Abstract
Objectives : This study was to examine the recognition and understanding of the use, application of oral hygiene supplies among dental clinic patients in a bid to stress the necessity of education on the right awareness and use of oral hygiene supplies, to provide information on the development of educational programs and ultimately to help promote the oral health of people in general. Methods : The subjects in this study were 314 patients who visited dental clinics in North Jeolla Province in June 2009. Results : 1. Out of oral hygiene supplies, the largest number of the patients investigated(74.6%) were best cognizant of dental floss, and the greatest group(77.7%) had the right understanding of the use of toothpick. Currently, the oral hygiene supplies that were most widely in use were toothpicks(43.2%). 2. As to the relationship of awareness and understanding of the use, application of oral hygiene supplies to subjective oral health status, 50.0 percent of the patients who understood the use of toothpick found themselves to be in good health, and the gaps between them and the others were statistically significant. Among those who were aware of dental floss, the largest group(51.4%) considered themselves to be in good shape, and in the event of those who understood the use of dental floss, the greatest group(49.2%) deemed themselves to be in good health. Out of those who understood the use of mouse rinse, the largest group(53.7%) thought they were in good health(p<0.05). 3. Recognition of interdental brush, understanding of its use and whether to use it currently or not were identified as parents to use oral hygiene supplies recommended by dental clinics(p<0.05). 4. Recognition of interdental brush, understanding of its use and whether to use it currently or not were identified as patients to use oral hygiene supplies recommended by dental clinics(p<0.05). 5. The largest group of those who didn't put dental floss to use didn't use it for other reasons unspecified in the questionnaire, and the second greatest group of them didn't use it since it was so onerous to do that. There were statistically significant differences in the reason why they didn't use the oral hygiene supplies(p<0.05). 6. Awareness of dental floss and interdental brush, understanding of the use of the two and whether to use the two at present or not made statistically significant differences to whether they were likely to use the oral hygiene supplies in the future. And whether they were likely to use the oral hygiene supplies in the future was statistically significantly different according to awareness of mouse rinse and understanding of the use of it as well(p<0.05). Conclusions : Dental hygienists have to provide patients with various data of oral hygiene devices through oral health education and then only patients caring in dental clinics can choose the appropriate devices to claim for their own disease.
