, α ranged from 0.44 to 1, with six of the eight categories achieving an α ≥ 0.667. Conclusions: With minimal training, non-dental providers were able to use OHRAVI with a good IRR for index score and an acceptable/good IRR for most individual categories. This novel, simple, comprehensive oral health score could help standardize oral assessment and facilitate future studies of peri-operative oral hygiene interventions.

Comparison of the Efficacy of Different Oral Hygiene Aids in Maintaining Periodontal Health in Patients With Gingivitis.

Background Gingivitis is a common oral health condition characterized by inflammation of the gingiva, which, if left untreated, can progress to more severe forms of periodontal disease. Effective oral hygiene practices play a crucial role in managing gingivitis, but the comparative efficacy of different oral hygiene aids remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of various oral hygiene aids in maintaining periodontal health in patients with gingivitis, considering gender and the degree of gingivitis as potential influencing factors. Methods A total of 120 participants with gingivitis were enrolled in this study. The participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups, each utilizing a different oral hygiene aid: Group A (toothbrush), Group B (electric toothbrush), Group C (brushing along with the use of an interdental brush), and Group D (brushing along with the use of a water flosser). All participants received toothpaste for use with their respective oral hygiene aids. Periodontal health parameters, including plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and bleeding on probing (BOP) score, were assessed at baseline and after a specified duration of oral hygiene intervention. Also, the microbial count for Streptococcus, Actinomyces, Porphyromonas, Fusobacterium, and Veillonella species was evaluated. Results No significant differences in periodontal health outcomes were observed between males and females in any of the oral hygiene aid groups. Similarly, no significant differences were found among the mild, moderate, and severe gingivitis groups within each oral hygiene aid group. The microbial count also has no statistical significance except for streptococcus species. These findings indicate that the efficacy of the tested oral hygiene aids was comparable across genders and different degrees of gingivitis. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest that the tested oral hygiene aids were effective in maintaining periodontal health in patients with gingivitis, irrespective of gender and the degree of gingivitis. These results have implications for oral healthcare professionals in their recommendations to patients regarding oral hygiene practices. However, it is important to consider the limitations of this study, including the relatively small sample size and the specific oral hygiene aids tested.

Preliminary Report on the Efficacy of Music Therapy to Optimize the Compliance of Rett Syndrome Patients Attending Oral Hygiene Procedures

Background: Individuals with intellectual developmental disability (IDD) often face barriers in accessing dental care. The main aim of the present study was to test the feasibility and the outcome of oral hygiene (OH) procedures in Rett syndrome (RS) patients, and a secondary aim was to test the utility of music therapy during dental hygiene procedures. Methods: A case group (Group 1) of female patients with RS (stage 3 of disease, age &gt; 5 years and &lt;18 years) and a control group of age-matched healthy females (Group 0) were formed, and subgroups received the intervention of oral hygiene combined with a music therapy (Subgroup 1M and Subgroup 0M) or standard oral hygiene (subgroup 1W and subgroup 0W). The Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) was used to assess the effectiveness of oral hygiene measures. Results: The OHI-S at T0 was 1.41 in Group 1 and 2.58 in Group 0 (p value &lt; 0.001). The mean duration of the oral hygiene treatment was 7018″ (SD 3272″) in Group 1 and 873″ (SD 161″) in Group 0 (p value &lt; 0.001). The mean duration of OH was significantly higher in Subgroup 1M and Subgroup 0M. Discussion: Based on the results of our case-control study, OH procedures can be successfully performed in RS patients with good compliance and efficacy. In addition, our study provides preliminary evidence to suggest that music therapy may be a useful adjunct, as it appears to improve patient cooperation.

Peningkatan Pengetahuan Perawat tentang Oral Hygiene di Ruang Rawat Inap HCU Penyakit Dalam RSUP Dr. M. Djamil Padang

Personal hygiene is a person's effort to maintain cleanliness and health. One of the activities during morning care regarding patient personal hygiene that nurses often forget is performing oral hygiene. The results of interviews conducted with the patient's family indicated that oral hygiene treatment was rarely carried out. Therefore, it was necessary to provide education to increase nurses' knowledge about oral hygiene—the activity aimed at helping nurses to understand the importance of performing oral hygiene care. The implementation of the activity was carried out directly by the nurse by conducting a pre-test, giving material, and ending with a post-test. The results of the pre-test were the level of knowledge of nurses about oral hygiene care before being given education; namely, seven families had good knowledge (23%), ten families had sufficient knowledge (33%), and 13 families had poor knowledge (44%). The post-test results were the family knowledge level in the HCU Internal Medicine ward at RSUP Dr M. Djamil Padang after being given education; 25 families had good knowledge (83%), and five families had sufficient knowledge (17%). Based on these results, the educational activity was beneficial, can increase nurses' knowledge about oral hygiene care, and can be applied directly to patients. The suggestion is that nursing managers can control oral hygiene care to optimize nursing services.

Using realist methods for intervention development to fill a methodological gap: A case study showing the development of an oral hygiene intervention for people with intellectual developmental disabilities.

