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BackgroundComparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people's health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic.ObjectivesData were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people's thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID-19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID-19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself.MethodsUsing online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5-8 of the UK COVID-19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile.FindingsRespondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID-19-related risks in the short term (P

Aims: This scoping review aimed to document tools designed to identify persons requiring special care dentistry (SCD) and to provide a better understanding of the factors that justify adaptation in the provision of care. Methods: A scoping review methodology was applied. An electronic search was performed in April 2021 using Pubmed and Embase. Additional tools were sought using hand searches and informal professional networking. Results: Ten tools were identified that either predict the complexity of dental management or that retrospectively judge the complexity of care, of which two are as yet unpublished. Some had been developed for a specific population (e.g., patients with Alzheimer's disease, with learning disability, elderly persons) whilst others were applicable for any population (case mix tools). Factors considered included the patient's medical history, ability to cooperate, physical and cognitive autonomy, communication skills, anxiety, need for sedation, oral risk factors, ability to consent and the administrative burden for the dentist. Conclusion: Identifying persons requiring SCD is possible by looking at various factors that influence the provision of dental care. There may be need for adaptation of tools to local circumstances and to the intended usage of the tool at a health services, systems or policy level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to review the qualitative scientific literature investigating experience of the mouth and oral health amongst adults with disabilities and/or complex health conditions. Methods: A scoping review methodology was applied in accordance with the methodological framework of Arksey & O'Malley and the PRISMA‐SCR checklist. Electronic searching was performed using the databases Pubmed, Embase, and PsychInfo. Results: Thirty articles were included in the final selection. The populations included in the selected studies were very varied in terms of health conditions and disabilities. Three major themes relating to the experience and understanding of the mouth, oral health, and function were highlighted in the review: the representation of oral health, the influence of oral health on the participant's life, and the influence of the socio‐environmental context on oral health. No study explicitly described the functional, social, and psychological roles of the mouth in a comprehensive manner. Conclusions: Perception of the mouth and oral health differs depending on the individual and their health condition. Oral health is described as dependent on the socio‐environmental context, however, outside of the experience of dental care services, this context is not investigated in the literature. This scoping review demonstrated that exhaustive understanding of the dimensions of the mouth and oral health has not been explored in published research for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Realist methods offer a novel approach to intervention design. Such novelty is needed for effective oral health promotion interventions with people with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD) and their carers because existing interventions are poorly described and lack theoretical underpinning. In this study, the steps between inception and final intervention development are presented, with an aim to expand understanding of how realist theorizing can be used to develop interventions, and to demonstrate theory‐driven intervention development in the field of oral health promotion. Methods: In this intervention development study, the use of realist methods to develop an intervention aiming to improve the oral hygiene of people with IDD is presented. Realist theories (RTs) arising from a mixed synthesis were used to develop the Keep My Teeth intervention. The use of realist theory in intervention development was mapped across seven domains and 18 actions with emphasis on how theory informed key actions. Results: Realist theories informed many but not all actions in the development process. Where gaps arose, this was augmented with other systems of intervention development, such as the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and Behaviour Change Technique (BCT) systems. The resulting intervention and underlying theory are presented using TiDieR criteria. Conclusions: It is demonstrated how realist methods could be integrated with substantive theory when developing an intervention. RTs enhanced the contextualization of the intervention that was developed but were insufficient in their own right to guide the development process from conception to intervention. This was overcome by augmenting with substantive theory, in this case, using the BCW and BCT behaviour change systems, to select and specify the behaviours that needed to change. In essence, the BCTs guided which techniques to select, while the RTs guided how to develop and intervene. Robust intervention development in the field of oral health promotion is also presented in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To map the International Association of Disability and Oral Health (iADH) curriculum to the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry (ACFD) competencies framework to develop a strategy for teaching special care dentistry (SCD) using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). To review the literature to identify educational methodologies that support teaching SCD competencies. Methods: The 20 subdomains of the ACFD competencies framework were mapped to the 18 subdomains of the iADH competency matrix. A literature review of methods, techniques, or innovations used to teach SCD was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, and Research Type (SPIDER) tool. Results: The iADH curriculum was mapped to the ACFD competencies in the areas of patient care, professionalism, communication and collaboration, practice information management, and health promotion. A total of 176 articles from PubMed and 10 resources from MedEdPortal were identified in the literature search. Eleven articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The overall quantity and quality of studies was low. Experiential learning in either a dental