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Background: The global rise in the elderly population has increased the prevalence of root caries. Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacilli and Actinomyces are considered the primary pathogens of dental caries in culture-based studies. This study aimed to investigate bacterial profiles in coronal and root caries lesions and determine the association of specific bacterial genera at each site. Methods: Dentine samples from carious lesions were collected from 22 extracted teeth using an excavator. Microbial DNA was extracted from the samples using a protocol developed for this study. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was employed for microbial analysis. PCR amplification targeted the V3-V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA, and the amplicon sequencing used an Illumina MiSeq system (2 × 300 bp paired-end reads). Statistical analysis was performed by the Phyloseq and DESeq2 packages in R. Results: In coronal caries, Olsenella, Lactobacillus and Prevotella were the most prevalent genera, comprising approximately 70% of the microbiome community. In the root caries, however, although Olsenella, Prevotella and Lactobacillus remained the dominant genera, they accounted for only half of the microbiome community. This study identified significant differences in alpha diversity indices between the coronal and root caries. LEfSE analysis revealed several unique genera in each caries lesion. Conclusion: The microbiome of root caries lesions was richer and more complex than the coronal caries microbiota. The results suggest that lesion-related variations in the oral microflora may be detected in carious dentine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the correlation between subjective oral health status and mental health in a group of university students in Serbia. Methods: The study included 948 students, aged between 18 and 27, from the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Serbia, and was conducted in 2020. The World Health Organization's Oral Health Questionnaire for Adults was utilized to evaluate the respondents' self-perceived oral health and oral hygiene practices. The existence of depressive symptoms was evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), and the Zung self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) was used for determining anxiety symptoms. Results: It is observed that 28.9% of respondents exhibit symptoms of depression and 42.3% showed symptoms of anxiety. Results show that students with severe depression and anxiety symptoms very often reported lower self-perceived oral health and oral health problems. Although the nature of this relationship has not been thoroughly evaluated, several studies have shown a mutually dependent connection between oral health and mental health. Conclusions: The results suggest that some aspects of oral health are associated with higher risks of developing symptoms of depression or anxiety, and vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The present multi‐centre randomized clinical trial with 12 months of follow‐up aimed at studying the added effect of sub‐marginal instrumentation before surgical treatment of peri‐implantitis. Materials and Methods: Forty‐two patients diagnosed with peri‐implantitis were recruited. After a behavioural intervention phase including oral hygiene instructions, patients were randomized to either receiving supra‐ and sub‐marginal instrumentation on their affected implants (control group: 21 patients and 29 implants) or only supra‐marginal instrumentation (test group: 21 patients and 24 implants), before undergoing surgery. Changes in the deepest probing pocket depth (PPD) with respect to baseline and a composite outcome of treatment success (no implant loss, no bone loss > 0.5 mm, no bleeding or suppuration on probing [BoP/SoP], and PPD ≤ 5 mm) at the 12‐month examination were regarded as the primary outcomes of the trial. Results: At the 12‐month examination, changes in the deepest PPD with respect to baseline amounted to −2.96 mm in the control group and to −3.11 mm in the test one (MD = −0.16; SE = 0.56; p =.769), while 21.4% of the implants in the control group and 33.3% in the test group presented treatment success (OR = 1.83; SE = 1.15; p =.338). With the exception of a longer non‐surgical treatment duration in the control group (differences in = −14.29 min; SE = 2.91; p <.001), no other secondary (e.g., soft‐tissue recession, keratinized mucosa height, and bone level changes, as well as BoP, SoP, profuse bleeding and implant loss rates) or exploratory (i.e., early wound healing, aesthetics, surgical and total treatment duration, surgery difficulty, intra‐operative bleeding, and adverse events) outcome demonstrated statistically significant differences between groups. Conclusions: The present multi‐centre randomized clinical trial did not demonstrate an added effect of performing sub‐marginal instrumentation 6 weeks before the surgical treatment of peri‐implantitis. Larger clinical trials are however needed to confirm the present findings (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03620331). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In this study, we aimed to determine the relationship between oral health status and thyroid dysfunction. Methods: A population‐based cross‐sectional analysis using data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES) was performed. We investigated the association between oral health‐related parameters and the prevalence of thyroid diseases. In addition, the relationship between oral health status and thyroid function test (TFT) results was analyzed. One‐way analysis of variances or chi‐square test was used for comparisons between oral health‐related parameters and presence of thyroid diseases. