Tandvårdsrädsla och attityder till tandhygienist bland patienter med kronisk parodontit- en kvantitativ studie

Syftet med studien var att beskriva och jämföra tandvårdsrädsla och attityder till tandhygienist vid studiens start samt 3 månader efter icke kirurgisk parodontalbehandling hos patienter med kronisk parodontit samt att beskriva hur olika bakgrundsfaktorer påverkar tandvårdsrädsla och attityder till tandhygienist. Ett ytterligare syfte var att studera sambandet mellan attityder till tandhygienist och tandvårdsrädsla. Studien var en jämförande studie med kvantitativ ansats och en del i en större experimentell studie med två aktiva interventioner för att påverka munhygienbeteende. Studien innefattade 109 studiedeltagare, 57 kvinnor och 52 män i åldrarna 25-65 år som var remitterade till specialistklinik för parodontologi. Frågeformuläret som användes gällande tandvårdsrädsla var Dental Anxiety Scale (DAS) med 4 påståenden avseende upplevelser för att besöka tandhygienist. För att fastställa attityder till tandhygienist användes Dental Hygiene Belief Survey (DHBS) som innehöll 8 påståenden rörande kommunikation. Resultatet visade att studiedeltagarna 3 månader efter behandling hade en lägre grad av tandvårdsrädsla samt en mer positiv attityd till tandhygienist jämfört med vid studiens start. Ingen skillnad mellan interventionerna kunde ses med avseende på tandvårdsrädsla samt attityder till tandhygienist. Samband mellan ålder, kön och tandvårdsrädsla kunde endast ses vid studiens start. Konklusionen visar att icke-kirurgisk parodontalbehandling utförd av tandhygienist minskar graden av tandvårdrädsla och att attityder till tandhygienist förbättras efter denna behandling.

Methods and background characteristics of the TOHNN study : a population-based study of oral health conditions in northern Norway

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the Tromstannen - Oral Health in Northern Norway (TOHNN) study was to investigate oral health and dental-related diseases in an adult population. This article provides an overview of the background of the study and a description of the sample characteristics and methods employed in data collection. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional population-based study including a questionnaire and clinical dental examination. METHODS: A randomly selected sample of 2,909 individuals (20-79 years old) drawn from the population register was invited to participate in the study. The data were collected between October 2013 and November 2014 in Troms County in northern Norway. The questionnaire focused on oral health-related behaviours and attitudes, oral health-related quality of life, sense of coherence, dental anxiety and symptoms from the temporomandibular joint. The dental examinations, including radiographs, were conducted by 11 dental teams in 5 dental offices. The examination comprised of registration of dental caries, full mouth periodontal status, temporomandibular disorders, mucosal lesions and height and weight. The participants were grouped by age (20-34, 35-49, 50-64 and 65-79) and ethnicity (Norwegian, Sámi, other European and other world). RESULTS: From the original sample of 2,909 individuals, 1,986 (68.3%) people participated, of whom 1,019 (51.3%) were women. The highest attendance rate was among women 20-34 years old (80.3%) and the lowest in the oldest age group of women (55.4%). There was no difference in response rate between rural and urban areas. There was a positive correlation between population size and household gross income (p < 0.001) and education level (p < 0.001). The majority of Sámi resided in smaller municipalities. In larger cities, most participants used private dental health care services, whereas, in rural areas, most participants used the public dental health care service. CONCLUSION: The TOHNN study has the potential to generate new knowledge on a wide range of oral health conditions beneficial to the population in Troms County. Due to the high participation rate, generalization both nationally and to the circumpolar area ought to be possible.

Manoeuvring between anxiety and control : Patients experience of learning to live with diabetes: a lifeworld phenomenological study

Research shows that people with diabetes want their lives to proceed as normally as possible, but some patients experience difficulty in reaching their desired goals with treatment. The learning process is a complex phenomenon interwoven into every facet of life. Patients and healthcare providers often have different perspectives in care which gives different expectations on what the patients need to learn and cope with. The aim of this study, therefore, is to describe the experience of learning to live with diabetes. Interviews were conducted with 12 patients afflicted with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The interviews were then analysed with reference to the reflective lifeworld research approach. The analysis shows that when the afflicted realize that their bodies undergo changes and that blood sugar levels are not always balanced as earlier in life, they can adjust to their new conditions early. The afflicted must take responsibility for balancing their blood sugar levels and incorporating the illness into their lives. Achieving such goals necessitates knowledge. The search for knowledge and sensitivity to changes are constant requirements for people with diabetes. Learning is driven by the tension caused by the need for and dependence on safe blood sugar control, the fear of losing such control, and the fear of future complications. The most important responsibilities for these patients are aspiring to understand their bodies as lived bodies, ensuring safety and security, and acquiring the knowledge essential to making conscious choices.