Search

In a rural area with a high proportion of left-behind children (LBC), we aimed to identify the pathway of influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on LBCs to receive oral health services after individualized advice. Between September and October 2020, in a rural area of Yunnan, a survey of 238 LBC and 210 non-left-behind children (NLBC) showed that 91.9% and 94.2% had primary teeth caries, respectively. Their caregivers were advised on (1) dental care: bringing the children to seek professional dental care; and (2) self-care: supervising the children’s oral health behaviors. Two to three months later, the children and their caregivers were visited to assess the compliance with these items of advice. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to handle the association between SES and compliance with the advice. A heatmap was used to visualize the data of reasons for seeking dental care or not. A total of 183 (87.1%) NLBCs and 206 (86.6%) LBCs were given the above advice; 32.9% of caregivers complied with dental care advice without a statistical difference between the LBC and NLBC group; 69.9% of caregivers of NLBCs complied with self-care advice, statistically more than those LBCs (59.2%). The education of caregivers was significantly associated with compliance with both advice items in univariate analysis. SES had a direct effect on the children being left behind and the level of oral health knowledge and awareness of the caregivers. Being left behind did not have an independent effect on receiving oral health services for children. “Dental disease was not severe” and “having no pain” were the main reasons for not seeking dental care. There was no clear grouping of participants with different background information based on the reasons given for seeking or not seeking dental care. Our study pointed to the importance of SES level. Being left behind alone may not be a risk factor for missing oral health services among rural children.

This cross-sectional study aimed to document the relationship between dental caries, oral health behaviors, and the duration of parental migration in rural Yunnan, China, from September to December 2020. Seven rural primary schools with high parental migration were studied. The oral health status of 500 six- to eight-year-old students was assessed using clinical examination and caregivers’ interviews. A total of 51.8% of the children had at least one parent absent for at least 6 months (left-behind children). Among those children with parental migration

Background: The Yi ethnic group is the sixth largest minority in China. The aim of this study was to investigate dental caries status among Yi preschool children in the Yunnan province, China. Method: This cross-sectional study invited 5-year-old Yi children using multistage cluster sampling. Two trained and calibrated dentists examined the children in kindergartens. The children’s dental caries experience was assessed using the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) index. Visual plaque on an indexed tooth of each six sextants was recorded and the oral hygiene status was assessed using the Visible Plaque Index. Parents completed questionnaires that surveyed their educational attainment. The questionnaires also collected information about the children’s demographics, snacking habits, oral-health-related behaviors and dental visit experiences. The associations between caries experiences and potential factors were analyzed using zero-inflated negative binomial regression. Results: All 452 invited children (249 boys, 55%) participated in this study with a response rate of 100%. Dental caries prevalence rate was 83%. The mean dmft score and decayed teeth score were 5.2 ± 4.4 and 5.1 ± 4.4, respectively. Almost half of the children (n = 211, 47%) had visible plaque on four or more of the six sextants. Most (n = 366, 81%) of the children had not visited a dentist in the prior 12 months. Regression analysis found the children’s caries experience was associated with their dental visit experience. Conclusion: The great majority of the Yi preschool children experienced dental caries and almost all of the cavities were not restored. Their oral hygiene was poor and visible plaque was commonly found on their teeth.

Background Medical-dental collaboration expands patients’ access to health services, improves healthcare outcomes, and reduces the burden and cost of care, especially for those with chronic diseases. The aim of the present study is to investigate the attitude toward and awareness of medical-dental collaboration among medical and dental students attending the Universitas Indonesia. Methods All medical and dental students at the Universitas Indonesia were invited to participate in a web-based questionnaire survey that contained eight questions on attitudes toward medical-dental collaboration and two questions regarding awareness of dental-medical collaborative practices. The demographic backgrounds of all participants were obtained. The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were employed for data analysis. Results A total of 1,432 questionnaires were distributed, and 1,137 (79%) were appropriately completed. In general, 992 (87%) students had a positive attitude toward medical-dental collaboration. Dental students had a more positive attitude than medical students (odds ratio [OR] = 2.694; p = 0.001), and senior students had a more positive attitude than junior students (OR = 2.271; p = 0.001). Most students (86%) were aware of medical-dental collaboration at the Universitas Indonesia and reported that emergency medicine, surgery, and otolaryngology were the three most common medical disciplines that entailed medical-dental collaboration. Conclusions: In general, the medical and dental students demonstrated positive attitudes and awareness of medical-dental collaboration at the Universitas Indonesia. Positive attitude and awareness can establish an essential foundation for fostering collaboration between medicine and dentistry, which is vital to improve resource efficiency and healthcare standards.