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the associations between participants' characteristics including oral health‐related parameters and the abnormal results of TFTs. Results: A total of 18,034 adults were surveyed. Histories of thyroid diseases were found to be more common in people who brushed their teeth frequently or used oral hygiene products. However, histories of periodontitis and community periodontal index (CPI) did not show significant associations with histories of thyroid diseases. Among 14,860 participants without history of thyroid disorders, people having higher CPI values demonstrated higher probabilities of abnormal TFTs (OR 1.381, 95% CI 1.241‒1.537, p <.0001); however, statistical significance was not found after adjusting for the other variables. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that good oral health‐related behavior was associated with more frequent thyroid disease history. High CPI showed a significant association with TFT abnormalities; however, the significance of this association became lower when other variables such as age and sex were adjusted. Further studies will be needed to determine how the control of oral health‐related conditions actually has a causal relationship with thyroid disease/dysfunction through prospective cohort studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Patient education and oral hygiene instruction (OHI) communication play a key role in the dental hygiene process of care. The purpose of this study was to determine whether brief motivational interviewing (BMI) was superior to traditional OHI in improving periodontal health. Chairside time needed to deliver traditional OHI as compared to BMI was also compared. Methods: A convenience sample of 60 participants were randomized into two groups. The control group received traditional OHI and the test group received BMI. Periodontal indicators of disease were collected by a blinded examiner. Interventions for both groups and data collection occurred at four time points over a 12-month period. Periodontal outcome measures were plaque score, bleeding on probing (BOP), and gingival index (GI). Results: Both groups showed significant reductions in plaque score, BOP, and GI over time. The control group had an improvement in plaque score compared to the test group at visit three (p=0.05) and at visit four (p=0.03). The test group had an improvement in GI score compared to the control group at visit four (p=0.03). Chairside time was shorter in the control (OHI) group at each time point (p<0.01). Conclusion: Both traditional OHI and BMI patient education communication methods improved periodontal outcomes measured by plaque score, BOP, and GI. The inclusion of BMI in patient education sessions was demonstrated to be feasible within the time constraints of the dental hygiene recare appointment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Regardless of attaining adequate knowledge regarding oral hygiene, physical activity, and healthy eating habits, dental students still face oral health problems. This study was aimed to assess the association of oral hygiene habits, physical activity, and eating habits with the BMI in the dental students. Method: This multi centric cross-sectional study was conducted from January to May 2021 in Pakistan. Three hundred and eighty-six study participants enrolled as undergraduate dental students, both males and females, were included in the study. A questionnaire used to gather data, was modified from a study conducted by Jouhar et al. Chi-square testing was used in order to assess the relationship between two categorical variables. Linear regression was performed to assess the association with putative confounders. Statistical significance was considered for p value < 0.05. Results: Regarding brushing teeth, 57% of the underweight individuals brushed once daily, 69.8% of the healthy, 79.2% of overweight, and 48% of obese participants brushed twice. Horizontal brushing technique was performed by 50% of the underweight participants, followed by scrub technique. A soft bristled brush was frequently used by underweight (42.9%) and healthy (66%) individuals, while a medium textured bristle brush was used by overweight (62.3%) and obese (54.2%) participants. Majority of the underweight (64.3%), overweight (48.1%), and 45.8% of obese individuals had meals thrice a day, while healthy (62.3%) individuals had meals twice a day. Conclusion: This study further intensified the contributing role of having an excessive dietary intake and sugar consumption in causing obesity and dental caries. Findings from the current study, identify a statistically significant relationship that exists between BMI levels with oral hygiene, eating habits and the physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Assessing patient satisfaction with dental prosthesis is usually difficult if the prosthesis does not fulfill the treatment need of the patient, and in most cases, the professionals' assessment of the prosthesis differs from the patients' perception of quality and treatment outcome. Patient satisfaction is important for the proper utilization of the prosthesis which helps improve the patients' overall quality of life and that remains the professionals' ultimate goal. The aim of this study was to assess the quality and utilization of dental prostheses and their impact on patient satisfaction. