Int Dent S A. 2008; 10(2):24-34
Jadwat Y, Buskin A, Feller L.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the level of compliance attained by patients who are involved in supportive periodontal therapy in a private periodontal practice in Johannesburg, South Africa. Materials and Method: This retrospective study encompassed a five year period of supportive periodontal therapy. A random selection of 304 clinical records of patients who had completed active periodontal treatment was used. Patients were grouped according to gender, age, socio-economic class, type of periodontal disease, the type of treatment rendered, and level of compliance attained. Compliance was classified into four categories based on attendance: complete compliance, partial compliance, erratic and noncompliance. Results: Only 20.72% of all patients belonging to our sample population achieved complete compliance. In the gender groups, 24.11% of male patients and 17.79% of female patients were in complete compliance. Older patients had a higher tendency to adhere to the supportive periodontal therapy programme compared to younger patients. In the socio-economic groups, skilled manual workers demonstrated the highest complete compliance rates (22.86%). When compliance was related to the type of periodontal disease it was found that individuals with chronic periodontitis had higher levels of complete compliance, than those suffering from aggressive periodontitis. Patients receiving plaque control instructions and scaling only, were the most compliant.
Conclusion: The results in this study are in agreement with similar studies and confirm a poor complete compliance with supportive periodontal therapy. When the various categories were assessed, individuals in the age category ≥ 61 years were significantly more compliant.