Search

Oral health problems, among the most prevalent comorbidities related to addiction, require more attention by both clinicians and policy-makers. Our aims were to review oral complications associated with drugs, oral health care in addiction rehabilitation, health services available, and barriers against oral health promotion among addicts. Drug abuse is associated with serious oral health problems including generalized dental caries, periodontal diseases, mucosal dysplasia, xerostomia, bruxism, tooth wear, and tooth loss. Oral health care has positive effects in recovery from drug abuse: patients’ need for pain control, destigmatization, and HIV transmission. Health care systems worldwide deliver services for addicts, but most lack oral health care programs. Barriers against oral health promotion among addicts include difficulty in accessing addicts as a target population, lack of appropriate settings and of valid assessment protocols for conducting oral health studies, and poor collaboration between dental and general health care sectors serving addicts. These interfere with an accurate picture of the situation. Moreover, lack of appropriate policies to improve access to dental services, lack of comprehensive knowledge of and interest among dental professionals in treating addicts, and low demand for non-emergency dental care affect provision of effective interventions. Management of drug addiction as a multi-organ disease requires a multidisciplinary approach. Health care programs usually lack oral health care elements. Published evidence on oral complications related to addiction emphasizes that regardless of these barriers, oral health care at various levels including education, prevention, and treatment should be integrated into general care services for addicts.

To investigate knowledge of and attitudes towards prevention of dental caries among Iranian dental educators in relation to their personal and academic background.Of the 15 Iranian state dental schools, 7 were selected by stratified random sampling to serve as clusters. All the present educators (n = 363) were individually asked to voluntarily complete a pre-tested anonymous questionnaire. A total of 291 educators completed the questionnaire (response rate of 80%). The questionnaire requested information on educators' knowledge of caries prevention and attitudes towards preventive dentistry. The educator's age, gender, highest academic degree, department of teaching, and familiarity with the discipline of dental public health (DPH) served as background factors. Chi-square test and a logistic regression model served in statistical analyses.Educators working in paedodontics, operative dentistry or periodontology departments had more extensive knowledge of caries prevention than did the others (p0.05). Women, as well as those familiar with DPH, reported more positive attitudes towards prevention than did the others (p = 0.05). In the regression model, having a more positive attitude towards prevention was associated with female gender (OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.2-4.1), more extensive knowledge of caries prevention (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.1-5.6), and greater familiarity with DPH (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.1-4.1).Dental educators seem to have different knowledge of and attitudes towards prevention based on their disciplines. This may reflect negatively in preventive practice among both the educators and students. Continuing education activities and placing emphasis and support on prevention-related research are recommended.

To investigate oral health behaviour and smoking habits among academic staff members in Iran's dental schools in relation to their personal and academic background characteristics.Out of 15 state dental schools, seven were selected randomly as clusters. All of the educators who were present (total n = 363) were asked to voluntarily fill in a self-administered pre-tested questionnaire. In addition to background and academic characteristics, the questionnaire requested information on smoking habits, oral self-care, and dental check-ups. Recommended oral self-care was defined as brushing at least twice a day and frequent use of fluoridated toothpaste. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression model served for statistical analyses.A total of 291 educators filled in the questionnaire (response rate = 80%). Women reported higher frequencies of brushing (p = 0.001), use of fluoridated toothpaste (p = 0.002), flossing (p0.01) and eating sugary snacks (p = 0.01) compared with men. Habitual cigarette and pipe smoking was reported by 22% and 3% of male educators respectively. Familiarity with the field of oral public health correlated to higher frequencies of brushing (p = 0.05) and flossing (p = 0.03). Smoker educators reported less favourable oral self-care habits than non-smokers. Female gender (p = 0.002, OR = 2.7) and familiarity with the oral public health field (p0.01, OR = 2.5) were associated with recommended oral self-care criteria.Dental educators should have positive attitudes towards and beliefs in effectiveness of preventive dentistry in order to increase public awareness of its importance.