The aim of this study was to describe the changes in oral health policies and guidelines in response to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in different countries and regions around the world. Information on oral health policies and guidelines from 9 countries (Canada, China including Hong Kong, Egypt, India, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Switzerland, and Thailand) were summarized, and sources of the information were mostly the national or regional health authorities and/or dental council/associations. The changes made to the oral health guidelines depended on the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. This included suspension of non-emergency dental care services at the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, and easing the restrictions on non-essential and elective dental care when the pandemic became under control. The COVID-19 risk mitigation strategies include strict adherence to infection control practices (use of hand sanitizers, facemask and maintaining social distancing), reducing the amount of aerosol production in the dental setting, and managing the quality of air in the dental treatment rooms by reducing the use of air conditioners and improving air exchange. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown a major impact on dental practice. Dental professionals are trying to adapt to the new norms, while the medium to long-term impact of COVID-19 on dentistry needs further investigation.

Background: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the oral health status of Hani 12-year-old children in Yunnan, a province in Southwest China. Method: This study employed a multistage sampling method to recruit children from local primary schools. Two calibrated dentists examined the status of dental caries, gingival bleeding and dental fluorosis by adopting the diagnosis criteria recommended by the World Health Organization. A self-administrated questionnaire was distributed. The chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were conducted. Results: This study invited 480 Hani children, and recruited 413 children (52% boys) (response rate: 86%). The dental caries prevalence was 52%, and the caries experience associated with the mean (standard deviation) decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) score was 1.10 (1.46). Gingival bleeding was diagnosed in 252 children (61%), and dental fluorosis was found in two children (0.5%). The results of the regression model indicated the prevalence of dental caries were associated with sugary snacking habits (p = 0.002). The prevalence of gingival bleeding was related to the mother’s education level as well as the child’s monthly pocket money (p &lt, 0.05). Conclusion: Dental caries and gingival bleeding were prevalent among 12-year-old Hani children in the Yunnan province in China. Dental fluorosis was uncommon.

Background Lisu is an ethnic minority group living in Yunnan, a province in Southwest China. This study investigated the oral health status among 12-year-old Lisu children in Yunnan. Method: A multistage sampling method was adopted to recruit 12-year-old Lisu children from primary schools. A self-administrated questionnaire was distributed to the children to collect their sociodemographic background information and oral health-related behaviours. Two calibrated dentists performed the oral examinations in the primary schools. They examined dental caries, gingivitis and dental fluorosis using the diagnosis criteria recommended by the World Health Organization. A Chi-square test, the Mann-Whitney U test, zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results A total of 512 Lisu children were invited, and 482 children (48% boys) participated in the study (response rate: 94%). The caries prevalence was 35% and caries experience in mean (SD) DMFT scores was 0.63 (0.10). The mean (SD) DT score was 0.60 (1.10), consisting 95% of the mean DMFT scores. Gingivitis was found on 426 children (88%), while no dental fluorosis was observed. Results of ZINB model indicated sex and sugary-snacking habits were related to the dental caries experience (p

