Infections and Immunoepidemiology Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Md, USA.
Med Princ Pract. 2012;21(5):452-6. doi: 10.1159/000336786. Epub 2012 Apr 5.
The objective of this survey was to assess oral hygiene habits and compliance with guidelines for good oral health set forth by the Italian Ministry of Health (IMH).
A sample of 2,200 self-administered questionnaires was sent to four dental clinics across Italy to assess sociodemographic information, oral hygiene habits, frequency of dental visits and services received at previous visits among a population of adult patients.
Of the 2,200 questionnaires, 1,201 (54.6%) were returned. Findings showed that full compliance with the IMH recommendations was low (12%): a small number of patients (n = 223, 18.6%) visited a dentist every 6 months and only 256 (23.5%) brushed their teeth at least twice a day.
Our data showed that regular attendance (at least 1 visit/year) at dental clinics for routine check-up and brushing teeth at least twice a day were poor. Therefore, we recommend that clinicians educate and motivate their patients about the benefits of healthy oral hygiene practices.
本调查旨在评估口腔卫生习惯，并评估意大利卫生部（IMH）制定的良好口腔健康指南的遵守情况。
向意大利的四家牙科诊所发送了 2200 份自填式问卷，以评估成年患者人群的社会人口统计学信息、口腔卫生习惯、看牙医的频率以及之前就诊时接受的服务。
在 2200 份问卷中，有 1201 份（54.6%）被返回。调查结果显示，完全遵守 IMH 建议的比例很低（12%）：只有少数患者（n=223，18.6%）每 6 个月看一次牙医，只有 256 名患者（23.5%）每天至少刷牙两次。
我们的数据表明，定期（至少每年一次）到牙科诊所进行常规检查以及每天至少刷牙两次的习惯很差。因此，我们建议临床医生对患者进行健康教育，使他们了解保持口腔健康的益处。
