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Background In the Republic of Ireland (RoI), fluoridation has been effective and efficient for caries prevention at population level, regardless of income status; however, at individual level it still has limitations. This study aimed to compare personalised versus non-personalised text messaging on ‘chance of avoiding new cavities’ with the Cariogram, a computer-based caries risk assessment (CRA) model, in an economically disadvantaged adult population in the RoI. Methods The intervention was via a CRA summary letter plus 24 weekly personalised mobile-phone short text messages (text messages) based on the individual’s CRA, compared with a non-personalised approach via a non-personalised letter and a predetermined, fixed set of 24 weekly text messages. The study was designed as a two-arm parallel-group, single-blinded (assessor), randomised controlled study in County Cork, RoI. The primary outcome was a comparison of ‘chance of avoiding new cavities’ calculated by the Cariogram with clinical examination, interview, CRT® (Ivoclar Vivadent, Liechtenstein) and three-day food diary between the two groups at follow-up. We combined stratified randomisation with blocked randomisation for 171 participants who completed baseline. Of them, 111 completed follow-up and were analysed (56 and 55 from the personalised and non-personalised groups, respectively). Due to protocol violations, both intent-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol analyses were conducted. Results The ITT analysis did not show a personalised intervention effect on ‘chance of avoiding new cavities’. Of the secondary outcome measures, only the stimulated saliva flow factor showed a personalised intervention effect, p = 0.036, OR = 0.3 (95% CI = 0.1, 0.9). The per-protocol analysis with 21 personalised and 33 non-personalised participants within two-message deviations showed no significant effect on ‘chance of avoiding new cavities’. Conclusions The null hypothesis in regard to the primary outcome for both ITT and per-protocol analyses was not rejected; however, as the minimal clinically important difference was included in the 95% CI for the per-protocol analysis, replication studies will be worth conducting to explore the potential of mobile devices for individual caries risk reduction. Trial registration University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000027253) on 10 May 2017. The study was retrospectively registered. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12903-019-0729-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children may have reached a plateau in some developed countries, including Ireland. The aim of this study was to examine 12-year trends in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among primary-school-aged children in the Republic of Ireland between 2002 and 2014. Methods: Two large-scale oral health cross-sectional surveys of primary-school-aged children aged 4–13 years were conducted 12 years apart in 2002 (n=14,055; response rate=68%) and 2014 (n=5,223; response rate=67%). Both surveys included standardised and calibrated height and weight measures. Ownership of a means-tested medical card determined economic status. Standard International Obesity Task Force criteria were applied to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Results: The overall prevalence of overweight/obesity among 4–13-year-olds significantly decreased from 26% (95% CI: 25.1%–26.5%) in 2002 to 24% (95% CI: 22.4%–24.7%) in 2014. Among boys and girls aged 4–13 years, the significant decrease was from 23% (95% CI: 22.1%–24.1%) to 20% (95% CI: 18.9%–22.0 and 28% (95% CI: 27.4%–29.5%) to 27% (95% CI: 25.0%–28.4%), respectively. Among 5-year-old children, the overall prevalence of overweight and obesity significantly decreased from 25% (95% CI: 23.7%–26.2%) to 22% (95% CI: 19.9%–23.4%). In 2002, the estimated prevalence of overweight/obesity was similar in children with and without medical cards, whereas in 2014, overall prevalence was higher in those with medical cards. Conclusions: Results suggest a fall in the prevalence of overweight/obesity between 2002 and 2014, and may suggest a favourable cohort effect. Despite this fall, the overall prevalence remains high and socioeconomic disparities have increased.