Background Lisu is an ethnic minority group and most of them are living in Yunnan, China. This study investigated the oral health status among 12-year-old Lisu children in Yunnan. Method This survey employed a multistage sampling method to recruit 12-year-old Lisu children. Two calibrated dentists performed the oral examinations in the primary schools. They examined dental caries, gingival bleeding and dental fluorosis using the diagnosis criteria recommended by the World Health Organization. A self-administrated questionnaire was distributed to the children to collect their sociodemographic background information and oral health-related behaviours. A chi-square test, the Mann–Whitney U test, zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. Results This survey invited 512 children, and 482 children (48% boys) participated in the study (response rate: 94%). Their caries prevalence was 35% and their caries experience in mean (SD) DMFT scores was 0.63 (0.10). The mean (SD) DT score was 0.60 (1.10), consisting 95% of the mean DMFT scores. No dental fluorosis was observed; whereas 426 children (88%) had gingival bleeding. Results of ZINB model indicated sex and sugary-snacking habits were related to the dental caries experience (p Conclusion Dental caries and gingival bleeding were prevalent among 12-year-old Lisu children in the Yunnan province in China, and most of the decayed teeth were unrestored. Dental fluorosis was not observed in the children.

Background: Elder population is considered as a vulnerable group with high risk of dental caries. The older adults living in rural areas of Yunnan province account for approximately half of the province’s total population. However, few studies have addressed their dental caries status. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the dental caries status and their associated factors among 65-74 years old people in the rural areas of Yunnan province, China. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited participants through a multistage and stratified strategy, and comprised a clinical oral examination and a questionnaire survey. Two trained and calibrated dentists, wearing LED headlights, conducted the clinical assessment with dental mirrors and CPI probes. Caries experience was measured using the DMFT and DF-Root indices. A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the participants’ socio-demographic information, oral health-related knowledge and practices. A multi-factor ANCOVA test was used to detect the factors influencing coronal and root caries. Results: 1175 elderly residents aged 65-74 were included. The majority of the surveyed elderly respondents (87%) experienced coronal caries (DMFT>0), and 56% of the respondents had root caries. Their overall mean DMFT and DF-root scores were 10.4±10.9 and 2.4±3.8, respectively. In total, 12% of the participants were edentulous. In the final model, female (β = 2.872, p < 0.001) and residents who living in less developed areas (Jianchuan district) (β = 9.601, p < 0.001) had higher mean DMFT scores. DF-Root scores were also higher among female (β = 0.739, p < 0.001), residents who living in less developed areas (Jianchuan district) (β = 2.082, p < 0.001). In addition, elderly who had lower annual family income were more likely to had more root caries (β = 0.642, p < 0.001) . Conclusion: The dental caries status among 65-to 74-year-old in the rural areas of Yunnan province, China, was poor. Their coronal and root caries experience both varied by gender and place of residence. Cost-effective prevention and treatment programs for caries management should be implemented to benefit the elderly population in the rural areas of Yunnan province.

In the visual simulation of battlefield geographic environment, the realistic water surface effect can increase the reality of battlefield and enhance the immersion of training personnel, but the fluctuation of water body and the optical characteristics of water surface will also lead to the increase of algorithm complexity and the increase of data quantity, which will affect the fluency of the system. With the improvement of computer graphics hardware performance, in order to reduce the pressure of CPU, many complicated graphics computing has been transferred from CPU to GPU gradually. This chapter’s dynamic surface real-time rendering algorithm will make full use of the programmable characteristics of GPU and powerful computing power, the surface reflection refraction texture sampling, bump mapping, texture movement and other operations are put into the GPU, in order to ensure the surface fidelity, improve the rendering speed.

Two types of deep-dewatered sewage sludge cakes were produced from pilot-scale experiments by using two composite conditioners: FeCl3 + quick lime (Fe–Lime) and Fenton's reagent + red mud (Fenton–RM). The feasibility of direct reuse without any solidifying agents of these two deep-dewatered cakes, with water content of about 60 wt%, as landfill cover materials was investigated. Geotechnical properties of these two sludge cakes were found appropriate for reuse as landfill covers. Their plasticity index values increased significantly from 11.6 (raw sludge) to 23.8 (Fe–Lime) and 35.4 (Fenton–RM). The unconfined compressive strength and direct shear strength of the two deep-dewatered sludge cakes could meet or exceed the requirement of landfill cover materials after a certain curing time. Microstructural analyses of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that their microstructures were more porous than that of raw sludge since the skeleton builders played a role in building the rigorous framework. There was negligible leaching of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Cr from the deep-dewatered sludge cake from the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure and column leaching test. Both deep-dewatered sludge cakes could be reused as effective landfill cover materials with a suitable curing time.

