Halitosis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Halitosis, including details on bad breath, oral hygiene, oral bacteria, treatment.

Hearts and mouths: perceptions of oral hygiene by at-risk heart surgery patients.

Lowry RJ, Maunder P, Steele JG, Colligan J, Beard CA, Harvey J, Erdos G

Dental School, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, NE2 4BW. r.j.lowry@ncl.ac.uk

OBJECTIVE: To assess and use the attitudes of patients who are placed at risk after valvular heart surgery due to the connection between poor oral hygiene, valvular heart disease/surgery and the risk of developing infective endocarditis. DESIGN: A qualitative (focus group) design based study carried out on subjects three months post heart surgery. METHOD: There were five focus groups of five participants each convened by an experienced moderator. RESULTS: These portrayed an apparent pressing desire by most patients to talk about their experiences. However, patients did not accept the link between their oral health and their general health. Oral hygiene practices were not necessarily oral health related. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of the study in understanding the reasons for a patient's behaviour is evident when there is a clear need to modify the behaviour patterns of the patients effectively. Clinical trials can now be developed based on these results.

Published 10 October 2005 in Br Dent J, 199(7): 449-51; discussion 439; quiz 464-5.
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