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A new indicator of the oral hygiene habits of disabled persons: relevance of the carer's personal appearance and interest in oral health
Author(s) -
Limeres J,
Martínez F,
Feijoo JF,
Ramos I,
Liñares A,
Diz P
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
international journal of dental hygiene
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.674
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1601-5037
pISSN - 1601-5029
DOI - 10.1111/idh.12033
Subject(s) - medicine , toothbrush , personal hygiene , oral hygiene , oral health , hygiene , family medicine , dentistry , engineering , brush , pathology , electrical engineering
Abstract Objective To investigate whether there is a relationship between the oral hygiene habits of individuals with severe disability the carer's personal appearance and interest in oral health. Patients and methods The study group was formed of 60 disabled persons and their respective carers who came for the first time to consultation in the S pecial‐ N eeds D entistry U nit of the U niversity of S antiago de C ompostela, S pain. All the carers answered a standardised questionnaire of 28 questions divided into four sections: disabled individual's demographic data, disabled individual's general medical details, social aspects of the carer (personal appearance of the carer and interest in oral health), and disabled individual's oral hygiene habits. The personal appearance of the carers and their interest in the disabled individual's oral health were evaluated using independent scales designed specifically for the study, with five binary items in each scale. Results The carer's personal appearance and interest in the disabled individual's oral health showed a statistically significant relationship with the individual's oral hygiene habits, particularly with respect to the frequency and duration of toothbrushing, need for physical restraint during toothbrushing, use of a manual toothbrush and use of toothpaste. Conclusions The carer's personal appearance and interest in the disabled individual's oral health are good indicators of the oral hygiene habits of an individual with severe disability. Consideration should be given to the inclusion of these aspects as a complementary element of the dental record.