title: Oral and written instruction of oral hygiene: a randomized trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This randomized, evaluator-masked, controlled study evaluates the effectiveness of oral in contrast to written instruction of oral hygiene.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-three students without clinical signs of periodontitis were randomly assigned to either a control group or one of three experimental conditions: 1) written instruction, 2) standardized oral instruction, or 3) individualized oral instruction. Plaque and bleeding indices were assessed to analyze intervention effects on oral health and oral hygiene skills. Measurements took place at baseline and 4 weeks after intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Groups differed significantly with respect to gingival bleeding and were tentatively significant with respect to oral hygiene skills. Participants who had received oral individualized instructions showed the best results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A gradient of effectiveness of the instruction methods was observed with most favorable results for the individualized instruction.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Psychology, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harnacke
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beldoch
authors.forename: Gertrude-Heidi
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Bohn
authors.forename: Ouarda
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Seghaoui
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hegel
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deinzer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D006267:Health Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000193:education*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D013060:Speech; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014956:Writing; D055815:Young Adult