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1312 participants aged 18 years and above using a house-to-house approach among the rural population of Mangalore taluk. The study involved the completion of a predesigned and structured pro forma based on the WHO oral health assessment form. Evaluation of the prosthesis, and its quality was done by the professional. Fisher's exact test and odds ratio were conducted to find the significance of variables. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: It was found that the retention and chewing efficiency of the complete denture had a positive comparison that was statistically significant. The retention of the partial denture wearers had a positive correlation between the patient perception and the professional assessment. In fixed partial dentures candidates, there was a statistically significant comparison between their perception and professionals' assessment with regard to hygiene and periodontal health. Conclusion: Most of the completely edentulous patients residing in the rural population of Mangalore taluk are quite satisfied with their prosthesis, whereas the professional assessment revealed that the older denture lacked retention, occlusion, and hygiene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Post-stroke inpatients are at risk of poor oral health for a number of reasons. The aim of this study was to assess the oral health status of post-stroke patients and also to explore the factors that may influence it. Methods: This cross-sectional study was organised at National Institute for Medical Rehabilitation in Hungary. Altogether 410 post-stroke patients were enrolled in the survey. Personal medical history and functional assessment was obtained from the final medical reports of the patients. The clinical examination and data collection were conducted according to the World Health Organization (2013) criteria. Socio-demographic background and behaviours related to oral health were assessed using a questionnaire. The dental status was explained by the number of Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT). The association of socio-demographic factors, stroke and functional assessment with oral health status and behaviour was evaluated. Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, Welch test, Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, ANOVA model and correlation analysis were used to analyse our data. The level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: Mean age of stroke patients was 59.21(Standard Deviation [SD] 14.74) years. Mean DMFT score was 20.13 (8.08), including 3.28 (4.24) decayed teeth, 15.02 (10.29) missing teeth and 1.83 (2.94) filled teeth score. Factors that influenced the oral health status were gender, age, occupational status, level of education, type and risk factors for stroke. Significant correlation was found between the Functional Independence Measure and oral health-related behaviours with patients brushing their teeth once a month showing the lowest value. Conclusion: According to the results, low socio-demographic and economic status, low level of education and the Functional Independence Measure score, unemployment, the combination of risk factors for stroke and residual dysfunctions are associated with poor oral health status. The data indicate that a series of changes are needed, for special attention and care in oral health for patients who have had a stroke. Based on the findings of this research, a new model of prevention and care can be developed, with an interdisciplinary collaboration, to promote the quality of life of these individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background - The ability to predict its preference may pave the way towards better coping strategies and help dentists in proper treatment decisions. Aim - The aim of this study is to assess the correlation between OHI and class 3 and 4 caries in patients visiting different outpatient departments of private dental college hospital, Chennai. Materials and method - All the cases referred from the month of September 2020 to February 2021 for class 3 and 4 caries were chosen for the study. Data was collected from the dental hospital record system. Result data was tabulated in excel and imported to SPSS for correlation and association. Chi square statistical test was performed for statistical significance. P<0.05 was considered to be the level of statistical significance in this study. Results - Within the limits of the present study, with an increasing score of oral hygiene index, the prevalence of caries also increases with high male preponderance among the age group of above 60 years. The probability value of the study is p = 0.041 and hence the study is statistically significant. Conclusion - it was found that there is a significant correlation between oral hygiene index and class 3, 4 caries. Knowledge about the correlation between OHI and caries will be helpful to the clinician to plan the treatment protocol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Dental caries are a common infectious disease of childhood. It is a highly prevalent disease among children. Aim. The goal of this study was to assess the different brushing techniques used by school children and to identify if there is an association between brushing techniques and dental caries. Materials and Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 396 school children (9–12 years old) chosen by convenience sampling technique from schools located in Omdurman locality, Sudan. After consent was taken, students were asked in an interview-based questionnaire about their brushing habits. Consequently, they were examined in an upright position using a sterile mouth mirror and a probe. The examination was carried out by a single examiner to investigate the presence of dental caries. The diagnosis was done based on the World Health Organization diagnostic criteria 2013. