The Results of Oral Health Care Program on Diabetic Patients Wearing Dentures and Treated in Diabetes Clinic at Warinchamrab Hospital, Ubon Ratchathani Province

Abstract

This study was a quasi-experimental research that intended to investigate the changes of the diabetic patients’ oral health care behavior, the awareness of their ability to do oral health care, and oral health conditions of diabetic patients wearing dentures trained on oral health care program in the diabetes clinic, Warinchamrab hospital. The subjects were 100 diabetic patients wearing dentures at the Warinchamrab hospital, divided equally into two groups : the experimental and comparative groups. Both groups answered the questionnaires about their oral health care behavior and their awareness in ability in taking oral health care of themselves. The subjects’ oral health status was evaluated before and after attending the oral health care program. The experimental group was trained to develop their knowledge and skill by lecture, group discussion and sharing for four weeks while the comparative group received normal oral health evaluation. The results indicated that the experimental group’s awareness and behavior was better than before involving the program ; and significantly better than comparative group. The plague and gingivitis indexes of the experimental group were lower than before doing the experiment and lower than the comparative group with statistical significance (p = 0.000).