Dental Calculus, Dental Plaque, Lactobacillus Infection, Periodontal Diseases, Sialorrhea, Streptococcal Infections
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this study to investigate attitude, oral health literacy and psychological factors in order to evaluate if these factors are important for oral health in adults. The hypotheses are: * Multiple interactive demographic, and social and psychological factors contribute to the level of attitude and oral health literacy. * There is an association between the level of oral health literacy and oral health status * A structured intervention based on oral health literacy can change the attitude and improve the oral health status. * Background knowledge has influence on attitude and oral health literacy * Individuals with positive attitude towards dental health and dentist are attentive towards their oral health.
Detailed description
This study will be conducted in two stages. The first stage includes a baseline cross-sectional investigation. Oral health literacy level will be assessed by conducting a structured interview. Background variables, attitude, socioeconomic factors and psychological factors shall be assessed using self-administered questionnaires. A clinical examination will be conducted including general health information and extended oral health examination. The oral health examination performed includes record of oral hygiene status such as dental caries and periodontal status. An assessment of oral bacteria will also be performed. The second stage will be carried out approximately 6 months after starting with the baseline investigation. At that time a modified version of the questionnaires will be used followed by a shorter clinical examination. The modified questionnaires at the second data collection exclude some background variables. The clinical examination carried out during this time will be on dental plaque and bleeding index and the level of oral bacteria.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALTailored oral health literacy instruction
The intervention includes oral hygiene instruction tailored to the level of oral health literacy, and will include information about the outcome of the clinical examination. Providing relevant information to the participant will be in focus, and there will be given a personalized demonstration as well as guidance on how to conduct proper oral hygiene practices at home. The aim of the intervention is to improve oral hygiene and attitudes towards dental care by taking the literacy level of the participant into consideration.
Sponsors
University of Tromso
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
20 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Participants \> 20 years of age. * Participants who master the Norwegian language. * Participants who are registered at the university dental clinic (IKO).
Exclusion criteria
* People who do not master the Norwegian language. * Strongly visually impaired people that have difficulty in reading. * People with a history of heart-attack in the past 6 months. * Immune- compromised people and organ- transplanted people. * People with other conditions that might lead to more disadvantages than advantages by participating
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Gingival Index | 6 months after intervention | The gingival index of the individual was obtained by adding the values of each tooth (an average of 4 scores) and dividing by number of teeth examined with the resulting scores as follows 0.1-1.0 = mild inflammation; 1.1-2.0 = moderate inflammation; 2.1-3.0 = severe inflammation. The GI reference is Löe and Silness, 1963. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Plaque Index | 6 months after intervention | The plaque index of the individual was obtained by adding the values of each tooth (an average of 4 scores) and dividing by number of teeth examined with the resulting scores as follows 0.1-1.0 = low accumulation of plaque; 1.1-2.0 = Moderate accumulation of plaque; 2.1-3.0 = high accumulation of plaque. The Plaque index reference is Silness and Löe, 1964. |
Countries
Norway
Participant flow
Recruitment details
Participants were recruited from the waiting list at Tromsø University Dental Clinic. The recruitment started in May 2010 after approval from the regional ethical committee. Information letter with consent form was provided.
Pre-assignment details
Enrolled participants: Total excluded n=46 * Not meeting the inclusion criteria (n=11) * Declined to participate (n=35)
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Individualized Oral Health Instruction Individualized oral health instruction adapted to the patients oral health literacy level | 64 |
| Ordinary Oral Health Instruction Oral health instruction commonly used in general practice | 69 |
| Total | 133 |
Withdrawals & dropouts
| Period | Reason | FG000 | FG001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Study | Withdrawal by Subject | 2 | 5 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Total | Individualized Oral Health Instruction | Ordinary Oral Health Instruction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 16 Participants | 10 Participants | 6 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 117 Participants | 54 Participants | 63 Participants |
| Age, Continuous | 47.9 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 14.73 | 49.7 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 15.19 | 46.4 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 14.23 |
| health literacy level Adequate health literacy | 33 paticipants | 13 paticipants | 20 paticipants |
| health literacy level Inadequate health literacy | 39 paticipants | 15 paticipants | 24 paticipants |
| health literacy level Marginal health literacy | 61 paticipants | 36 paticipants | 25 paticipants |
| Region of Enrollment Norway | 133 participants | 64 participants | 69 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 76 Participants | 39 Participants | 37 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 57 Participants | 25 Participants | 32 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | — / — | — / — |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 64 | 0 / 69 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 64 | 0 / 69 |
Outcome results
Primary
Gingival Index
The gingival index of the individual was obtained by adding the values of each tooth (an average of 4 scores) and dividing by number of teeth examined with the resulting scores as follows 0.1-1.0 = mild inflammation; 1.1-2.0 = moderate inflammation; 2.1-3.0 = severe inflammation. The GI reference is Löe and Silness, 1963.
Time frame: 6 months after intervention
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individualized Oral Health Instruction | Gingival Index | 0.7190 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.41599 |
| Ordinary Oral Health Instruction | Gingival Index | 1.1152 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.45838 |
Secondary
Plaque Index
The plaque index of the individual was obtained by adding the values of each tooth (an average of 4 scores) and dividing by number of teeth examined with the resulting scores as follows 0.1-1.0 = low accumulation of plaque; 1.1-2.0 = Moderate accumulation of plaque; 2.1-3.0 = high accumulation of plaque. The Plaque index reference is Silness and Löe, 1964.
Time frame: 6 months after intervention
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individualized Oral Health Instruction | Plaque Index | 0.0805 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.12958 |
| Ordinary Oral Health Instruction | Plaque Index | 0.3386 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.34694 |