Oral health challenge reveals dental profession’s knowledge gap

Launched at this year’s BDA Conference, the OH! Challenge was created to test oral health knowledge and has emphasised some interesting knowledge gaps, including:

• 46 per cent did not know that gingivitis and periodontitis are a continuum of the same inflammatory disease.

• Only 44 per cent knew the updated BPE guidelines for code 3 sextants.

• Just 3 per cent understood that advice to rinse all traces of fluoridated toothpaste after brushing depended upon the patient's oral health needs.

These results will inform a programme of evidence-based articles for the dental team, designed to increase understanding of these all-important issues.

Iain Chapple, professor of periodontology, commented, “As a periodontologist, I was quite alarmed to see that 22 per cent of DHCPs did not know what a BPE code 1 meant. Equally, only 23 per cent of respondents knew that twice-daily brushing for just two minutes was likely to be insufficient for patients with periodontitis. We all benefit from continuing professional development and this is a very practical and relevant way of targeting ongoing education to keep healthcare professionals up to date.”