Dental Anxiety Amongst Pregnant Women: Relationship With Dental Attendance and Sociodemographic Factors.

INTRODUCTION: Access to oral care during pregnancy is important for the maintenance of optimal oral health. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate dental anxiety (DA) and its association with previous dental visits and sociodemographic factors amongst pregnant women. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted (June through August 2019) amongst pregnant women (N = 825) attending hospitals and health centres in Dhahran, Khobar, and Dammam cities in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. The Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) was used to assess DA and the World Health Organization Oral Health Survey for Adults was administered to evaluate patterns of dental attendance. RESULTS: DA was found in 90.9% of the pregnant women. The mean DA score of the sample was 12.53 ± 5.33 (range, 5 to 25) and it was significantly higher amongst non-Saudi (13.21 ± 5.24) vs Saudi women (12.15 ± 5.34) (P = .006), those who had negative dental experience (13.99 ± 5.62) vs those without such experience (12.2 ± 5.21) (P < .001), and those with dental pain or discomfort (13.18 ± 5.46) vs without pain or discomfort (11.94 ± 5.14) (P = .001). The study found a significant relationship between DA and reasons for dental attendance before pregnancy (P = .002) and time since the last dental visit (P = .009). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed significantly increased odds (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.25 to 2.27) of experiencing moderate to extreme DA amongst pregnant women who visited the dentist after a year/never visited compared to those who visited in less than a year. Similarly, participants with negative dental experience were significantly more likely to have moderate to extreme DA (OR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.20) than those without negative experience after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. CONCLUSIONS: DA was highly prevalent amongst pregnant women, which was significantly associated with negative dental experience, dental pain or discomfort, and reasons for and time since the last dental visit.

Traumatic dental injuries in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia: Factors influencing teachers' management practices.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in children frequently occur in schools where teachers can play an important role in their management. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess schoolteachers' knowledge and the factors that determine their management of TDIs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia from January to June 2018. Data were collected through an online pre-tested questionnaire. The questionnaire collected demographic data and included questions that assessed participants' knowledge and management practices for TDI. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed. RESULTS: A total of 443 teachers were included in the study, and 72.5% of the participants were females. The prevalence of TDIs was 49% yet only 7.2% of the participants reported managing dental trauma. Fights (22.8%) and falls (21.7%) were the most common causes of dental injuries. Mean TDI knowledge score was 2.75 ± 2.05, but only 47.2% were willing to receive training about TDI management. Regarding supportive environments, 75.8% of teachers reported having safety playgrounds, however 10.6% reported having a nurse in schools. After controlling for other variables, male respondents were 3.85 times more likely to manage TDIs than female respondents (P = .001). Similarly, previous knowledge of dental trauma management (OR = 4.32, P < .001) and having less than 50 students in class (OR = 2.61, P = .021) were significantly associated with TDI management. CONCLUSION: The teachers demonstrated inadequate knowledge about TDIs which were highly prevalent in primary schools. Male gender, having knowledge of TDI management and teaching less students were associated with increased likelihood of TDI management. There is a crucial need for the reinforcement of policies that support school safety and a supportive environment.

Awareness about the effects of tobacco consumption on oral health and the possibility of smoking behavior among male Saudi schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate an association between the awareness about the effects of tobacco consumption on oral health and the likelihood of smoking among male schoolchildren. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted using a multistage random sampling technique. The participants (ages 15-19 years) were recruited from male public high schools in Greater Dammam in Saudi Arabia. A pretested questionnaire inquired participants' awareness about the effects of smoking on oral health. SPSS (Released 2013, IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp) was used to calculate unadjusted and adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Multiple logistic regression and interaction analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with the probability of smoking behavior among children. RESULTS: More than 69.9% (n = 277) of participants were aware of the adverse effects of tobacco consumption on oral health which included poor oral health, bad taste and breath, periodontal disease, dental caries, oral ulcers, and oral cancers. The odds of smoking were 22%-47% lower among schoolchildren who were aware of the consequences of smoking on oral health than those who were unaware of these complications. The students who believed that smoking can cause oral ulcers and negatively affects oral health had a lower probability of smoking (OR: 0.414; CI: 0.201-0.50) and (OR: 0.433; CI: 0.194-0.965), respectively in comparison with those who thought that smoking had no such negative impacts. CONCLUSIONS: Schoolchildren with increased awareness of smoking effects on oral health were less likely to smoke. Educating students about the complications of smoking on oral health should be the part of smoking cessation programs and policies.