Background: Indonesia has the largest population of all countries in southeast Asia. However, little information is available on the oral health status of Indonesian children. The aims of this study were to assess dental caries and erosive tooth wear in 12-year-old children in Jakarta, Indonesia and to investigate the associated risk factors. Methods: Samples were selected using cluster sampling. Parents were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire regarding their oral health knowledge, demographic information, their child&rsquo, s dietary habits, and oral health-related behaviors. Experience of caries and erosive tooth wear were recorded using the Decayed, Missing (due to caries), and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index and the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) index, respectively. Results: Of 779 children invited, 696 participated in the survey. Of these, 61% had experienced caries, and the mean DMFT score was 1.58. Almost all decay was untreated. Children who were female, who had a high frequency of soft drink intake, and whose father&rsquo, s educational level was low were more likely to have dental caries. Most children had at least one lesion of erosive tooth wear. Children whose mother&rsquo, s educational level was low were more likely to have erosive tooth wear. Conclusions: The prevalence of dental caries and erosive tooth wear was high in 12-year-old children in Jakarta. Their dietary habits and parental level of education were associated with the presence of these dental conditions.

Background This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of tooth wear among preschool children in Jakarta, Indonesia, and examine the risk factors associated with its occurrence. Methods An epidemiological survey was conducted with a cross-sectional study design. The participants were recruited via cluster sampling. Tooth wear was clinically assessed by one examiner using the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) criteria. The children’s caries experience was also recorded. The parents of the participating children completed a self-administered questionnaire to answer demographic questions about the children and gather information about the children’s diet and oral health behaviors as well as the parents’ dental health-related knowledge. The data were analyzed using the Chi-square test and binary logistic regression. Results A total of 752 five-year-old children were invited to participate, with 691 (92%) enrolling in the study. Tooth wear occurred in 23% (161/691, BEWE > 0) of the participants, in which 78% (125/161) had at least one moderate tooth wear status (BEWE = 2). The consumption of citrus drinks, fruit juice, and vitamin C supplement drinks, together with the child’s caries experience, the father’s education level, and the family’s socioeconomic status, were significantly associated with tooth wear. Conclusions The five-year-old preschool children in Jakarta had a relatively low prevalence of tooth wear. Those consuming more acidic drinks, those with a higher socioeconomic status, and those with an absence of caries experience had a higher risk of tooth wear. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12903-019-0883-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background Dental caries is still considered a major public health concern for human beings, especially minority groups and those living in disadvantaged communities. The Lisu is a minority group in China of more than 702,000 people located primarily in Yunnan Province. The present study was aimed at studying the status of dental caries status, as well as its risk factors, among Lisu children aged 5 years in Yunnan Province, China. Methods A multistage cluster sampling method was employed for participants’ recruitment. Two calibrated dentists carried out the clinical examination with dental mirrors and CPI probes under an LED headlight. The dental caries experience was assessed by the dmft index. Oral hygiene status was evaluated using the visible plaque index (VPI). Information on the child’s socio-demographic characteristics and oral health-related practices were collected using a parental questionnaire. A zero-inflated negative binomial regression (ZINB) was employed to analyse the associations between the dental caries status and the children’s social-demographic status and their oral health–related behaviours. Results In all, 470 Lisu children aged 5 were invited, and 404 were examined. Their mean dmft (±SD) and caries prevalence were 5.6 ± 4.8 and 80%, respectively. Their mean VPI scores were 58% ± 21%. Lisu children who brushed their teeth at least once daily had higher dmft scores, and children from high-income families were more likely to have dental caries. Conclusion The prevalence of dental caries among Lisu children aged 5 years in Yunnan, China was high, and their caries status was severe, with a majority of carious teeth untreated. The dental caries experience of Lisu children aged 5 was related to their brushing frequency and families’ economic backgrounds.

