Effects of an Educational Book on Paediatric Oral Health knowledge in a sample of Italian women.

AIM: Parents and caregivers, particularly in Italy, often have limited knowledge about their children's oral health. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the educational effectiveness of a book on nutrition and prevention of oral diseases entitled "Oral health of mother and child in the first 1000 days of life". MATERIALS: The sample for this study was composed of 103 adult Italian women who were potential caregivers of one or more children (e.g., mothers, grandmothers, babysitters, and educators). The enrolled women completed a preliminary online survey which included questions about their socio-demographic characteristics and their knowledge on oral health in the first 1000 days of life of newborns (30 questions). Following the survey, they received the educational book. After reading it, the participants completed a second online survey with the same 30 questions, to measure any improvement in their knowledge. CONCLUSION: It appears that our educational book about nutrition and prevention of oral diseases was effective in enhancing knowledge among the participants in our study. These findings suggest that this educational resource has the potential to be a valuable tool in preventing oral diseases in paediatric populations. However, further confirmation of these results should be obtained through randomised controlled trials.

Prevalence of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in a paediatric italian population: An epidemiological study.

AIM: The present work aims to evaluate, through an epidemiological study, the prevalence of Early Childhood Caries in an Italian paediatric population, aged up to 71 months, evaluating some determinants that will be illustrated in this study in order to adopt preventive care and intervene as early as possible to limit the development of this disease. METHODS: The sample consisted of 76 children aged up to 71 months who were examined at the PAediatric Dentistry Clinic of the University of l'Aquila. Parents were informed of the research that was taking place. All read the information sheet explaining the study and signed the informed consent where it was emphasised that the data collected would be treated and stored in a strictly confidential manner, pursuant to the Legislative Decree 196/2003 in force in Italy since June 30, 2003, regarding the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data. At the end of this study, a standardised questionnaire administered. The questionnaire, divided into two parts, made it possible to acquire information regarding the characteristics of the population. First part: General data of the child and the medical history of the mother and father; Second part: The age and gender of the child, the type and duration of breastfeeding, the use of sugary pacifiers, oral hygiene and frequency of consumption of sugars drinks and food, identifying the starting age. RESULTS: Evaluating the dmft of each child, 40.79% of our sample population is affected by ECC; 57.89% of the children used the pacifier and 13,16% of them have or have used it with honey with a p value of 0.001, therefore this parameter was statistically significant, together with the intake of candies, chocolates and sugar drinks. The data was collected for a period of about 12 months, consequently a descriptive statistical analysis was conducted in which the characteristics of the population under consideration were outlined. Discrete and nominal variables have been described with frequencies and percentages. The percentage differences were evaluated using the chi-square test and the Fisher test. Quantitative variables were expressed in terms of mean and standard deviation and significance was assessed by the Mann-Whitney test. The level of significance was established as p <0.05. A Logistic Regression was conducted to evaluate the risk factors associated with a dmft>0 setting, dmft=0/dmft>0 as the dependent variable and the variables investigated as explanatory variables. The evaluation of the association was reported as the Odds Ratio with the 95% confidence interval. The statistical analysis was carried out using the Stata 12/1C statistical package. CONCLUSION: ECC is a multifactorial disease in which eating habits play a very important role. A diet that from childhood is characterised by a high consumption of sugar-rich food and drinks is highly associated with the incidence of ECC in later years.

Survey on women's awareness of the importance of oral hygiene during pregnancy for the health of the mother and her unborn child: Observational aepidemiological study.

