Oral Health Literacy Tailored Communication

Effects of Communication Tailored to Oral Health Literacy Level of Adult Dental Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

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.

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.

Periodontal Diseases, Dental Plaque, Dental Calculus, Sialorrhea, Streptococcal Infections, Lactobacillus Infection

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.

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.

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.

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