Oral health questionnaire. (PDF 210 kb)

Pharmacovigilance (PV) is the process of monitoring and assessing adverse events (AEs). Currently, the primary method of analysis in PV is manual inspection by individual case managers. However, this is largely unsustainable due to the increased volume of cases over the past few years. Since AE processing involves several sub-tasks, such as annotation and classification, our paper explores a novel solution to PV. In this paper, we propose a multi-task learning (MTL) model, where the hidden layers are shared, to jointly learn the tasks (Named Entity Recognition (NER), Classification). The results of our paper demonstrate that MTL is able to outperform our baseline classification model and equal the baseline model for annotation/NER.11Disclaimer: This content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional advisors.

Background This systematic review aimed to evaluate the clinical performance of core-carrier obturation in endodontic treatment. Methods Keywords of “(core carrier OR Thermafil) OR (cold lateral condensation OR lateral condensation) OR (warm vertical condensation OR vertical condensation) AND (obturation OR root canal filling) AND clinical study” were searched for all obtainable publications up to year 2017 in the databases of PubMed, ScienceDirect, EMBASE, Scopus and Web of Science. The success rate, short-term postoperative pain, overfilling and adaptation of core-carrier obturation from clinical studies were selected. Reviews, laboratory studies, animal studies and irrelevant reports were excluded. Results 1349 relevant articles were identified with 149 duplicated articles removed and 1173 irrelevant articles were excluded after screening. The titles and abstracts of the 19 identified articles were screened in the systematic review. The full texts of remaining articles were retrieved with data extracted for meta-analysis on the success rate, postoperative pain, overfilling and adaptation of obturation. The pooled success rate of core-carrier obturation was 83% (95% CI: 69%-91%). The pooled incidence of 1-day and 7-day short-term postoperative pain were 35% (95% CI: 15%-62%) and 6% (95% CI: 1-35%). The pooled proportion of teeth with overfilling and adequate adaptation of the obturation material were 31% (95% CI: 18%-50%) and 85% (95% CI: 75%-91%), respectively. Conclusions The success rate of endodontic treatment using core-carrier obturation was 83%. Short-term postoperative pain was not uncommon (24%). Most teeth (85%) had adequate adaptation using core-carrier obturation material, but a considerable amount of teeth (31%) had overfilling.

High water affinity of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and high compressibility of sewage sludge solids have negative impacts on sludge dewatering. In this study, a composite conditioner, Fe 2+ –activated sodium persulfate (denoted as Fe 2+ /SPS) combined with thermal–pretreated phosphogypsum (PG), was used to improve the sludge dewaterability. The mechanism of the composite conditioning of sewage sludge was elucidated: the proteins in tightly bound EPS were transferred into the filtrate and loosely bound EPS, and the polysaccharides in loosely and tightly bound EPS were transferred into the filtrate; the bound water was released and reduced from 2.60 g/g DS (dry solid) initially to 0.81 g/g DS; specific resistance to filtration and capillary suction time were reduced by 91.6% and 88.4%, respectively. Radical quenching experiment indicated that sulfate radical (SO 4 − ) is the dominant free radical and plays an important role in determining the oxidation–reduction potential during conditioning. Moreover, both the XRD and SEM results clearly showed that Fe 2+ /SPS combined with PG promoted the generation of column–shaped dihydrate gypsum in the conditioned sludge. Thus, the dihydrate gypsum crystals could act as skeleton builders, which create a more permeable and rigid lattice structure of the sludge cake. The improvement of sludge dewatering was confirmed by diaphragm filter press dewatering process, which yielded 45.7 wt% cake moisture content and 91.7% dewatering efficiency.

OBJECTIVES: To study patients' satisfaction and prevalence of complications in surgical extraction of impacted third molar by senior dentists and recently graduated dentists in a university dental clinic. METHOD: Patients who had impacted third molar extraction in a university dental clinic by two associate dentists who had 15 years of experience were evaluated in this study. Patients' age, sex, history of pericoronitis, tooth extracted, and radiographic assessment of the impacted tooth were recorded. Immediately after suture removal, the patients were invited to indicate their satisfaction on a Likert scale of 1-5. RESULTS: A total of 546 patients received extraction, and 251 patients were operated by associate dentists. Patient satisfaction was higher among those who had noncomplicated surgery (P=0.007), short treatment time (P, published_or_final_version

