GERODONTOLOGY
Behaviors
Research has identified behaviors, which are
associated with better oral health.
Thompson found that “routine dental
attendance” (dental visits) “is associated with better
oral health”. Researchers have identified the effect
of health beliefs on periodontal maintenance
behavior (7). There are multiple studies showing
that patient compliance with routine periodontal
maintenance treatments prevent the loss of
teeth from periodontal disease (8, 9, 10, 11, 12).
Fisher (13) found that both non-smokers and
smokers could be maintained if they were “highly
motivated.” Health care “habits” or frequency of
brushing have a positive correlation with tooth
retention (14, 15). Bernabe (16) describes a Sense
of Coherence (SOC) in health related behaviors:
dental attendance, tooth-brushin