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and comparison between values using the chi-square test with a P value <0.05. Results. The present study found that the prevalence of dental caries is 70.9%. The combined brushing technique was the most used technique (42.9%). There was no statistical significance between brushing techniques and dental caries (P value ≤0.330). There was a statistical significance between the periodic change of the toothbrush and dental caries (P value ≤0.001). There was statistical significance between the level of education of the mother (P value ≤0.001) and father (P value ≤0.012) to the brushing technique used by the child as well. Conclusion. Due to a lack of awareness consequent of lower socioeconomic status, only a few percentage of the Sudanese population knows how to implement the correct oral hygiene practices to combat dental caries. It is important to design a specific public health program that particularly targets families of low socioeconomic status, which represents the majority. Dental caries persist as a widespread condition in Sudan as a result of a deficit in these kinds of programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to determine the influence of maternal factors on their children's oral health. Materials and Methods: A total of 148 individuals aged between 5 and 14 years were included in this study. The children were randomly selected from their Dental Hospital Files. The oral hygiene habits and the examinations of the children and their mothers were evaluated. Clinical examination included decayed, missing or filled permanent teeth and decayed missed filled primary tooth indices. Statistical analyses were performed using Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis and Correlations test. Results: The main finding of this study is that the mothers' socioeconomic status significantly affects their children's caries frequency. The caries incidence of those children whose mothers have high income was lower than those of children whose mothers have either moderate or low income. A relationship was found between the mothers' level of education and their children's toothbrushing habit. As the frequency of toothbrushing by the mothers increased, the frequency of toothbrushing by their children increased. It was found that as the mothers' age increased, the caries frequency of their children decreased. Conclusion: A statistically significant result was found between the caries indices of children and the economic level of their mothers. A positive correlation between the mothers' level of education and the frequency of toothbrushing by their children was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Constraints in dental access and limitations associated with service delivery necessitate the use of an appointment system in patient care. This research aimed to identify association between treatment appointments and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) in dental patients at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive study that surveyed 412 individuals. Socio-demographic, clinical history, and OHRQOL data was collected using a structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess inconvenience while the oral health impact profile-14 was used for OHRQOL assessment at baseline and at review. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS while ANOVA and Chi-square tests were used to determined significant association. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Most (175; 45.2%) dental appointments were within a month although 59 (15.2%) individuals had to wait for more than 6 months. Using VAS, 87 (22.5%) individuals were moderately inconvenienced while 68 (17.6%) were extremely inconvenienced. At baseline, the most commonly reported oral health quality of life impacts were within the dimensions "physical pain" and "psychological discomfort." At review, there was increase in OHRQOL scores in the subdomains of pain (2.27 ± 1.80), self-consciousness (1.67 ± 1.15), discomfort on chewing (1.61 ± 1.13), and pronouncing words (1.49 ± 2.21). The highest mean impact score (2.27 ± 1.80) was observed in the subdomain of painful aching in the mouth. Conclusion: Dental appointments appear to result in worse OHRQOL. Since the appointment systems in public oral health facilities may have a direct bearing on OHRQOL of patients, quality control standards on dental appointments should be established and enforced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Early childhood caries is the most common chronic disease of children and a worldwide health problem due to its high prevalence. Maintaining oral hygiene is the first step towards prevention, with parental education being a key factor influencing oral health. The increasing popularity of the Internet as an information source has led to the need to evaluate the reliability and quality of existing information. The aim of the present study was to review YouTube videos on oral hygiene procedures for children and