Pilot-scale sewage sludge dewatering experiments were conducted using two composite conditioners: FeCl3 + lime (Fe-lime) and Fenton's reagents + red mud (Fenton-RM). Mass balance analysis was performed on Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, and Cr during the conditioning and dewatering processes to investigate their transformation and distribution. Speciation of heavy metals was also investigated by the Tessier sequential extraction method. Results show that (1) most of the heavy metals were retained in the solid cake during the dewatering process, especially Cu and Cr; (2) in the sludge cakes, more than 87 wt% of Cu and Cr existed in organic bound and residual forms, and the contents of the bioavailable fractions (exchangeable, carbonate bound and Fe–Mn oxides bound form) for Zn, Pb, and Cd were larger in the Fenton-RM system than those in the Fe-lime system; (3) the main factors affecting the distributions of these heavy metals are pH and chemical speciation in two conditioning processes. Generally, heavy metal concentrations in filtrate and dewatered sludge cakes in both systems were below the corresponding standards, and heavy metals in the dewatered sludge cake could be more effectively immobilized in the Fe-lime system than in that of the Fenton-RM system.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common disease in Southern China with high prevalence. miR-944 has been reported to play a vital role in progression of a variety of cancers. The present study aimed to investigate the potential role of miR-944 in NPC cell migration and invasion through elucidating the interaction with its target genes, MACC1. Expression of miR-944 in NPC tissues and cell lines was examined with quantitative RT-PCR. Overexpressed miR-944 and suppressed miR-944 were established with miR-944 mimics and miR-944 inhibitor, respectively. The effect of miR-944 on cell migration and invasion was determined using Transwell cell migration and Matrigel invasion assay. Luciferase assay was used to determine the target of miR-944. Knocked down of MACC1 was done by MACC1 siRNA. Expression of MET related-markers was examined using Western blot analysis. The expression level of miR-944 was downregulated in NPC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-944 significantly inhibited the cell migration and invasion in NPC 6-10B cells. In contrast, suppression of miR-944 promoted cell migration and invasion in NPC C-6661 cells. MACC1 is a direct target of miR-944. MACC1 expression was repressed in miR-944 mimic transfected cells while it was enhanced in miR-944 inhibitor transfected cells. MACC1 knock down inhibited cell migration and invasion. Either miR-944 restoration or MACC1 knockdown caused enhanced E-cadherin, reduced N-cadherin, and vimentin expression. In conclusion, miR-944 could inhibit MET and metastasis of NPC by targeting MACC1. This study suggests that miR-944 has anti-tumor and anti- metastatic properties and could thus be a novel therapeutic agent for NPC treatment.

Adverse Events (AEs) are a significant concern in healthcare, since it is among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality[12]. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), between 2006 and 2014, there was a 232% increase in AE cases reported to have caused mortality[13]. In fact, the volume of all AE cases reported to the FDA has increased by almost five fold since 1997[13]. Pharmaceutical companies are struggling to handle the increased case volume due to manual logging of individual cases. This is not a sustainable solution as we see the volume of AE case logs increase exponentially [12,13]. In this paper, we discuss our work and findings for implementing a pharmacovigilance automation solution. This solution explores machine learning techniques in being able to identify serious vs non-serious adverse event narrative logs. While developing our methodology, we explored both traditional machine learning and deep learning techniques. Our final model achieved a mean F1-Score of 95% and an MCC score of 0.80 on the AE case narratives.1

