Table 3. Excerpt from the questionnaire assessing oral health and risk awareness in ACHD and answers of all study participants and high-risk patients.
| Questions | All ACHD (n=112) | High-risk patients (n=52) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute frequency | Relative frequency (%) | Absolute frequency | Relative frequency (%) | ||
| 1. Do you think that poor oral health is a risk factor for cardiac complications? | |||||
| a. Yes | 78 | 69.6 | 37 | 71.2 | |
| b. No | 12 | 10.7 | 5 | 9.6 | |
| c. I do not know | 22 | 19.6 | 10 | 19.2 | |
| 2. Are you aware of a correlation between oral health and possible cardiac diseases? | |||||
| a. Yes, I feel sufficiently well informed about the link | 30 | 26.8 | 22 | 42.3 | |
| b. Yes, but I do not feel sufficiently well informed about the link | 39 | 34.8 | 15 | 28.8 | |
| c. No | 43 | 38.4 | 15 | 28.8 | |
| 3. Is dental hygiene especially important for you because of your CHD? | |||||
| a. Yes | 42 | 37.5 | 27 | 51.9 | |
| b. No | 52 | 46.4 | 19 | 36.5 | |
| c. I do not know | 18 | 16.1 | 6 | 11.5 | |
| 4. Did you have to postpone dental treatment or follow-up appointments for more than 6 months because of your CHD? | |||||
| a. Yes | 5 | 4.5 | 5 | 9.6 | |
| b. No | 102 | 91.1 | 43 | 82.7 | |
| c. I do not know | 5 | 4.5 | 4 | 7.7 | |
| 5. Are you afraid of dental treatment because of your CHD? | |||||
| a. Yes | 12 | 10.7 | 8 | 15.4 | |
| b. No | 97 | 86.6 | 42 | 80.8 | |
| c. I do not know | 3 | 2.7 | 2 | 3.8 | |
| 6. Are you worried about dental hygiene impairing your heart? | |||||
| a. Yes | 2 | 1.8 | 2 | 3.8 | |
| b. No | 104 | 92.9 | 48 | 92.3 | |
| c. I do not know | 6 | 5.4 | 2 | 3.8 | |
| 7. Do you have a heart disease record card? | |||||
| a. Yes, and my dentist is aware of it | 65 | 60.2 | 31 | 62.0 | |
| b. Yes, but my dentist has not seen it | 24 | 22.2 | 11 | 22.0 | |
| c. No | 19 | 17.6 | 8 | 16.0 | |
| 8. Did your cardiologist recommend you to take an antibiotic prophylaxis prior to certain dental procedures? | |||||
| a. Yes, and it was already required | 63 | 56.8 | 34 | 65.4 | |
| b. Yes, but it was not yet required | 13 | 11.7 | 5 | 9.6 | |
| c. I do not know | 5 | 4.5 | 3 | 5.8 | |
| d. No, it was not recommended to me | 30 | 27.0 | 10 | 19.2 | |
| 9. How often do you see the dentist? | |||||
| a. Never | 3 | 2.7 | 2 | 3.8 | |
| b. Less than once a year | 9 | 8.0 | 6 | 11.5 | |
| c. Once a year | 49 | 43.8 | 25 | 48.1 | |
| d. Two or three times a year | 47 | 42.0 | 17 | 32.7 | |
| e. More frequently | 4 | 3.6 | 2 | 3.8 | |
| 10. How often do you make use of a professional dental cleaning? | |||||
| a. Never | 38 | 34.5 | 19 | 37.3 | |
| b. Once a year | 60 | 54.5 | 27 | 52.9 | |
| c. Once every 6 months | 9 | 8.2 | 3 | 5.9 | |
| d. More frequently | 3 | 2.7 | 2 | 3.9 | |
| 11. How often do you brush your teeth in a day? | |||||
| a. Never | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| b. Once | 18 | 16.2 | 9 | 17.6 | |
| c. Twice | 82 | 73.9 | 35 | 68.6 | |
| d. Three times | 11 | 9.9 | 7 | 13.7 | |
| e. More frequently | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12. How often do you floss your teeth? | |||||
| a. Never | 57 | 53.3 | 24 | 50.0 | |
| b. Once a month | 17 | 15.9 | 9 | 18.8 | |
| c. Once a week | 26 | 24.3 | 12 | 25.0 | |
| d. Once a day | 5 | 4.7 | 1 | 2.1 | |
| e. Every time | 2 | 1.9 | 2 | 4.2 | |
| 13. How many cigarettes do you smoke in a day? | |||||
| a. None | 93 | 83.0 | 44 | 84.6 | |
| b. Less than 5 | 8 | 7.1 | 5 | 9.6 | |
| c. 5 to 10 | 6 | 5.4 | 1 | 1.9 | |
| d. More than 10 | 5 | 4.5 | 2 | 3.8 | |
| e. More than a packet | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14. How often do you drink alcohol in a week? | |||||
| a. Never | 56 | 50.9 | 23 | 45.1 | |
| b. Once | 35 | 31.8 | 17 | 33.3 | |
| c. Twice | 10 | 9.1 | 6 | 11.8 | |
| d. Three times | 5 | 4.5 | 3 | 5.9 | |
| e. More frequently | 4 | 3.6 | 2 | 3.9 | |
| 15. How many hours in a week are you physically active? | |||||
| a. Never | 17 | 15.7 | 6 | 11.8 | |
| b. One hour | 26 | 24.1 | 15 | 29.4 | |
| c. Three hours | 31 | 28.7 | 15 | 29.4 | |
| d. Five hours | 12 | 11.1 | 6 | 11.8 | |
| e. More than five hours | 22 | 20.4 | 9 | 17.6 | |
| 16. Do you know what endocarditis/infection of the endocardium is? | |||||
| a. Yes | 52 | 46.4 | 30 | 57.7 | |
| b. No | 60 | 53.6 | 22 | 42.3 | |
| 17. Have you ever suffered from endocarditis? | |||||
| a. Yes | 6 | 5.4 | 5 | 9.6 | |
| b. No | 83 | 74.1 | 39 | 75.0 | |
| c. I do not know | 22 | 19.6 | 8 | 15.4 | |
| 18. What is your highest level of education? | |||||
| a. None | 9 | 8.1 | 3 | 5.8 | |
| b. Secondary school for general basic education | 29 | 26.1 | 21 | 40.4 | |
| c. Intermediate secondary school | 37 | 33.3 | 13 | 25.0 | |
| d. Academic high school | 18 | 16.2 | 6 | 11.5 | |
| e. University degree | 18 | 16.2 | 9 | 17.3 | |
ACHD, adults with congenital heart defects.