to assess them in terms of their usefulness as a means of educating parents. Methods: A search of YouTube was performed using the keywords "child tooth brushing." Video lengths, dates of upload, numbers of total views, likes, dislikes and comments were collected. Viewing rates and interaction rates were then calculated. Two dentists independently evaluated the included videos' usefulness in terms of their content. Results: The majority of the 90 included videos (68.8%) were uploaded by health‐related professionals or websites. Many of the videos were found to be moderately useful (45.6%), with a smaller percentage found to be slightly useful (31.1%). The percentage of very useful videos was 17.8%. Parental supervision during brushing was highlighted in most of the videos (77.7%), while the importance of parents' brushing for modelling (15.5%) was mentioned the least. Conclusions: YouTube videos can be used as a useful source for parental education. However, there is a need to improve the quality of the education provided by public health and oral health professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the impact of gustatory stimulants of salivary secretion (GSSS) on Sjögren's syndrome patients' self‐perception of xerostomia, oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) and salivary secretion. Methods: A total of 110 Sjögren's syndrome patients were randomly allocated to be treated with either a malic acid lozenge or a citric acid mouthwash and then crossed over. Before and after the interventions, the Xerostomia Inventory 5 (SXI‐5‐PL) and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP‐14‐PT) questionnaires (both in the Portuguese language) were administered to patients. Unstimulated, mechanical and gustatory‐stimulated salivary flows were determined. Repeated measures and between‐subject analyses were performed. Statistical significance was set at 5%. Results: After the intervention and within each group, both GSSS elicited a reduction in the SXI‐5‐PL and OHIP‐14‐PT scores and an increase in salivary output, significant in the malic acid lozenge group. The malic acid treatment resulted in a greater effect size and percentage improvement than citric acid mouthwash. The malic acid lozenge also produced a significant greater salivary output than the citric acid rising solution. Conclusions: In Sjögren's syndrome patients, lozenges containing malic acid increased saliva production and xerostomia relief, resulting in improved quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral health is not only limited to healthy teeth and gums, but it is really interconnected to the general health. Oral cavity frequently reveals the existence of eating disorders, blood diseases, endocrine and metabolic disorders, which may be the result of microbial infections, immune disorders and medications. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and habits of patients and physicians concerning oral care and moreover to compare their knowledge about the relationship between oral and general health. A questionnaire was developed by the authors and distributed to all 94 primary care general practitioners who worked at public health units in Cyprus and 550 dental patients. A two sided p-value equal to 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The SPSS program, version 19.0 was used for statistical analysis. The mean score of dental patients' knowledge regarding oral health was found poor, just 3.7/10, while physicians score was higher 6.4/10 (p < 0.001). More than half of patients (55.5%) and 29.5% of physicians reported that the reason for their last visit to a dentist was an emergency situation. Dental patients with higher educational level and patients who have been informed about the significance of oral health by their doctors visited 4.4 and 1.9 times more often dentist within 6 or 12 months compared to those with low educational level (p < 0.001/p = 0.005 respectively). Patients' and physicians' level of knowledge, behavior and perceptions about oral health are not satisfactory and these results underline the necessity for improving relevant health promotion programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study aimed to investigate natural remedies use (NRU) for oral diseases among female patients. Methods: Dental patients attending the female section of Taibah University Dental Hospital were invited to complete an online questionnaire which explored demographic data, and pattern of NRU for oral diseases. Results: A total of 540 patients participated in the survey. A total of 232 patients (43%) used natural remedies to treat oral diseases. The most commonly cited reasons for NRU were financial reasons (n=79, 34.1%). The practice had a statistically significant association with older participants (p=0.003), and those working as employees (p=0.031). Most of the natural remedies used (n=17) were herbal, with cloves (71.1%) and miswak (26.7%) being the most frequently reported. Acute dental pain (n=157, 67.7%) and halitosis (n= 51, 22%) were the most frequently cited oral conditions associated with NRU. A percentage of 87.1% of patients using natural remedies (n=202) perceived improvement of symptoms upon use of natural remedies, however, 2.2% (n=5) reported complications. Conclusions: Substantial proportion of patients use natural remedies to treat their oral disease. Patients were mostly satisfied with natural remedies in terms of effectiveness and lack of complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abuse of methamphetamine (meth), a