Launched at this year’s BDA Conference, the OH! Challenge was created to test oral health knowledge and has emphasised some interesting knowledge gaps, including:
• 46 per cent did not know that gingivitis and periodontitis are a continuum of the same inflammatory disease.
• Only 44 per cent knew the updated BPE guidelines for code 3 sextants.
• Just 3 per cent understood that advice to rinse all traces of fluoridated toothpaste after brushing depended upon the patient's oral health needs.
These results will inform a programme of evidence-based articles for the dental team, designed to increase understanding of these all-important issues.
Iain Chapple, professor of periodontology, commented, “As a periodontologist, I was quite alarmed to see that 22 per cent of DHCPs did not know what a BPE code 1 meant. Equally, only 23 per cent of respondents knew that twice-daily brushing for just two minutes was likely to be insufficient for patients with periodontitis. We all benefit from continuing professional development and this is a very practical and relevant way of targeting ongoing education to keep healthcare professionals up to date.”
Dental hygienist, Julie Rosse, also commented, “The results are a gentle reminder that we need to constantly revise and refresh our sources of evidence-based information in our everyday working lives. It is obvious that we might not be using the latest evidence-based information available.”
Please visit www.listerineprofessional.co.uk to see the results in more detail, to test your own knowledge and to follow the supporting programme of evidence-based content that will be released in instalments over the course of the year.
The OH! Challenge was created by Johnson & Johnson, the makers of Listerine.