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Background: The current study explored the perspectives of preparedness for dental practice from a range of relevant stakeholders (i.e., educators, employers, final-year students, graduates, practitioners, and professional associations) using an anonymous online survey in which participants described either their preparedness for practice, or the preparedness of graduates they have encountered, across six domains., Results: A total of 120 participants completed the survey. Participants were from several Australian states and territories; regional, rural, and urban locations; and working in the public and private sector. Students and new graduates generally felt prepared for activities in all the identified domains. Stakeholders reported consistently that the knowledge of dental profession graduates was at the required level to enter practice in Australia in a safe way. Activities involving the knowledge of clinical entrepreneurship and financial solvency were the dimensions where students and graduates felt least prepared (e.g., explaining fees, negotiating finances). In the domains involving clinical and technical competencies, students and new graduates self-assessed as less prepared around managing dental trauma and medical emergencies. On the other hand, activities around social and community orientation, and to a lesser extent professional attitudes and ethical judgements, were the dimensions where students and graduates felt the most prepared., Conclusions: Present findings indicate that there appear to be good standards of preparedness for practice for graduate dental professionals. This exploratory study provides insights into the nature of preparedness for Australian dental professionals and provides a basis for targeting education and professional development to address areas of need., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: As part of an evaluation of an oral healthcare practice-based model that identifies patients with prediabetes or type-2 diabetes, this study reports on the proportion of patients identified with clinically confirmed type-2 diabetes (T2D)/prediabetes and barriers of implementation of the model., Methodology: Urban and rural oral healthcare practices were invited to participate. Participating practices invited eligible patients to participate in the screening program using the Australian Type-2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool (AUSDRISK). Participants were categorised as low, intermediate, or high-risk for prediabetes/T2D. Patients in the intermediate or high-risk category were referred to their General Medical Practitioner (GP) for further investigation., Results: Fifty-one oral healthcare practices and 76 Oral Health Professionals (OHP) participated (60 Dentists, 8 Dental Hygienists, 8 Oral Health Therapists). 797 patients were screened; 102 were low-risk; 331 intermediate-risk; and 364 high-risk for T2D. Of the 695 participants in the intermediate or high-risk groups, 386 (55.5%) were referred to their GP for T2D assessment. Of them, 96 (25.0%) results were returned to OHPs. Of the returned results, six were (6.3%) diagnosed with pre-T2D., Conclusion: Patients found to have undiagnosed T2D/prediabetes (6.3%) were within the expected range reported in the literature. Findings indicate that identifying individuals at an elevated risk of having or developing T2D is effective, feasible and could be incorporated into oral healthcare settings. However, this integration may require additional OHPs training and education to ensure that patients at elevated risk of T2D are referred for further assessment., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: As part of a larger study on the identification of undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes (T2D), and prediabetes patients in dental settings, this study explored oral healthcare professionals' (OHP) attitudes with respect to the relevance and appropriateness of screening for prediabetes/T2D in general oral healthcare settings. It also aims to gain a deeper understanding of OHPs' concerns and perceived barriers to screening for T2D., Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 OHPs: eight dentists, two dental hygienists and one oral health therapist. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis., Results: Themes that emerged from the interviews were organised under three major categories: 1) Implementation: OHPs willingness to screen for prediabetes/T2D; 2) Barriers to implementation of screenings; subdivided into: a) lack of knowledge and formal training about T2D screening methodology; b) concerns about patients' awareness and acceptance of T2D screening in oral healthcare settings; c) costs and reimbursement for the time and resources required to screen patients; and d) legal and scope of practice; and 3) Collaboration and communication between OHPs and General practitioners (GP)., Conclusions: The oral healthcare setting was considered as appropriate for medical screening, and OHPs were willing to participate in screening for prediabetes/T2D. Nonetheless, for the successful implementation of a screening programme, several barriers need to be addressed, and effective medical screening would require collaboration between oral health and medical and other health professionals, as well as clarification of legal and reimbursement issues., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Clinical trials and laboratory studies from around the world have shown that GC Tooth Mousse Plus ® (TMP) is effective in protecting teeth from tooth decay and erosion, buffering dental plaque pH, remineralising white spot lesions and reducing dentine hypersensitivity. However, no other study has assessed the experiences of oral health, before, during and after individuals becoming regular users of TMP. The aim of this study was to identify how participants' oral health status changed after introducing TMP into their oral hygiene routine., Methods: A qualitative study using Charmaz's grounded theory methodology was conducted. Fifteen purposively sampled regular users of TMP were interviewed. Transcripts were analysed after each interview. Data analysis consisted of transcript coding, detailed memo writing, and data interpretation., Results: Participants described their experiences of oral health and disease, before, during and after introducing TMP into their daily oral hygiene routine, together with the historical, biological, financial, psychosocial, and habitual dimensions of their experiences. Before becoming a regular user of TMP, participants described themselves as having a damaged mouth with vulnerable teeth, dry mouth, and sensitivity. Various aspects of participants' histories were relevant, such as, family history and history of oral disease. Having a damaged mouth with vulnerable teeth, dry mouth and sensitivity was explained by those elements. Despite some initial barriers, once being prescribed TMP by a dental professional, a three-fold process of change was initiated: starting a new oral hygiene routine, persevering daily, and experiencing reinforcing outcomes. This process led to a fundamental lifestyle change. Participants transitioned from having a damaged mouth with vulnerable teeth to having a comfortable mouth with strong teeth; at the same time participants felt empowered by this newly found status of being able to keep their teeth for life. Barriers and facilitators for incorporating TMP on daily oral hygiene routine were also identified., Conclusions: Participants valued having a comfortable mouth with strong teeth, which did not require repeated restorations. Seeing concrete results in their mouths and experiencing a more comfortable mouth boosted adherence to daily applications of TMP, which was maintained over time.