potent central nervous system stimulant, has been associated with significant dental disease. Current descriptions of "meth mouth" are limited in their scope and fail to illuminate the potential pathogenic mechanisms of meth for oral disease. The purpose of this pilot study was to characterize the oral health of subject with a history of meth abuse as compared to nonabusing control subjects. A total of 28meth abusers and 16 control subjects were enrolled. Interviews and surveys regarding meth abuse, dental history, oral hygiene, and diet were collected. A comprehensive oral cavity examination including salivary characterization was completed. We observedsignificantly higher rates of decayed surfaces, missing teeth, tooth wear, plaque, and calculus among meth abusers. No significant difference in salivary flow rates were noted, yet results showed significant trends for lower pH and decreased buffering capacity.These findings suggest that salivary quality may play a more important role in meth mouth than previously considered. Salivary analysis may be useful when managing a dental patient with history of methamphetamine abuse [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To examine the association between temporomandibular joint (TMJ) symptoms and the global self-rating of oral health, concerns about oral health, and a history of jaw injury or third molar extraction in a representative Korean population. Methods: From the Korean National Oral Health Survey 2006, 4,546 adults aged 18 years and older were included in the analysis. The dependent variable was TMJ symptoms. The independent variables were the global self-rating of oral health, concerns about oral health, and a history of jaw injury or third molar extraction. The demographic information (age and gender), socioeconomic status (education level, monthly household income, vocation, and residence), and behavioral factors (recent dental visit and smoking) were evaluated as confounders. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were applied. Results: The overall prevalence of TMJ symptoms in Koreans was 15.3%. The younger, more educated, middle class, those employed in office and sales, and those who resided in city areas had more TMJ symptoms. The TMJ symptoms were significantly associated with the global self-rating of oral health, concerns about oral health, and history of jaw injury. No significant association was found between the TMJ symptoms and a history of a third molar extraction. The global self-rating of oral health, concerns about oral health, and history of jaw injury had a dose-effect relationship with the severity of TMJ symptoms. Age and gender modified the effect of the global self-rating of oral health, concerns about oral health, and the history of jaw injury on TMJ symptoms. Conclusion: The global self-rating of oral health, concerns about oral health, and a history of jaw injury might be associated with TMJ symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brief Background Children from Municipal Corporation and Private schools in India generally come from lower and higher socio-economic strata in the society respectively. It was necessary to know the day-to-day oral hygiene habits followed by them. The study will thus evaluate and throw light on the areas of lacunae regarding oral care amongst the torch-bearers of the community. The necessary oral health awareness and motivation for oral hygiene can be programmed accordingly. Materials and Methods A short observational comparative study was undertaken with the distribution of the close-ended questionnaires to 50 age-matched subjects from both the schools. The data collected was represented in the graphical manner as per the ratings given to the questions with respect to their medical significance for comparison and statistical analysis. The "Z" test was applied to compare the proportions of the two independent groups. Results Barring only a few factors that contribute to oral health which were found better in Municipal Corporation School, the overall oral hygiene habits were found to be better rooted in the similar group of children from the Private School with statistical significance. Summary and Conclusions There is a drastic need to promote oral health education and dental check-up programs for the children of low socio-economic strata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the relationship between ADL and oral health status in older adults. Design and Sample: Quantitative, analytical, cross‐sectional research with 280 people aged ≥60 in public primary health care centers in the city of Fortaleza, Northeastern Brazil. Measures: Collection of sociodemographic data, oral discomfort data, and general health data and application of the Community Oral Health Indicator—COHI and the activities of daily living scale. Results: Significant differences in functional dependence were found between age groups (p < .001), incomes (p = .034), and levels of education (p = .003). Tooth loss (OR = 2.13; p = 0.025), having no teeth (OR = 2.97), difficulties in chewing and swallowing food (OR = 2.56; p = 0.003), problems with taste of food (OR = 2.06; p = .044), poor self‐rated general health (OR = 3.7; p = .001), hearing problems (OR = 2.23; p = .009) and speech problems (OR = 3.15; p = .002) increased chances for functional dependence. Dependent individuals were less likely to use toothpaste, thereby increasing the potential for caries (p = .013). Age 80 or older (p < .001), ages 70–79 (p < .001), three or more visible dental cavities (p = .030) and