[Survey on oral hygiene performance among dental patients in the Taiwan area]

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of understanding and the importance placed on oral hygiene (i.e. frequency, time, tools, and attitude towards hygiene with respect to age, sex, and education or socioeconomic status) among dental patients in Taiwan. A total of 748 questionnaires (380 males and 368 females) was obtained, the chi square test was used to analyze the statistical significance of the results. The results showed a statistically significant correlation between oral hygiene habits and the following 1) onset of tooth-brushing as associated with sex and age; 2) frequency of toothbrushing as associated with age, education or socioeconomic status; 3) timing of brushing as associated with age and sex; 4) duration of toothbrushing and age; and, 5) flossing and age. Mean initial toothbrushing age was found to be 4.69 years of age and mean toothbrushing frequency was 2.42 times per day. Of the dental patients investigated, 47.5% did employ dual cleansings after meals and before bedtime. The average toothbrushing time was 1 minute and 53 seconds and brand preferences existed for toothpastes, rather than toothbrushes. It is suggested that dental health education on when to begin brushing a child's teeth and how to form good oral hygiene habits should be provided and reinforced along with periodic assessments of the tooth cleaning tools used for oral hygiene.