Dentaltown December 2014 - (Page 122)

hygiene and prevention feature Hospitalization Increases Plaque and Gingivitis A person's daily routine changes signiﬁcantly when hospitalized, even for a short time. Stress, anxiety and the fear of pain and discomfort may make the body more fragile. Physical limitation of the patient or even the hospital environment can impact otherwise regular healthy oral habits. Researchers at the Federal University of Piau in Brazil observed patients in two hospitals for changes in their plaque and gingivitis levels during a short stay. Patients were in one private and one public hospital and no subjects were in intensive care. Both demographic and socioeconomic data were collected from each of the 162 patients. One dentist with an assistant holding a ﬂashlight carried out all the exams. Patients Perio Reports Vol. 26, No. 12 Perio Reports provides easy-to-read research summaries on topics of speciﬁc interest to clinicians. Perio Reports research summaries will be included in each issue to keep you on the cutting edge of dental hygiene science were not told of their oral health status and no oral hygiene instructions were given. Data was collected from four sites per tooth for plaque and gingivitis. There were four observation periods based on the number of days in the hospital: three, seven, 14 and 21 days. Sixteen patients were observed throughout the four observation times. Neither hospital had an oral health protocol for patients to follow. Daily toothbrushing was reduced by 72 percent of the patients, despite 83 percent reporting no barrier to daily oral hygiene. Plaque levels increased at each time point, compared to baseline. Gingivitis scores increased signiﬁcantly at days 7 and 21. There may have been pre-existing systemic conditions that contributed to the increases in plaque and gingivitis. These ﬁndings suggest the need for oral health care protocols for hospital patients. Clinical Implications: Hospitalized patients need advice and coaching to maintain their regular daily oral hygiene habits. ■ Sousa, L., Filho, W., Mendes, R., Neto, J., Prado, R.: Oral Health of Patients Under Short Hospitalization Period: Observational Study. J Clin Perio 41:558-563, 2014. www.hygienetown.com Smokers Cancel Their Hygiene Visits More Often Than Non-Smokers Periodontal disease is still a signiﬁcant problem, with nearly half the population suffering with chronic periodontitis. Periodontal therapy, both scaling and root planing and surgical procedures can stop the progression of disease. Patients are encouraged to maintain good daily oral hygiene and return to their dental professional for regular Supportive Periodontal Therapy (SPT) visits. Despite these efforts on the part of dental professionals, patient compliance with SPT is generally poor. Depending on the study, compliance rates show approximately one-third of perio patients are completely compliant with recommended SPT. Many things inﬂuence compliance, including age, severity of the disease, ﬁnancial costs, attitude, anxiety, stress, depression and smoking. Researchers at the University of Bern in Bern, Switzerland evaluated a group of 1,336 patient charts for those being seen by dental hygienists in the periodontal clinic of the dental school. Of this group, 32 percent were smokers, 23 percent were former-smokers and 45 percent were non-smokers. The patients had been seen over a period of 26 years, from 1985-2011. Of this group, 74 percent returned to see the dental hygienist and 26 percent never returned. Some were referred back to their general dentist, but others simply never returned. Overall compliance of those returning was 70 percent. Of the smokers, 67 percent complied compared to non-smokers who complied at a level of 72 percent. A total of 66 patients presented with 100 percent compliance with the recommended interval, which amounts to about seven percent. Clinical Implications: Compliance with SPT is low, and those who smoke are slightly less likely to comply. ■ Ramseier, C., Kobrehel, S., Staub, P., Sculean, A., Lang, N., Salvi, G.: Compliance of Cigarette Smokers with Scheduled Visits for Supportive Periodontal Therapy. J Clin Perio 41:473-480, 2014. continued on page 124 122 DECEMBER 2014 » dentaltown.com http://www.hygienetown.com http://www.dentaltown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Dentaltown December 2014

Dentaltown.com Highlights
Howard Speaks: Saving the World One Tooth at a Time
Continuing Education Update
Professional Courtesy: New Equipment Can Buy Happiness
What Is The Youngest Age That You Have Put Someone in Dentures?
Dental Tourism
I Love White Fillings Without Tints –Am I a Quack?
Townie Choice Awards 2014
The Pain of Broken Appointments
Financial Timelines for Any Age Doc
Bulk Fill Optional Restorations
CE: Simplifying the Denture Process
Are You Using the Best Cement for the Job?
Ad Index
Product Profile: LSK Chairside Shade Guide
Product Profile: SmartBox
Poll: Oral Systemic
Product Profile: Patient News
Industry News
Perio Reports
Dentally Incorrect

Dentaltown December 2014