difficulty chewing and swallowing food (p = .027) remained associated with dependence in ADL in the logistic regression model. Conclusion: Functional dependence in activities of daily living has implications for the oral health status of older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to examine "intention to" and "performance of" oral hygiene care to stroke patients using the Theory of Planned Behavior. Materials and methods: A large scale survey of 13 centers in Malaysia was conducted involving 806 nurses in relation to oral hygiene care intentions and practices. In addition, information on personal and environmental factors was collected. Results: The response rate was 95.6% (778/806). The domains of the Theory of Planned Behavior were significantly associated with general intention to perform oral hygiene care: attitudes (b=0.21, p<0.001), subjective norms (b=0.38, p<0.001), perceived behavior control (b=0.04, p<0.001); after controlling for personal and environmental factors. Approximately two-thirds (63.4%, 493) reported the performance of some form of oral hygiene care for patients. This behavior was associated with general intention scores (OR =1.13, 95%CI =1.05-1.22, p<0.01), controlling for other factors. Knowledge scores, training, access to oral hygiene guidelines and kits, as well as working ward type were identified as key factors associated with intention and practice of oral hygiene care. Conclusion: The Theory of Planned Behavior provides understanding of "intention to" and "performance of" oral hygiene care to stroke patients. Several provider and environmental factors were also associated with intentions and practices. This has implications for understanding and improving the implementation of oral hygiene care in stroke rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose As a means to identify and quantify oral health interprofessional collaborative practice (IPP), we examined participant-described medical-to-dental (M2D) referral networks and how they function across rurality. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey on the appraisal of IPP referral systems in 2016. Secondarily, we examined if rural health clinics (RHCs) have different experiences with M2D referrals compared to other practice types. Independent variables included geographic and organizational indicators, referral system attributes, and respondent characteristics. Data were coded by Census region and state Medicaid expansion status. Bivariable and multivariable analyses were conducted using SAS. Findings A convenience cohort (n = 559) from 44 states was examined. Nearly, half (48.7%) reported dependable M2D referral systems. In bivariate analysis, all independent variables were significant except for state Medicaid expansion status. In multivariable analysis, Census region retained significance ( P = .0093). Organization type and practice issues with no shows/missed appointments continued to have significance ( P < .001 and .002, respectively). Accountable care organizations were over 5 times (5.72, P = .001) more likely than RHCs to report dependable M2D referral systems. Federally qualified health clinics were slightly over 3 times more likely than RHCs to report dependable M2D referral (3.04, P < .001). No differences between RHCs and other private practices were observed. Conclusions The importance of IPP continues to be promoted in the current health care environment. Our study demonstrates that, in this motivated study population, M2D referrals can work well, even in rural areas. Organization type, directionality of referral, broken appointment rates, and electronic health information management were all found to significantly impact the respondents' rating on the dependability of an M2D referral process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of the study was to assess the oral health status and treatment needs and correlation between dental caries susceptibility and salivary pH, buffering capacity and total antioxidant capacity among students attending special schools of Mangalore city. Materials and Methods: In this study 361 subjects in the age range of 12-18 years were divided into normal (n = 84), physically challenged (n = 68), and mentally challenged (n = 209) groups. Their oral health status and treatment needs were recorded using the modified WHO oral health assessment proforma. Saliva was collected to estimate the salivary parameters. Statistical analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 17. Chicago. Results: On examining, the dentition status of the study subjects, the mean number of decayed teeth was 1.57 for the normal, 2.54 for the physically challenged and 4.41 for the mentally challenged study subjects. These results were highly statistically significant (P < 0.001). The treatment needs of the study subjects revealed that the mean number of teeth requiring pulp care and restoration were 1 for the normal, 0.12 for the physically challenged, and 1.21 for the mentally challenged study subjects. These results were highly statistically significant (P < 0.001). The mean salivary pH and buffering capacity were found to be lowest among the mentally challenged subjects. Physically challenged group had the lowest mean total antioxidant capacity among the study subjects. Among the study subjects, normal students had the highest mean salivary pH, buffering capacity, and total antioxidant capacity. These results were highly statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: This better dentition status of the normal compared