AIM: This research aims to assess the oral hygiene habits of women in the perinatal period. The study also aims to ascertain the degree of awareness of mothers, or future mothers, about the importance of oral hygiene for themselves and their child. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Study design: aepidemiological, observational, cross-sectional survey among a group of young women of childbearing age. The group was composed of mothers recruited from kindergartens and pregnant women who went to counseling centers or participated in childbirth courses throughout Italy. RESULTS: The sample included 500 women from Central and Northern Italy and 263 from Southern Italy for a total of 763 subjects. Most of them were Italian (87.9%) and just over 50% of them had at least one child (52.7%); 40% were above 35 years old, and 52% were between 25 and 35 years of age. CONCLUSION: Young women often underestimate the importance of oral hygiene even before pregnancy, and the impact of oral hygiene lasts throughout gestation and continues after childbirth.

Dental fear/anxiety among children and adolescents. A systematic review.

AIM: The aim of this paper was to review the published scientific literature to quantify the prevalence and mean score of dental fear/anxiety (DFA) in children/adolescents and its variation according to several variables. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross- sectional and cohort studies published from 2000 to 2014, that measured DFA in children /adolescents (aged 0-19 years), in the general population, or visiting private or public dental services (general or pediatric) or attending school and kindergarten, were searched, with specific terms, in 3 electronic databases (Medline, Embase, Web Of Science). Primary data, collected with specific questionnaires of demonstrated reliability and/or validity, were extracted. RESULTS: After screening 743 abstracts and evaluating 164 full-text publications, 36 articles were selected. Dental fear/anxiety prevalence rates were 12.2%, 10.0%, 12.2%,11.0% and 20.0% for the CFSS-DS, DAS, MDAS, DFS, and DFSS-SF scores, respectively. In the studies that used MCDAS Dental fear/prevalence rates varied from 13.3% to 29.3%. In the studies that used CFSS-DS ratings, the prevalence and the mean score of dental fear/anxiety was lower in Northern Europe than the remaining countries, the prevalence decreased with increasing age and the frequency was higher in females than males. CONCLUSIONS: Dental fear/anxiety is a common problem in children/adolescents worldwide, therefore, new strategies to overcome this relevant children/adolescent condition should be encouraged.

Reliability and validity of the Italian versions of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule - Dental Subscale and the Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale.

AIM: Children's dental fear and anxiety (DFA) causes significant problems in clinical practice. The 15-item Children's Fear Survey Schedule - Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS) and the 8-item Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale (MCDAS) are the most widely used measures of dental fear in children. The aim of this study is to examine the reliability and validity of the Italian versions of the CFSS-DS and MCDAS, also in comparison with a simple visual analogue scale (VAS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The CFSS-DS and MCDAS were translated into Italian by a consensus panel of experts and administered to 210 dental patients aged 4-11 years from three Italian Institutions. Internal reliability was assessed using the Cronbach's alpha correlation. A sub-sample of 60 children was selected for test-retest analysis. CFSS-DS and MCDAS, plus a VAS scale, rated both by children and parents, were validated using as gold standard the 4-item Frankl scale for behaviours assessed by dentists. RESULTS: Mean CFSS-DS score was 30.8 (SD: 11.1) and mean MCDAS score was 17.9 (SD: 7.2), significantly higher among children aged 4-7 years and among children at their first dental visit. The alpha value for internal reliability was 0.90 (95%, CI= 0.88-0.92) for CFSS-DS and 0.87 (95% CI=0.85-0.90) for MCDAS. Both CFSS-DS and MCDAS showed good test-retest reliability (rsp= 0.80; p<0.001 for both scales). CFSS-DS and MCDAS predicted a Frankl score ≤2 (i.e., indicating children with an uncooperative behaviour) with a fair accuracy (AUC=0.69 and AUC=0.68, respectively). The VAS scale was more effective in predicting a negative behaviour (AUC=0.78). The scales self-reported by children were only slightly more accurate than those reported by parents. CONCLUSION: The Italian versions of the CFSS-DS and MCDAS are valid and reliable tools for the assessment of dental fear in Italian children aged 4-11 years. A simple, one-item VAS, and dental fear and anxiety evaluation by parents may be valid and quick alternatives to multi-item indices to predict an uncooperative children behaviour.