Background: Amblyopia ("lazy eye") is the commonest vision deficit in children. If not fully corrected by glasses, amblyopia is treated by patching or blurring the better-seeing eye. Compliance with patching is often poor. Computer-based activities are increasingly topical, both as an adjunct to standard treatment and as a platform for novel treatments. Acceptability by families has not been explored, and feasibility of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) using computer games in terms of recruitment and treatment acceptability is uncertain., Methods: We carried out a pilot RCT to test whether computer-based activities are acceptable and accessible to families and to test trial methods such as recruitment and retention rates, randomisation, trial-specific data collection tools and analysis. The trial had three arms: standard near activity advice, Eye Five, a package developed for children with amblyopia, and an off-the-shelf handheld games console with pre-installed games. We enrolled 60 children age 3-8 years with moderate or severe amblyopia after completion of optical treatment., Results: This trial was registered as UKCRN-ID 11074. Pre-screening of 3600 medical notes identified 189 potentially eligible children, of whom 60 remained eligible after optical treatment, and were enrolled between April 2012 and March 2013. One participant was randomised twice and withdrawn from the study. Of the 58 remaining, 37 were boys. The mean (SD) age was 4.6 (1.7) years. Thirty-seven had moderate and 21 severe amblyopia. Three participants were withdrawn at week 6, and in total, four were lost to follow-up at week 12. Most children and parents/carers found the study procedures, i.e. occlusion treatment, usage of the allocated near activity and completion of a study diary, easy. The prescribed cumulative dose of near activity was 84 h at 12 weeks. Reported near activity usage numbers were close to prescribed numbers in moderate amblyopes (94 % of prescribed) but markedly less in severe amblyopes (64 %). Reported occlusion usage at 12 weeks was 90 % of prescribed dose for moderate and 33 % for severe amblyopes., Conclusions: Computer-based games and activities appear acceptable to families as part of their child's amblyopia treatment. Trial methods were appropriate and accepted by families.

Perioperative hyperglycaemia is associated with poor outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Frequent postoperative hyperglycaemia in cardiac surgery patients has led to the initiation of an insulin infusion sliding scale for quality improvement. A systematic review was conducted to determine whether a protocol-directed insulin infusion sliding scale is as safe and effective as a conventional practitioner-directed insulin infusion sliding scale, within target blood glucose ranges. A literature survey was conducted to identify reports on the effectiveness and safety of an insulin infusion protocol, using seven electronic databases from 2000 to 2012: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, the Joanna Briggs Institute Library and SIGLE. Data were extracted using pre-determined systematic review and meta-analysis criteria. Seven research studies met the inclusion criteria. There was an improvement in overall glycaemic control in five of these studies. The implementation of protocols led to the achievement of blood glucose concentration targets more rapidly and the maintenance of a specified target blood glucose range for a longer time, without any increased frequency of hyperglycaemia. Of the seven studies, four used controls and three had no controls. In terms of the meta-analysis carried out, four studies revealed a failure of patients reaching target blood glucose levels (P < 0.0005) in the control group compared with patients in the protocol group. The risk of hypoglycaemia was significantly reduced (P <0.00001) between studies. It can be concluded that the protocol-directed insulin infusion sliding scale is safe and improves blood glucose control when compared with the conventional practitioner-directed insulin infusion sliding scale. This study supports the adoption of a protocol-directed insulin infusion sliding scale as a standard of care for post-cardiac surgery patients.

Background: To determine the rate of glaucoma following congenital cataract surgery at Moorfields Eye Hospital (MEH), and to investigate potential risk factors for glaucoma in our case series., Methods: A retrospective case notes review was undertaken of all congenital cataract lensectomies performed at MEH between 1994 and 2000. The following parameters were ascertained: age at surgery, unilateral or bilateral cataract, whether a posterior capsulotomy (PC) was performed at the time of surgery, whether an intraocular lens (IOL) was inserted, duration of follow-up, and if aphakic glaucoma (AG) developed. All lensectomies were performed through a limbal incision by a single consultant surgeon., Results: A total of 47 subjects were identified - 40 patients with bilateral cataracts and 7 with unilateral. Of the 40 bilateral cataract patients, 76 eyes had lensectomies; with 37 of these patients (71 lensectomies) having at least 5 year follow-up. Based on patient count, the 5 year risk of AG in at least one eye following surgery was 21.6%. Based on eye count, the 5 year risk of AG after lensectomy was 15.5%. The average age at surgery of patients who did not develop AG, and had at least 5 years follow-up, was 28.7 months (range 2 weeks to 6 years), with 20% having surgery within the first month of life. In comparison, the average age at surgery of patients with at least 5 years follow-up, who developed AG was 1.6 months (range 2 weeks to 7 months), with 60% having surgery within the first month of life. In subjects with at least 5 years follow-up, a PC rate of 100% was identified in the eyes that developed AG, compared to 61% in eyes that did not develop AG. An IOL was inserted in O% of eyes with AG, compared to 57% in eyes that did not develop AG. Onset of AG ranged from one month post surgery to 7 years, with an average yearly incidence of 5.3%., Conclusion: Early surgery in patients with bilateral cataracts is associated with a marked increase in risk of AG. Our data suggest that an intact posterior capsule may be associated with a lower rate of AG.