school or hospital‐based program seemed to improve knowledge of SCD and to incite greater willingness to treat patients requiring SCD. Conclusions: Case‐based learning, computer‐based modules, standardized patients, and clinical practice are educational strategies for teaching SCD competencies. The integration of SCD into the undergraduate dental curriculum seems feasible, as most required competencies are transferable to all dental disciplines. Furthermore, the ICF provides a functional model that is a patient‐centered approach and is applicable to dentistry beyond SCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need for a theoretically informed, contextualized approach to measuring oral health from a multidisciplinary perspective that goes beyond the commonly used clinical indices and sociodental measures. This commentary aims to discuss the potential for the WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to provide a model for the development of indicators for oral health. It is suggested that the ICF might provide both a theoretical model and an operational classification for indicators of oral health. The ICF model states that human experience of physical, cognitive and social functioning is universal and, thus, can be described and qualified. Human function is given social and environmental context within the model at both an individual and population level. The ICF can not only capture data regarding oral health and function at the physiological level (e.g. chewing) but also at the social level (e.g. sharing meals). It is able not only to capture aspects of preventive behaviour (e.g. caring for teeth) but also aspects of social facilitation (e.g. economic self‐sufficiency) or ability to fulfil a social role (e.g. remunerative employment). It also includes aspects of social environment, such as healthcare services or political, economic and legal systems. Case studies are given as examples of the potential use of the ICF in the oral health domain. Examples are also given of the first steps that have been made towards operationalization of the ICF in data collection and oral health research. The challenges of encompassing such a comprehensive model into a practical oral health measure are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Dental anxiety is a public health problem but no epidemiological study has been undertaken in France to evaluate its prevalence. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence, severity and associations of dental anxiety in a sample of the French adult population. Methods A convenience sample of 2725 adults (mean age = 47 years, SD16, minimum = 16, maximum = 101 years), representative of the French population with regard to age and urban distribution, completed a French version of the Corah Dental Anxiety scale (DAS) and a questionnaire relating to their dental appointments. Results Moderate dental anxiety (14≥DAS≥13) was revealed for 172 persons (6.2%), while 195 (7.3%) had severe dental anxiety (DAS≥15), giving an overall prevalence of dental anxiety of 13.5%. Prevalence was lower proportionally with age (P < 0.001) and was higher in French overseas territories and in the countryside (P < 0.01). Farmers and low skilled workers were significantly more anxious than executives and shopkeepers (P < 0.001). Anxiety was associated with avoidance of care (p < 0.001) and lack of regular dental appointments (p < 0.001). Conclusion Dental anxiety in France appears to concern a similar proportion of the population as in other industrialised European, Australasian or North American countries. Recommendations for prevention and management of dental anxiety are made with reference to dental education and health care services in France.

Aims: To investigate parents' ability to perceive pain experienced by their offspring with Down syndrome (DS). Methods: Data were gathered by the use of the Oral Assessment in Down Syndrome Questionnaire in a cross-sectional survey design in France. A sample of parents of 204 children with DS and 161 of their siblings without DS was accrued. Results: Parental reports of difficulty discerning if their child with DS was in pain did not change with age of the child, remaining at a prevalence of 28% to 32 %. Reports of difficulty discerning where that child felt pain diminished with older age from 74% to 27%. The likelihood of parents reporting difficulty discerning if and where their child with DS had pain was greater than for a sibling without DS. However, reports of pain experience for the 2 groups were the same. Moreover, different functional and dysfunctional behavioral variables were found to be predictors of these 2 pain perception variables. Conclusion: Parental perception of pain is less discriminant for children with DS than for their siblings without DS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this clinical trial was to compare the 5-year cumulative survival of atraumatic restorative treatment restorations using high-viscosity glass-ionomer restorations (ART/HVGIC) and conventional resin composite restorations (CRT) placed in patients with intellectual and/or physical disability. Patients referred for restorative care to a special care service in Córdoba, Argentina, were recruited. Patients and/or caregivers were provided with written and verbal information regarding treatment options and selected the alternative they preferred. The treatment protocols were ART (hand instruments/HVGIC) in the clinic or CRT (rotary instrumentation/resin composite) in the clinic or under general anaesthesia (GA). Two independent, trained and calibrated examiners evaluated restoration survival using established ART codes after 6, 12, 24, 36 and 60 months. The proportional hazard model with frailty corrections provided survival estimates. Jackknife errors were used to test 5-year results. Sixty-six patients (13.6 ± 7.8 years) with 16 different medical conditions participated. CRT in the clinic proved feasible for five patients (13%), and 14 patients received CRT under GA (21%). ART was provided for 47 patients (71.2%). A total number of 298 dentine carious lesions were restored in primary and permanent teeth (182 ART; 116 CRT). Four patients died between the 3 and 5-year follow up. Percentage survival and jackknife standard error were calculated and were significantly higher for all ART/HVGIC restorations (90.2% ± 2.6) than for all CRT restorations (82.8% ± 5.3), 5 years after placement (p=0.044). These 5-year follow-up results confirm that ART/HVGIC is an effective treatment protocol for patients with disability, equal to that of conventional resin composite restoration. The results of this clinical trial support the use of ART as an evidence-based treatment resource contributing to the reduction of inequalities in access to oral health care among people with disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]