Impact of Interdental Aids Usage and Professional Oral Hygiene Instructions on the Periodontal Health Status of Iraqi Patients: Retrospective Cross-sectional Analysis

Abstract Background: Tt has been generally accepted that interdental aids have a positive effect on removing plaque, both supra- and subgingivally. Objectives: To evaluate the efficiency of interdental aid usage and oral hygiene instruction (OHI) given by the dentist or oral hygienist on the periodontal health status of patients with periodontal disease. Materials and Methods: The study was a retrospective, cross-sectional study that included the records of 2476 patients. The collected data included age, sex, chief complaint, smoking history, parafunctional habit, previously received OHI or not, and whether the patient used interdental aid(s) (IDA) or not. In addition, the diagnosis was carried out together with plaque index (PLI), gingival index (GI), and probing pocket depth (PPD). Results: The number of male patients was 1633 while the number of their female counterparts was 843. The majority of the patients (75%) did not use any type of IDA and both genders almost equally used these aids (25%). Among IDA users, dental floss was the most commonly used aid followed by toothpick. However, the use of these aids did not have any effect in reducing PPD. A significantly higher ( P < 0.05) percentage of patients included in this study who had not previously received OHI was associated with different factors. Both PLI and GI were significantly lower in patients who had previously received OHI when compared to those who had not received any OHI. Conclusion: OHI given by professionals is integral in minimizing the severity of periodontal disease and maintaining good periodontal health status.