According to a study conducted at Britain's University of Newcastle upon Tyne, two-thirds of patients did not adequately follow their dentists' advise on caring for their teeth, even though more than half claimed they were.
The survey looked at the brushing habits of 17 patients with gum disease.
They were each given a so-called “logger toothbrush” equipped with a light that flashed after two minutes, marking the optimal length of time for brushing. Participants were also asked to keep a diary of how long they brushed their teeth.
When the results were analyzed, the data from the toothbrushes suggested that only about one-third of patients followed their dentists' advice.
The hand-written logs, however, suggested that more than half thought they had lived up to their end of the bargain.
“Patients must understand their health is mainly their responsibility, and if they are not going to comply with the advice of health providers like dentists who have their best interests at heart, they must accept the consequences,” lead researcher Dr. Giles McCracken said in the report.
Link..... http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...ienceandHealth/
The survey looked at the brushing habits of 17 patients with gum disease.
They were each given a so-called “logger toothbrush” equipped with a light that flashed after two minutes, marking the optimal length of time for brushing. Participants were also asked to keep a diary of how long they brushed their teeth.
When the results were analyzed, the data from the toothbrushes suggested that only about one-third of patients followed their dentists' advice.
The hand-written logs, however, suggested that more than half thought they had lived up to their end of the bargain.
“Patients must understand their health is mainly their responsibility, and if they are not going to comply with the advice of health providers like dentists who have their best interests at heart, they must accept the consequences,” lead researcher Dr. Giles McCracken said in the report.
Link..... http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...ienceandHealth/
