Self-Reported Oral Hygiene Habits of Patients Referred to the Periodontist

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, frequency and usage of oral hygiene products and oral hygiene habits of patients referred to the periodontist. Methods: The study sample consisted of 141 consecutive patients (94 females and 47 males, 18 to 79 years of age) referred to the Department of Periodontology, for initial assessment, opinion and treatment. The patients gave a written informed consent to participate in the study. A self-reported questionnaire was developed for this study which consisted of 3 groups of questions: 1) socio-demographic factors, 2) oral hygiene habits, and 3) self-reported oral health status. Collected data were analyzed by SPSS 12.0 computer program. Results: Mean age of participants was 41±14 years, 64, 8% were female. Most of the participants (50, 7%) marked high school as the highest level of education. 26, 2% were smokers, smoking on average 20 cigarettes per day. 51, 1% of the subjects considered they had average oral health, and 94, 8% believed that their oral health could be improved. Everyone reported using toothpaste, and 63, 4% brushed their teeth at least 2x a day, using a medium stiffness toothbrush (63, 9%). 54, 5% replaced their toothbrush every 3 months.17, 9% of subjects used dental floss at least once daily, and 42.6% used mouthwashes. Most commonly used were fluoridated commercial mouthwashes (32, 3%). Conclusion: Patients referred to the Periodontology department are aware of their poor oral health and believe that it could be improved. Data indicate poor oral hygiene habits, as well as low percentage use of supplemental oral hygiene devices such as dental floss and mouthwashes. There is a great need to educate the population on the importance of proper oral hygiene on oral health.