AWARENESS OF PERSONAL ORAL HEALTH AND ORAL HYGIENE PRACTICES AMONG PATIENTS WITH CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE

Abstract

Objective: To assess the awareness of personal oral health and oral hygiene practices among coronary artery disease patients in AFIC-NIHD.

Study Design: Descriptive cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology & National Institute of Heart Diseases, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Sep to Nov 2021.

Methodology: This study was conducted on 270 CAD patients in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. CAD patients with diabetes or a habit of smoking were included in the study. A proposed questionnaire was used to determine the awareness of oral health and oral hygiene practices. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.

Results: Bleeding gums were reported by 74.4% participants, 90% had some difficulty in chewing hard foods, 82.2% were aware of visible gaps between their teeth; 94% thought that oral health and general body health are unrelated; 14% mentioned that diabetes affects oral health; 80.7% had a habit of brushing their teeth once a day and 6% reported the use of interproximal cleaning aids daily. Most patients visited the dentist because of a toothache; 51.9% had scaling done in the last 3 years. Many patients, 128 (47.4%) had diabetes along with CAD.

Conclusion: A significantly higher percentage of poor oral health was reported. Most patients had poor knowledge of oral health and did not practice adequate oral hygiene.