to the physically and mentally challenged study subjects could be due to their improved quality of oral health practices. The difference in the treatment needs could be due to the higher prevalence of untreated dental caries and also due to the neglected oral health care among the mentally challenged study subjects. The salivary pH and buffering capacity were comparatively lower among the physically and mentally challenged study subjects which could contribute to their increased caries experience compared to the normal study subjects. However, further studies are needed to establish a more conclusive result on the total anti-oxidant capacity of the saliva and dental caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective and background The objectives were to compare periodontal status between subjects with and without Parkinson's disease ( PKD) to determine the influence of PKD on periodontal disease. This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship of periodontal status with severity of PKD. Materials and methods This study was conducted on 45 subjects with PKD (subjects with PKD were divided into 5 groups from group 2 to group 6 according to Hoehn and Yahr stages) and 46 control subjects (group 1). Probing depth ( PD), clinical attachment level ( CAL), gingival index ( GI), plaque index ( PI) and percentage of bleeding sites (%BoP) were evaluated. All subjects were interviewed regarding their practice of oral hygiene and access to professional dental care. Results There were statistically significant differences in PD, CAL, GI, PI and %BoP in subjects with PKD and controls ( p < 0.001). All the evaluated periodontal clinical parameters and indices deteriorate with increase in severity of PKD. The mean PD value increased from 2.75 mm for group 1 to 6.17 mm for group 6, and mean CAL value increased from 3.14 mm for group 1 to 6.74 mm for group 6. The mean GI, PI and %BoP values increased from 0.55, 1.35 and 20.37 to 2.66, 3.80 and 70.86, respectively with increasing severity of PKD. Conclusion There is a need for dental care and encouragement to use plaque control methods for subjects with PKD as periodontal pathology presented a high prevalence even in the early stages of PKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of saliva in maintaining oral health and homeostasis is based on its physicochemical properties and biological activities of its components, including salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA). Both salivary rates and immunological status of saliva are found to be compromised in smokers. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute time-dependent effect of smoking and black currant consumption on the salivary flow rate (SFR) and salivary IgA secretion rate (sIgA SR) in healthy smokers. SFR, sIgA levels in saliva, and sIgA SRs were determined in healthy smokers ( n=8) at eight times of assessment within three consecutive interventions: at the baseline; 5, 30, and 60 min after smoking; 5, 30, and 60 min after black currant consumption (100 g), followed by smoking; and 5 min after black currant consumption. Smoking induced a significant delayed effect on SFR measured 60 min after smoking ( P=.03), while black currant consumption preceding smoking prevented that effect. Salivary IgA concentrations and sIgA flow rates were not acutely influenced by smoking. Black currant consumption preceding smoking induced a significant decrease in sIgA concentrations 5 min after the intervention compared with the baseline ( P=.046), with a further increasing trend, statistically significant, 60 min after the intervention ( P=.025). Although smoking cessation is the most important strategy in the prevention of chronic diseases, the obtained results suggest that the influence of black currant consumption on negative effects of tobacco smoke on salivary flow and immunological status of saliva could partly reduce the smoking-associated risk on oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To examine the association between children's clinical oral health status and their residential location using the latest available data (2009) and to ascertain whether poor oral health among rural children is related to being Indigenous, having less access to fluoridated water or being of lower socioeconomic status ( SES), than children from urban areas. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting and participant Data were collected on 74 467 children aged 5-12 years attending school dental services in Australia (data were not available for Victoria or New South Wales). Main outcome measures Clinical oral health was determined by the mean number of permanent teeth with untreated caries, missing and filled permanent teeth, and the mean decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth index ( DMFT) of 8 to 12-year-old-children and the mean number deciduous teeth with untreated caries, missing and filled deciduous teeth, and the mean decayed, missing and filled deciduous teeth index (dmft) of 5-10-year-olds. Results The multivariable models that included coefficients on whether the child was Indigenous, from an area with fluoridated water and SES, were controlled for age and sex. The mean DMFT of 8-12-year-old children and the mean dmft of 5-10-year-old-children were significantly higher in rural areas compared with urban centres after accounting for Indigenous status, fluoridated water and SES. Conclusion Children's oral health was poorer in rural areas than in major city areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]