Realist methods offer a novel approach to intervention design. Such novelty is needed for effective oral health promotion interventions with people with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD) and their carers because existing interventions are poorly described and lack theoretical underpinning. In this study, the steps between inception and final intervention development are presented, with an aim to expand understanding of how realist theorizing can be used to develop interventions, and to demonstrate theory-driven intervention development in the field of oral health promotion. In this intervention development study, the use of realist methods to develop an intervention aiming to improve the oral hygiene of people with IDD is presented. Realist theories (RTs) arising from a mixed synthesis were used to develop the Keep My Teeth intervention. The use of realist theory in intervention development was mapped across seven domains and 18 actions with emphasis on how theory informed key actions. Realist theories informed many but not all actions in the development process. Where gaps arose, this was augmented with other systems of intervention development, such as the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and Behaviour Change Technique (BCT) systems. The resulting intervention and underlying theory are presented using TiDieR criteria. It is demonstrated how realist methods could be integrated with substantive theory when developing an intervention. RTs enhanced the contextualization of the intervention that was developed but were insufficient in their own right to guide the development process from conception to intervention. This was overcome by augmenting with substantive theory, in this case, using the BCW and BCT behaviour change systems, to select and specify the behaviours that needed to change. In essence, the BCTs guided which techniques to select, while the RTs guided how to develop and intervene. Robust intervention development in the field of oral health promotion is also presented in this study.

Combining the Non-Surgical Treatment with Extracts of Croton Lechleri and Myrciaria Dubia to Solve Gingival Cleft

Nowadays, the “pink” aesthetic possesses a significant role in the success of a dental treatment. Extended or small recessions should be solved to achieve harmony between tooth and gingival tissue. Gingival cleft (GC) is a condition that can lead to unpleasant gingival recession in the anterior area. The etiology of GC is still not clear and is often resolved using surgical treatments that, although minimal, are still interventions which can cause risks and discomfort to the patient. Therefore, this case report aims to propose a non-invasive treatment for GC, consisting of a combination of a non-surgical technique with herbal extracts therapy. A non-smoker, healthy patient was subjected to professional oral hygiene treatment supported by Croton Lechleri resin application and at-home supplementation with natural vitamin C (Myrciaria Dubia). The patient entirely followed the instructions and, after 12 months, the GC almost disappeared. In spite of its limitations, since further clinical cases are needed, the proposed non-surgical periodontal technique combined with herbal extracts therapy can represent a promising way to solve or at least reduce GC, before considering surgical treatment.

Theory-based behavioral change interventions to improve periodontal health.

Periodontal disease is a significant global health burden affecting half of the world's population. Given that plaque and inflammation control are essential to the attainment of periodontal health, recent trends in preventive dentistry have focused on the use of behavioral models to understand patient psychology and promote self-care and treatment compliance. In addition to their uses in classifying, explaining and predicting oral hygiene practices, behavioral models have been adopted in the design of oral hygiene interventions from individual to population levels. Despite the growing focus on behavioral modification in dentistry, the currently available evidence in the field of periodontology is scarce, and interventions have primarily measured changes in patient beliefs or performance in oral hygiene behaviors. Few studies have measured their impact on clinical outcomes, such as plaque levels, gingival bleeding and periodontal pocket reduction, which serve as indicators of the patient's disease status and quality of oral self-care. The present narrative review aims to summarize selected literature on the use of behavioral models to improve periodontal outcomes. A search was performed on existing behavioral models used to guide dental interventions to identify their use in interventions measuring periodontal parameters. The main models were identified and subsequently grouped by their underlying theoretical area of focus: patient beliefs (health belief model and cognitive behavioral principles); stages of readiness to change (precaution adoption process model and transtheoretical model); planning behavioral change (health action process approach model, theory of planned behavior and client self-care commitment model); and self-monitoring (self-regulation theory). Key constructs of each model and the findings of associated interventions were described. The COM-B model, a newer behavioral change system that has been increasingly used to guide interventions and policy changes, is discussed with reference to its use in oral health settings. Within the limitations of the available evidence, interventions addressing patient beliefs, motivation, intention and self-regulation could lead to improved outcomes in periodontal health. Direct comparisons between interventions could not be made due to differences in protocol design, research populations and follow-up periods. The conclusions of this review assist clinicians with implementing psychological interventions for oral hygiene promotion and highlight the need for additional studies on the clinical effects of behavioral model-based interventions.

Assessment of Oral Hygiene Status and Practices among a Sample of 12-Year-Old Chepang Children of Nepal

Introduction: Hygienic oral health practices are necessary from a young age to ensure positive long-term oral and general health. The oral hygiene status and practices among the underprivileged Chepang children of Nepal have not been adequately assessed.&#x0D; Objective: To assess the oral hygiene status and practices among the 12-year-old Chepang children of Nepal, and to identify the association of demographic variables and oral hygiene practices with the oral hygiene status of the children.&#x0D; Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study where a pretested questionnaire was used to assess the oral hygiene practices and the simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S) to examine the status of oral hygiene among 160 Chepang children of central Nepal. Statistical analysis was done with SPSS v.17. Statistical significance was determined using an independent t-test and an ANOVA test.&#x0D; Results: The study showed that 68 (42.5%) of the 12-year-old Chepang children had good oral hygiene, 68 (42.5%) had fair oral hygiene, and only 24 (15%) had poor oral hygiene. The mean OHI-S score for them was 1.62±1.09. Most of the children (138, 86.3%) regularly brushed their teeth and rinsed their mouth after meals (117, 73.1%), but tongue cleaning was performed by only 36 (22.5%) of them.&#x0D; Conclusions: The study showed that oral hygiene intervention programs are needed for the Chepang children who do not go to schools and who do not stay at hostels.