Background A previous study has shown deficient knowledge of caries risk factors/indicators in a Japanese adult population regarded to have a high interest in preventive dentistry. No prior research has investigated caries risk knowledge in an Irish adult population. We hypothesise there may be unexpected differences or similarities in knowledge across countries with similar levels of economic development when comparing groups with different socio-economic and cultural profiles. Understanding what influences knowledge is important for the development of effective and efficient caries prevention strategies. The current paper aims to describe the knowledge of caries risk factors/indicators in two groups with different socio-economic profiles from two culturally distinct countries. Methods Cross-sectional surveys of adult dental patients were carried out in Japan and in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) using similar self-administered paper questionnaires. Patients were asked to identify caries risk factors/indicators from eight (Japan) or ten (RoI) listed items. The Japanese study involved 482 patients (aged ≥20 years) from 52 dental members of a nationwide web-based initiative Promoting Scientific Assessment in Prevention of Tooth Decay and Gum Disease (PSAP). The Irish study involved 159 patients (aged 20–69 years) accessing state-provided (‘medical card’) dental services from eight dental practices in County Cork. The two samples were compared. Results A higher proportion of Irish respondents identified ‘Not visiting the dentist for check-up and cleaning’ (OR 2.655; 99% CI 1.550, 4.547) and ‘Not using fluoride’ (OR 1.714; 99% CI 1.049, 2.802) than did Japanese respondents. A lower proportion of Irish respondents identified ‘A reduced amount of saliva’ (OR 0.262; 99% CI 0.159, 0.433) than Japanese respondents. Similarly shown in both studies were a persistent belief that ‘Not brushing teeth properly’ is a caries risk factor and a lack of knowledge on saliva buffering capacity as a caries risk factor. Conclusions Deficiencies in knowledge which should be addressed: among the Japanese group, of dental check-up/cleaning visits and of fluoride use for caries prevention; among the Irish group, of saliva quantity as a caries risk factor. In addition, in both groups, we need to inform patients of the defensive role of saliva. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12903-017-0345-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Burke FM, Whelton H, Harding M, Crowley E, O’Mullane D, Cronin M, Kelleher V, Byrtek M. Fluoridation and tooth wear in Irish adults. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2010; 38: 415–421. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Abstract – The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of tooth wear in adults in Ireland and its relationship with water fluoridation. The National Survey of Adult Oral Health was conducted in 2000/2001. Tooth wear was determined using a partial mouth examination assessing the upper and lower anterior teeth. A total of 2456 subjects were examined. In this survey, increasing levels and severity of tooth wear were associated with ageing. Men were more affected by tooth wear and were more likely to be affected by severe tooth wear than women. It was found that age, and gender were significant predictors of tooth wear (P

Background The prevalence of overweight and obesity appears to have reached a plateau across many developed countries, including Ireland. The aim of this review was to examine the 12-year trend of the prevalence of overweight and obesity among primary school aged children in the Republic of Ireland between 2002 and 2014. Methods BMI data from two representative cross-sectional samples of school-going children (age range 3–14 years) was analysed from 2002 (n = 14,054) and 2014 (n = 5,232). Data on height and weight were objectively measured by trained research assistants in 2002 from a random sample (based on age, gender and geographical location of school) using standardised and calibrated measures. These Methods were replicated for data collection conducted in 2014. Standard International Obesity Task Force criteria was applied to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Results Between 2002 and 2014, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has decreased from 23% (95% CI: 22.3% to 24.3%) to 20% (95% CI: 18.8% to 21.9%) among boys and from 29% (95% CI: 27.5% to 29.6%) to 27% (95% CI: 24.9% to 28.3%) among girls aged 4–13 years in the Republic of Ireland. Among children in Junior Infants (3–7 year olds), the prevalence of overweight and obesity has decreased from 22% (95% CI: 20.7% to 23.5%) to 18% (95% CI: 15.8% to 19.7%) among boys and 29% (95% CI: 27.0% to 30.2%) to 25% (95% CI: 23.0% to 27.5%) among girls, while among children in 6th class (9–14 year olds), the prevalence has decreased from 25% (95% CI: 23.0% to 27.0%) to 23% (95% CI: 21.2% to 26.0%) for boys but has increased from 26% (95% CI: 24.5% to 28.4%) to 28% (95% CI: 25.8% to 30.9%) among girls. Conclusion These results are consistent with a slight fall in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among younger and older children in the Republic of Ireland. While these findings are encouraging, overall prevalence remains high and the issue of childhood overweight and obesity must remain a key public health policy issue.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of tooth wear in adults in Ireland and its relationship with water fluoridation. The National Survey of Adult Oral Health was conducted in 2000/2001. Tooth wear was determined using a partial mouth examination assessing the upper and lower anterior teeth. A total of 2456 subjects were examined. In this survey, increasing levels and severity of tooth wear were associated with ageing. Men were more affected by tooth wear and were more likely to be affected by severe tooth wear than women. It was found that age, and gender were significant predictors of tooth wear (P0.01). Overall, there was no significant relationship between fluoridation and tooth wear in this study.

