Oral Hygiene TIPPS
Oral Hygiene TIPPS
Advice on oral hygiene which is individualised, with the content tailored to suit each patient, has been shown to be effective and the use of action plans69 or patient agreements may also help the patient change their oral hygiene behaviour. There are various approaches to providing oral hygiene instruction, one of which, the updated Oral Hygiene TIPPS, is described here.
Oral Hygiene TIPPS is modelled on patient behaviour change strategies which have been shown to be effective at improving oral hygiene behaviour when carried out in primary care.70 This approach starts with a conversation to find out about the patient’s current understanding and habits regarding personal oral hygiene, to highlight the importance of effective plaque biofilm removal and to identify the support the patient needs to achieve this. It then includes observation of the patient’s oral hygiene technique, a ‘hands-on’ demonstration and the patient practising with support from the dental team before jointly planning how to adopt an effective routine.
Oral Hygiene TIPPS aims to make patients feel more confident in their ability to perform effective plaque biofilm removal, supports them to learn the manual skills and helps them plan how and when they will look after their teeth and gums. This may involve identifying a trigger which will remind patients to perform oral hygiene tasks, for example, to brush their teeth and to clean interdentally before going to bed. This approach can be followed by any suitably qualified member of the dental team and should be revisited and built upon at each return appointment.
Oral Hygiene TIPPS comprises 5 steps:
TALK
- Ask the patient what their current homecare regime involves and if they have any concerns or challenges with it.
- Ask the patient what their understanding of the causes of periodontal diseases is.
- Listen to what the patient says, and provide information where explanation or support is needed.
INSTRUCT
- Ask the patient to demonstrate their oral hygiene routine and watch while they do so.
- Provide personalised instruction (coaching) on the best ways to perform effective plaque removal, concentrating not only on improving their understanding of why it is important but also the patient’s skill to remove plaque biofilm from the gingival margin and tooth surface.
PRACTISE
- Ask the patient to practise removing plaque biofilm from the gingival margin and the tooth surface using a toothbrush and using the interdental cleaning aids while in the dental surgery and help them to improve their technique where needed.
PLAN
- Agree a plan which specifies how the patient will incorporate the new oral hygiene regime into their daily life.
SUPPORT
- Support the patient to continue to achieve effective plaque removal by following-up on the advice at subsequent appointments.
Delivering Oral Hygiene TIPPS will take several minutes, and this time will vary, depending on the patient. It is important to gauge the level of understanding of the patient and adjust your communication style and method to suit them. Refer to Supporting tools for further information about the Oral Hygiene TIPPS approach.