Compliance perceived by Dutch periodontists and hygienists.

Compliance is defined here as the extent to which a patient's behavior is in accordance with the health advice he has received. On the basis of factors which could affect compliance, a quantitative survey was conducted for a group of 38 periodontists and their senior dental hygienists. The opinions of periodontists and hygienists in perceiving compliance were examined. Although there was agreement between periodontists and hygienists on some well-established aspects of compliance, the survey revealed that the rôle of the hygienist is of considerable consequence: hygienists appear to be more patient-oriented than periodontists. Furthermore, it is stated that poor understanding of recommendations by patients needs more attention.