To identify the socio-economic, demographic and behavioural determinants of dental treatment needs of those aged 65 and over in the Republic of Ireland.The treatment needs data is based on detailed clinical oral examinations in the NSAOH carried out between October 2000 and June 2002. To determine factors influencing treatment needs, three measures are used: a dichotomous variable expressing the need for any dental treatment, a dichotomous variable expressing the need for dentures, and a dichotomous variable expressing a Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Need (CPITN) score of three or greater representing a need for periodontal treatment.Factors such as age, gender, dental services eligibility status, fluoridation, employment status, educational attainment, anxiety about dental visits, frequency of brushing, and attendance patterns were regressed on a dichotomous version of prevalence of Decayed Missing Filled Surfaces, DMFS including the visual component, and CPITN scores. Associations were estimated using multivariate logistic regression and expressed as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Goodness of fit was evaluated by estimating sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative predictive values and accuracy.Being female, smoking, frequent snacking and anxiety about dental visits increased the odds of having a periodontal treatment need. Having primary education only, and being a smoker increased the odds of having a need for any treatment including dentures, whereas being female, regular usage of dental services, and access to fully fluoridated water supplies reduced the odds.Socio-economic factors such as lower levels of educational attainment, demographic factors such as age and gender and not having access to fully fluoridated water supplies, and behavioural factors such as smoking, frequent snacking, anxiety about dental visits, influence above average treatment needs amongst the elderly in the Republic of Ireland.

parental accompaniment of children during dental treatment has always been a contentious issue. One of the factors that should be considered is the preference of the parents. The aim of this paper is to report the preference of parents of eight-year-old schoolchildren in Ireland in relation to accompanying their child during dental procedures and is part of the National Survey of Children's Dental Health in Ireland, which was conducted between October 2001 and June 2002. The survey had a cross sectional design and parents of children (average age 8.4 years) selected for dental examination were asked to complete a questionnaire.3629 completed questionnaires were obtained from parents of eight-year-old children giving a response rate of 68 per cent. Sixty-seven per cent of parents expressed a preference to accompany their child during dental treatment, while nine per cent expressed a preference not to accompany their child. The sex of the child (p = 0.33) or the fact that the parents were holders of a medical card (surrogate for disadvantage) (p = 0.08) did not affect parents' preference. However, parents of a single child had a higher preference (78 per cent) for accompanying their child than did parents with greater than one child in the family unit (66 per cent) (p = 0.0009).If given the choice, the majority of parents would prefer to accompany their child when receiving dental treatment.

