title: Compliance of cigarette smokers with scheduled visits for supportive periodontal therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the compliance of cigarette smokers with scheduled visits for supportive periodontal therapy (SPT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative and quantitative analyses of compliance with scheduled SPT visits were performed using retrospective data from patients undergoing dental hygiene treatment at the Medi School of Dental Hygiene (MSDH), Bern, Switzerland 1985-2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1336 patients were identified with 32.1% (n = 429) being smokers, 23.1% (n = 308) former smokers and 44.8% (n = 599) non-smokers. Qualitatively, significantly less smokers returned for SPT than non-smokers or former smokers (p = 0.0026), whereas 25.9% (n = 346) never returned for SPT. Further quantitative analysis of patients returning twice or more (n = 883) revealed that the overall mean %-compliance was 69.8% (SD ±22.04),whereas smokers complied with 67.0% (SD ±22.00), former smokers with 69.7% (SD ±22.03), and non-smokers with 71.7% (SD ±21.92) reaching statistical significance (p = 0.0111). Confounder adjusted analysis, however, revealed that older age (p = 0.0001), female gender (p = 0.0058), longer SPT intervals (p < 0.0001) and higher severity of periodontal disease (p < 0.0001) had a much greater impact on %-compliance than smoking (p = 0.7636).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that qualitatively, smokers return less likely for SPT than non-smokers or former smokers while quantitatively, a lower mean %-compliance of smokers attending scheduled SPT visits may be attributed to confounders.
authors: Department of Periodontology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
authors: Christoph A
authors: CA
authors: Ramseier
authors: Salome
authors: S
authors: Kobrehel
authors: Petra
authors: P
authors: Staub
authors: Anton
authors: A
authors: Sculean
authors: Niklaus P
authors: NP
authors: Lang
authors: Giovanni E
authors: GE
authors: Salvi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001071:Appointments and Schedules; D055113:Chronic Periodontitis / Q000517:prevention & control; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003777:Dental Prophylaxis; D005260:Female; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000517:prevention & control; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: adherence; compliance; non-smoking; periodontal maintenance; smoking; supportive periodontal therapy