Oral health promotion programme for diabetics in Singapore

Abstract

The study investigated the effectiveness of scaling and oral hygiene on oral hygiene compliance among subjects with diabetes.161 subjects were randomized at baseline into 3 treatment modalities: oral hygiene + scaling (OH+Sc), oral hygiene (OH) alone and control (no treatment). Clinical, laboratory and questionnaire data were collected at baseline, 3 and 9 months. Receiver Operator Characteristics curve analysis provided a combined oral hygiene compliance criterion of a?Y 25% plaque + a?Y 15% Bleeding on probing . Between groups, within group analyses as well as path analyses (Structural Equation Modeling) were conducted for each assessment level.OH+Sc and OH groups showed improved periodontal health compared with control at 3 months. OH+Sc group showed sustained improvements at 9 months. Pathway analyses suggested that the presence of subgingival calculus influenced oral hygiene compliance. OH + Sc therapy is superior compared to OH & control groups in controlling oral hygiene compliance among diabetics.