A national survey of oral health of children and adolescents was carried out in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) in 2001/2002.To compare the prevalence of caries between child and adolescent residents in fluoridated and non-fluoridated communities in the RoI whilst controlling for disadvantage. To compare caries levels amongst disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged groups with and without water fluoridation. To report the changes in caries levels between the 1960s and 2002 in RoI. To report the changes in dental fluorosis levels between 1984 and 2002.Cross sectional oral health survey of a representative, random, stratified sample of 17,851 5-, 8-, 12- and 15-year-old children and adolescents in RoI. WHO examination criteria with the addition of visible, non-cavitated dentine caries were used for recording caries. Fluorosis was measured using Dean's Index.In the RoI the mean dmft/DMFT scores for 5-, 8-, 12-, and 15-year-olds were 1.2, 0.3, 1.1 and 2.3. For those with domestic water fluoridation since birth the scores were 1.0, 0.3, 1.1 and 2.1 respectively. In non-fluoridated areas of RoI the mean dmft/DMFT scores for 5-, 8-, 12-, and 15-year-olds was 1.7, 0.3, 1.3 and 3.2, respectively. For 5-, 12- and 15-year-old age groups dental caries levels were lower amongst children with fluoridated domestic water supplies (all p0.0001). The prevalence of dental fluorosis has increased in RoI since 1984. 23% and 36% of 8- and 15-year olds respectively in fluoridated areas had Dean's Index scores at the questionable or greater level in 2002, compared with 6% and 5% respectively in 1984.Caries levels are lower among children with fluoridated domestic water supplies. Decay levels are much lower in 2002 than they were in 1984 and in the 1960s. The oral health of the less well off is worse than that of the rest of the population. The prevalence of dental fluorosis is higher amongst children and adolescents with fluoridated water supplies. Comparisons with 1984 data show an increase in the prevalence of fluorosis since that time.

By all accounts Michael O’Brien, that fine scholar and most generous and unassuming of men, was not happy about his Corpus genealogiarum Hiberniae, vol. i. He had it in hand for years and spent an incalculable mount of meticulous labour on it, but only near the end of his life, with great reluctance, did he consent to its publication. The proofs lacked what he considered final correction, and he feared leaving a legacy of avoidable error. Of course what he did leave was an instrument of scholarship, the value and uses of which other men will be decades in proving out. To our gratitude for his learning and labours we should therefore add an almost equal gratitude to those friends who insisted that he publish despite the probability that residual error might still amount to a fraction of one per cent. Our thanks may indeed be the greater since we learn from the introduction that this volume was intended as the first ‘of a series to contain all important Irish pedigrees and genealogical material from the earliest literary period down to c. 1500 A.D.’. If it seems unlikely now that we shall see vol. ii or any of the others, we might so easily not have had even vol. i.

THANKS to Richard Ellmann's definitive biography of James Joyce we know quite a lot about the genesis and writing of ‘The Dead,’ the concluding story in Dubliners. Joyce wrote no other short stories after it, but in a letter (January 6, 1907) to his brother Stanislaus, from Rome, in which he first referred to ‘The Dead,’ he mentioned it as one of five stories “all of which … I could write if circumstances were favorable.” The others, which seem not to have been attempted were ‘The Last Supper,’ ‘The Street,’ ‘Vengeance,’ and ‘At Bay.’ It must have been immediately thereafter that ‘The Dead’ took precedence in his thought, for in a letter written only five days later he remarked that the news of the controversy in Dublin over The Playboy of the Western World had “put me off the story I ‘was going to write’ — to wit, The Dead.” Shortly afterwards he decided to give up his job as a bank cashier in Rome and return to Trieste, which on March 5, 1907, he did. Apparently he worked at the story intermittently in the ensuing months.

Background Childhood obesity is emerging as a major public health problem in developed and developing countries worldwide. The aim of this survey was to establish baseline data on the prevalence and correlates of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) and Northern Ireland (NI). Methods The heights and weights of 19,617 school-going children and adolescents aged between 4 and 16 years in NI and RoI were measured using standardised and calibrated scales and measures. The participants were a representative cross-sectional sample of children randomly selected on the basis of age, gender and geographical location of the school attended. Overweight and obesity were classified according to standard IOTF criteria. Results Males were taller than females, children in RoI were taller than those in NI and the more affluent were taller than the less well off. The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher among females than males in both jurisdictions. Overall, almost one in four boys (23% RoI and NI) and over one in four girls (28% RoI, 25% NI) were either overweight or obese. In RoI, the highest prevalence of overweight was among 13 year old girls (32%) and obesity among 7 year old girls (11%). In NI the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity were found among 11 and 8 year old girls respectively (33% and 13%). Conclusion These figures confirm the emergence of the obesity epidemic among children in Ireland, a wealthy country with the European Union. The results serve to underpin the urgency of implementing broad intersectoral measures to reduce calorie intake and increase levels of physical activity, particularly among children.