title: A new indicator of the oral hygiene habits of disabled persons: relevance of the carer's personal appearance and interest in oral health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether there is a relationship between the oral hygiene habits of individuals with severe disability the carer's personal appearance and interest in oral health.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study group was formed of 60 disabled persons and their respective carers who came for the first time to consultation in the Special-Needs Dentistry Unit of the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. All the carers answered a standardised questionnaire of 28 questions divided into four sections: disabled individual's demographic data, disabled individual's general medical details, social aspects of the carer (personal appearance of the carer and interest in oral health), and disabled individual's oral hygiene habits. The personal appearance of the carers and their interest in the disabled individual's oral health were evaluated using independent scales designed specifically for the study, with five binary items in each scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The carer's personal appearance and interest in the disabled individual's oral health showed a statistically significant relationship with the individual's oral hygiene habits, particularly with respect to the frequency and duration of toothbrushing, need for physical restraint during toothbrushing, use of a manual toothbrush and use of toothpaste.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The carer's personal appearance and interest in the disabled individual's oral health are good indicators of the oral hygiene habits of an individual with severe disability. Consideration should be given to the inclusion of these aspects as a complementary element of the dental record.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Investigación en Odontología Médico-Quirúrgica (OMEQUI), School of Medicine and Dentistry, Santiago de Compostela University, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Limeres
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Feijoo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Liñares
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Diz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004245:DMF Index; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006209:Halitosis / Q000145:classification; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009067:Mouthwashes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000193:education; D010512:Periodontal Index; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D012649:Self Concept; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009067:Mouthwashes; D014100:Toothpastes
keywords: dental hygiene; disability; motivation; oral hygiene habits