Effect of personal oral hygiene education on adolescents served by the Commonwealth Adolescents Mobile Oral Health Services (CAMOHS)

Abstract

In order to provide access to dental services for adolescents of the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts established a mobile dental program (CAMOHS) to provide preventive as well as restorative treatment. To increase the effectiveness of this program, an oral hygiene component was added. The goal of the oral hygiene education program was to educate adolescents participating in the CAMOHS program about oral hygiene in order to improve their oral health. The program consisted of a questionnaire, oral hygiene education, oral exam, and follow-up. The treating dentists in the CAMOHS program were utilized to record both DMFT and OHI-S indices, as well as, give personal oral hygiene instructions. A three-week follow-up was conducted which included filling out the same questionnaire, and performing an oral exam to record the OHI-S. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the oral hygiene education program on this population, a program evaluation was conducted. Three hundred and forty one charts of patients who participated in the oral hygiene program were reviewed. Only individuals who a minimum of two visits, between December 2000 and March 2001, which were found to be one hundred and ninety eight patients, were included in the sample for the evaluation. Analyzing the data collected from participants of the oral hygiene program showed that one third of those adolescents have problems with their teeth that affected their quality of life. Analysis of the pre and post questionnaire collected from males and females included in the sample showed a change in knowledge 20-50%. Although there was no change in behavior or attitude, there was a significant reduction in plaque scores, which might reflect a change in the method of brushing. The Mobile Dental Program was an effective way to educate as well as provide preventive and restorative dental treatment to the adolescents of the Commonwealth Department of Youth Services.