PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND PATIENT PERIODONTAL HEALTH

该项目确定了是否需要一个 针对牙科提供者的专业继续教育干预 旨在改善预防、诊断、治疗和控制 牙周炎和牙周炎在一般牙科实践中。当前提供商 与牙周炎和牙周炎有关的行为和患病率 成人患者是在两个县各25-30个诊所确定的。 一个县的提供者参加了为期一年的中等强度的 以应用绩效反馈为特色的教育干预， 目标设定和技术援助。干预措施的效果 通过比较患者牙周状况的变化来进行评估， 患者知识、提供者治疗行为、提供者知识以及 试点县与试点县的医疗实践分布情况 控制县。然后在对照中复制干预 县里。 该项目代表了一种实用的、可推广的方法，以 对有关牙周炎治疗的现有假设的评估 和牙周炎在一般牙科实践中；即实质性的 提供的部分护理可能是不适当的，而且情况可能 通过为提供者提供继续教育来补救。这个 该项目将提供有关牙周炎程度的新信息 和牙周炎在经常使用牙科服务的人中和 当前职业治疗行为的适当性与 这些疾病。该项目还代表着对 口腔专业继续教育对患者口腔功能的影响 健康。 在项目中测试的干预设计为可重复性的 最低限度的费用和特殊资源。作为北卡罗来纳州 长期关注改善牙周健康，其结果是 预计该项目将作为类似区域的基础 对国家的干预，以及提供一个可复制的模式 其他地方。

This project determines the need for and tests the effectiveness of a professional continuing education intervention for dental providers designed to improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and control of gingivitis and periodontitis in general dental practices. Current provider behaviors related to, and prevalence of gingivitis and periodontitis among adult patients are determined in 25-30 practices in each of two counties. Providers in one county participate in a year-long, moderately intensive educational intervention featuring application of performance feedback, goal setting, and technical assistance. The effects of the intervention are evaluated by comparison of changes in patients' periodontal status, patient knowledge, provider treatment behaviors, provider knowledge, and practice treatment distributions in the experimental county with those in the control county. The intervention is then replicated in the control county. The project represents a practical, generalizable approach to the evaluation of current assumptions concerning the management of gingivitis and periodontitis in general dental practices; namely that a substantial portion of care provided may be inappropriate, and that the situation can be remedied through provision of continuing education for providers. The project will provide new information concerning the extent of gingivitis and periodontitis among regular utilizers of dental services and the appropriateness of current professional treatment behaviors related to these diseases. The project also represents the first evaluation of the effects of professional dental continuing education on patients' oral health. The intervention tested in the project is designed to be reproducible with a minimum of expense and special resources. As a part of North Carolina's long-term focus on improvement in periodontal health, the results of this project are expected to serve as the basis for similar regional interventions in the state, as well as offering a model for replication elsewhere.