Objective: To study occlusal features and their relation to caries experience in Hong Kong Chinese preschool children. Methods: Seven kindergarten classes in Hong Kong were selected using a stratified random sampling method, and the 4- and 5-year-old Chinese kindergarten children were invited to join the survey. Two calibrated dentists performed the clinical examinations in the kindergartens. Occlusion features, including incisal overjet; canine and molar relationship; median diastema; and primate space as well as malocclusion features, including crossbite; anterior open bite; and scissor bite, were recorded. Caries experience was recorded with the dmft index. Results: A total of 538 children were invited to participate in the study, and finally 495 children were examined (92%). Approximately half (52%) had a normal incisor relationship. Most children had a class I canine relationship (left-79%; right-75%). Approximately two-thirds had a flush terminal plane (left-64%; right-65%). Most children (76%) had a maxillary primate space, and 47% had a mandibular primate space. The prevalence of median diastema, anterior crossbite, and unilateral posterior crossbite was 30%, 12% and 1%, respectively. No bilateral posterior crossbite or scissor bite was found. Approximately half (49%) had caries experience. The mean dmft score was 2.1. Gender and age were not associated with either the studied occlusal features or the mean dmft score (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Approximately half of the Hong Kong preschool children studied had a normal occlusion, and two-thirds of them had a flush terminal plane. About three-quarters of them had a maxillary primate space, and half of them had a mandibular primate space. Their occlusal traits were not associated with caries experience and prevalence.

Aim The aim of the present study was to explore traditional oral health beliefs among the Bulang ethnic minority group in China. Methods Eighteen village leaders, chiefs, elders, and seniors in Yunnan, China were assigned to three focus groups for discussion of traditional oral health beliefs. The discussions were led by a facilitator. Transcripts were made, and data were extracted. Results The focus group discussions on traditional oral health beliefs addressed three themes: (a) the perception of oral health; (b) the impact of healthy teeth (oral health), in that healthy teeth essentially have an impact on physical health, emotions, and social status; and (c) toothache management, which was regarded as tooth decay (dental caries). Blackening teeth was a pain relief method. Blackened teeth were reported to be part of ethnic identity, and considered esthetically pleasing. It also indicated the marital status of women. Conclusion Some Bulang people believed that healthy dentition has no spacing, pain, or functioning problems. Well-aligned dentition was associated with higher social status. Toothaches were considered to be caused by tooth worms. Consulting a monk was another way to manage a toothache. Tooth blackening was considered traditional, and effective for caries prevention.

Red mud was evaluated as an alternative skeleton builder combined with Fenton's reagent in sewage sludge conditioning. The results show that red mud combined with Fenton's reagent showed good conditioning capability with the pH of the filtrate close to neutrality, indicating that red mud acted as a neutralizer as well as a skeleton builder when jointly used with Fenton's reagent. Through response surface methodology (RSM), the optimal dosages of Fe2+, H2O2 and red mud were proposed as 31.9, 33.7 and 275.1 mg/g DS (dry solids), respectively. The mechanism of the composite conditioner could be illuminated as follows: (1) extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), including loosely bound EPS and tightly bound EPS, were degraded into dissolved organics, e.g., proteins and polysaccharides; (2) bound water was released and converted into free water due to the degradation of EPS; and (3) morphology of the conditioned sludge exhibited a porous structure in contrast with the compact structure of raw sludge, and the addition of red mud formed new mineral phases and a rigid lattice structure in sludge, allowing the outflow of free water. Thus, sludge dewatering performance was effectively improved. The economic assessment for a wastewater treatment plant of 370,000 equivalent inhabitants confirms that using red mud conditioning, combined with Fenton's reagent, leads to a saving of approximately 411,000 USD/y or 50.8 USD/t DS comparing with using lime and ordinary Portland cement combined with Fenton's reagent, and approximately 612,000 USD/y or 75.5 USD/t DS comparing with the traditional treatment.

Organic electrochemical transistor (OECT)‐based sensors with high sensitivity and selectivity toward ascorbic acid and dopamine are obtained by using nitrogen/oxygen‐codoped carbon cloth as the gate electrodes, demonstrating that the surface engineering of carbonaceous gate electrodes is an effective strategy to tune the sensing behavior of OECT sensors.

Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia which is surrounded by its satellite cities Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi, which can be shortened by Jabodetabek. Objective: The study aims to describe oral health among 5 and 12 years-old children in Jabodetabek. Methods: This cross-sectional oral-health survey was conducted from 2014 with ethics approval. Sample of 5-year-old and 12-year-old Indonesian children living in Jabodetabek were selected using cluster sampling method. One trained examiner performed the clinical examination. Caries experience was measured using DMFT index, severity of decayed teeth was assessed using PUFA index, gingival status and oral hygiene were measured by Loe and Sillness modified index. Results: A total of 390 5-year-old and 458 12-year-old children with balanced proportion between girls and boys participated the survey. The prevalence of caries experience among the 5-year-old children and 12-year-old children were 90% and 84% respectively. The mean DMFT and DT scores among the 5-year-old children and 12-year-old children were 7.5±5.5 and 6.8±4.8; 3.2±2.2 and 2.9±2.1 respectively. Pulp involvement were apparent in 45% and 23% of caries in 5 and 12-year-old children respectively. Most children, 45% 5-year-old children and 92% 12-year-old children had substantial amount of plaque. Moreover, 68% 12-year-old children had gingivitis. Conclusion: Dental caries were prevalent among 5 and 12-year-old Indonesian children in Jakarta its satellite cities. The oral health condition of most of the children were poor.DOI: 10.14693/jdi.v23i1.982

As a low-cost and easily operated treatment, the use of professionally applied topical fluoride was approved for preventing dental caries and remineralising early enamel caries or white spot lesions. It is also used to arrest dentine caries. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical efficacy of professional fluoride therapy in remineralising and arresting caries in children. A systematic search of publications from 1948 to 2014 was conducted using four databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, ISI Web of Science and Embase. The key words used were (fluoride) AND (remineralisation OR remineralization OR arresting) AND (children caries OR early childhood caries). The title and abstract of initially identified publications were screened. Clinical trials about home-use fluorides, laboratory studies, case reports, reviews, non-English articles and irrelevant studies were excluded. The full texts of the remaining papers were retrieved. Manual screening was conducted on the bibliographies of the remaining papers to identify relevant articles. A total of 2177 papers were found, and 17 randomised clinical trials were included in this review. Ten studies investigated the remineralising effect on early enamel caries using silicon tetrafluoride, fluoride gel, silver diamine fluoride or sodium fluoride. Seven studies reported an arresting effect on dentine caries using silver diamine fluoride or nano-silver fluoride. Meta-analysis was performed on four papers using 5 % sodium fluoride varnish to remineralise early enamel caries, and the overall percentage of remineralised enamel caries was 63.6 % (95 % CI: 36.0 % - 91.2 %; p

Background Clincians have been providing single-visit and multiple-visit endodontic treatments for their patients. This study aims to compare the success rate, prevalence of postoperative pain and chairside time of single-visit and multiple-visit endodontic treatments. Method Patients who required primary endodontic treatment in a university dental clinic were randomly allocated to two general dentists for single-visit or multiple-visit treatments using the same materials and procedures. Ni-Ti rotary files were used to prepare the root canals, which were subsequently obturated with a core-carrier technique. The chairside time was recorded. The treated teeth were followed up every 6 months on clinically signs and symptoms including pain, tenderness to percussion, sinus tract, mobility and abscess. Periapical radiographs were taken to assess periapical pathology. Successful treatments were neither clinical signs/symptoms noted nor radiographic periapical pathology found postoperatively. Results A total of 220 teeth from patients aged 46.4 ± 14.1 were followed up for at least 18 months. The mean (±SD) follow-up period was 29.4 ± 9.3 months. The success rates of single-visit and multiple-visit treatments were 88.9 and 87.4 %, respectively (p = 0.729, effect size odds ratio = 1.156). Maxillary teeth had odds ratios of 3.16 (95 % CI: 1.33 to 7.46; p = 0.009) and absence of preoperative apical periodontitis had odds ratios of 4.35 (95 % CI: 1.43 to 13.24; p = 0.010) were identified from logistic regression as having a higher success rate. The average chairside times of single-visit and multiple-visit treatments were 62.0 and 92.9 min, respectively (mean difference = −30.9, 95 % CI: −39.4 to −22.4, p 0.999, effect size odds ratio = 0.879). Conclusions The success rate and prevalence of postoperative pain of single-visit or multiple-visit treatment had no significant difference. The chairside time for single-visit treatment was shorter than multiple-visit treatment. Trial registration Clinical Trials (WHO) ChiCTR-IOR-15006117 registered on 20 March 2015.