Motivation plays an important role in the treatment process of chronic diseases, as treatment requires behavioural change and lifelong adherence to medical recommendations. Periodontitis is a good example of such health condition as to maintain good periodontal health patients have to adhere to a strict oral hygiene regimen.
Objective: To examine whether the motivation of patients suffering from chronic periodontitis influences their clinical periodontal condition.
Basic research design: Cross sectional study.
Clinical setting: Department of Periodontology and Oral Medicine, Dental University Clinic, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
Participants: 199 adult periodontal patients, aged 20-78 years.
Interventions: Questionnaire concerning patients' medical and dental history, modified Zychlińscy motivation assessment questionnaire, clinical periodontal examination.
Main outcome measures: The extent of motivation. Periodontal status evaluated with the use of periodontal indices (API, BOP, CPITN).
Results: The mean motivation score was 57.4. The mean API and BOP values were 55.7% and 46.4%, respectively. For most of the patients the recorded CPITN value was 3. Correlations were observed between motivation and both API and BOP, and between API and BOP.
Conclusion: Periodontal patients with greater motivation having better oral health (lower API and BOP) suggests an influence on the quality of their self-management of the disease (i.e. adherence to their oral hygiene regimen).