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Objective: To explore ethnic disparities in oral health related quality of life (OHQoL) among adults, and the role that socioeconomic factors play in that association. Research design: Data from 705 adults from a socially deprived, ethnically diverse metropolitan area of London (England) were analysed for this study. Ethnicity was self-assigned based on the 2001 UK Census categories. OHQoL was measured using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14), which provides information on the prevalence, extent and intensity of oral impacts on quality of life in the previous 12 months. Ethnic disparities were assessed in logistic regression models for prevalence of oral impacts and negative binomial regression models for extent and intensity of oral impacts. Results: The prevalence of oral impacts was 12.7% (95% CI: 10.2-15.1) and the mean OHIP-14 extent and severity scores were 0.27 (95% CI: 0.20-0.34) and 4.19 (95% CI: 3.74-4.64), respectively. Black adults showed greater and Asian adults lower prevalence, extent and severity of oral impacts than White adults. However, significant differences were only found for the extent of oral impacts; Black adults reporting more and Asian adults fewer OHIP-14 items affected than their White counterparts. After adjustments for socioeconomic factors, Asian adults had significantly fewer OHIP-14 items affected than White adults (rate ratio: 0.28; 95%CI: 0.08-0.94). Conclusion: This study found disparities in OHQoL between the three main ethnic groups in South East London. Asian adults had better and Black adults had similar OHQoL than White adults after accounting for demographic and social factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the attitudes towards and practices related to preventive dentistry among Libyan dentists. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey was conducted among dentists working in Benghazi. All dentists registered with the Dental Association of Benghazi and with two or more years of practice were invited to participate. The questionnaire enquired about dentists' demographic (gender and age) and professional characteristics (practice sector and years of service), attitudes towards preventive dentistry using nine semantic differential scales and the frequency with which they performed eight preventive measures to patients. Non-parametric tests were used to compare attitudes towards and practices related to preventive dentistry by participants' demographic and professional characteristics. Results: Of the 175 dentists returning questionnaires (response rate 79%), 166 had complete information on all the variables needed for analysis (75%). Dentists felt preventive dentistry was useful and essential to the community as well as of scientific merit for dentists. As for practices, oral hygiene instruction and recommending fluoridated toothpaste were the most commonly reported preventive measures performed by dentists whereas the application of topical fluoride and fissure sealants were the least reported. Attitudes towards and practices related to preventive dentistry varied by professional but not demographic characteristics. Conclusion: Dentists showed a generally positive attitude towards preventive dentistry. However, certain preventive measures, particularly those that incur costs, were less frequently practised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the association between toothbrushing habits of 8-9 year-olds and maternal behaviours and attitudes towards oral health in a sample of Japanese population. Methods: Cross-sectional data on mothers' behaviours and attitudes towards oral health and children's toothbrushing habits were collected from 378 mother-child pairs by self-administered questionnaires. Logistic regression examined the association of children's daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste with family characteristics, mother's behaviour (toothbrushing frequency, use of interdental aids and supervision of children's toothbrushing), and mother's attitudes towards oral health (priority for toothbrushing and dental fear). Results: Children's favourable brushing habits were positively associated with child's gender (female) (OR 1.29; 95%CI: 1.09,1.53), child's order of birth (first) (OR 1.53; 95%CI: 1.05,2.23), maternal brushing habits (OR 2.42; 95%CI: 1.73,3.40), and maternal dental fear (OR 1.45; 95%CI: 1.10,1.90). None of the other examined factors were significantly associated with child toothbrushing behaviour. Conclusions: Maternal oral hygiene practice and attitude towards dentists appear to be important predictors of children's toothbrushing habits in this Japanese community sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the caries experience of 6-8- and 11-13-year-olds in Romania and to compare their caries levels with those from a previous study conducted in 1992. Methods: A cross-sectional pathfinder survey was conducted in five major cities of Romania (Iasi, Timisoara. Cluj-Napoca, Tirgu Mures and the capital, Bucharest) in 2011. Cities were purposively chosen for comparability with the 1992 study. Children were clinically examined by one trained dental examiner using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II). Results: Among the 548 6-8-year-olds, 84.3% had caries experience (82.7% when carious lesions at stages 1-2 were excluded) with mean d1-6 and d3-6 of 4.76 (sd 3.46) and 4.43 (sd 3.35) respectively. Among the 592 11-13-year-olds, 83.1% had caries experience (76% when carious lesions at stages 1-2 were excluded) with mean D1-6 (MFT and D1-6 MFT of 4.52 (sd 4.01) and 3.39 (sd 3.35) respectively. Advanced carious lesions were the main contributors to children' s caries experience. There were significant differences by cities, with the lowest caries levels seen in Bucharest. High caries levels have persisted in Romania over the last decades in spite of a small but significant decrease in d1-6 mft and D3-6MFT values between 1992 and 2011. Variations in caries trends were found by city. Conclusion: These findings show that high caries levels still exist among schoolchildren in the five cities included in the study. Romania has not yet achieved the WHO target for 2000 of an average DMFT lower than 3 at 12 years of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify the lifecourse model that best describes the association between social class and adult oral health. Methods: Data from 10,217 participants of the 1958 National Child Development Study were used. Social class at ages 7, 16 and 33 years were chosen to represent socioeconomic conditions during childhood, adolescence and adulthood, respectively. Two subjective oral health indicators (lifetime and past-year prevalence of persistent trouble with gums or mouth) were measured at age 33. The critical period, accumulation and social trajectories models were tested in logistic regression models and the most appropriate lifecourse model was identified using the structured modelling approach. Results: The critical period model showed that only adulthood social class was significantly associated with oral health. For the accumulation model, a monotonic gradient was found between the number of periods in manual social class and oral health; and four out of eight social trajectories were found to be distinctive. Finally, the social trajectories model was not significantly different from the saturated model indicating that it provided a good fit to the data. Conclusion: This study shows the social trajectories model was the most appropriate, in terms of model fit, to describe the association between social class and oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]