Finding a limit of what is possible for patients: Oral hygiene in dental professionals after self-performed manual oral hygiene.
Deinzer R et al.
What can we expect from our patients when it comes to self-performed oral hygiene? To find out what can be considered an upper limit, this study assessed the oral hygiene of dental professionals. 127 participants, university dentists, dental students and dental assistants were included in the study.
Prior to performing the oral hygiene procedure, a clinical examination was performed using a status, this included bleeding index, pocket depths, marginal plaque index and a full crown plaque index. The participants were then asked to clean their teeth to the best of their ability using non-electric means. Manual toothbrushes, different types of toothpaste, and different agents for interdental cleaning were provided.
After cleaning, plaque levels were measured again. More than 95% of the participants achieved a plaque-free mouth of 70% or more at the site of the gingavle edges and 50% showed plaque-free sites at more than 94% of the interdental spaces. The time they used to achieve these results ranged from 3 to 20 minutes, as the cleaning procedure had no time limit.
The authors conclude that the levels of plaque-free teeth achieved in the current study should be considered very high, especially compared to the results of similar studies conducted on patients where barely a marginal plaque index of less than 50% was achieved. According to the authors, 95% of a plaque-free mouth at gingival margins is the upper limit for what can be expected from our patients, but 70% is probably more realistic.
Knowledge in this area is considered the main factor behind the difference in plaque reduction between professionals and patients. This indicates that sharing relevant knowledge is an important intervention to improve patients' oral health.