Association of N-acetyltransferases 1 and 2 Polymorphisms with Susceptibility to Head and Neck Cancers-A Meta-Analysis, Meta-Regression, and Trial Sequential Analysis.

Background and objective:N-acetyltransferases 1 and 2 (NAT1 and NAT2) genes have polymorphisms in accordance with slow and rapid acetylator phenotypes with a role in the development of head and neck cancers (HNCs). Herein, we aimed to evaluate the association of NAT1 and NAT2 polymorphisms with susceptibility to HNCs in an updated meta-analysis. Materials and methods: A search was comprehensively performed in four databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/Medline, and Cochrane Library until 8 July 2021). The effect sizes, odds ratio (OR) along with 95% confidence interval (CI) were computed. Trial sequential analysis (TSA), publication bias and sensitivity analysis were conducted. Results: Twenty-eight articles including eight studies reporting NAT1 polymorphism and twenty-five studies reporting NAT2 polymorphism were involved in the meta-analysis. The results showed that individuals with slow acetylators of NAT2 polymorphism are at higher risk for HNC OR: 1.22 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.46; p = 0.03). On subgroup analysis, ethnicity, control source, and genotyping methods were found to be significant factors in the association of NAT2 polymorphism with the HNC risk. TSA identified that the amount of information was not large enough and that more studies are needed to establish associations. Conclusions: Slow acetylators in NAT2 polymorphism were related to a high risk of HNC. However, there was no relationship between NAT1 polymorphism and the risk of HNC.

Effect of family characteristics on periodontal diseases in children and adolescents-A systematic review.

AIM: To synthesize the literature on the influence of family/parents characteristics on periodontal diseases in children and adolescents. METHODS: An electronic search for relevant literature published between 2007 and 2017 was undertaken in PubMed, Embase, Cinahl and Cochrane databases; the search was updated in April 2018. Two reviewers independently reviewed the abstracts of these; of which, 43 articles were reviewed in full. RESULTS: Of the 746 retrieved titles, 649 remained after removing duplicates. Thirty articles met the inclusion criteria, and 13 were excluded. Also, two were included from the updated search. Data from the reviewed articles indicate that all three indicators of parent's socioeconomic status (income, education and occupation) are significantly associated with periodontal diseases in children. Better periodontal status was observed in children of parents with higher SES than those whose parents were of lower SES. Although the association between parent's smoking practices, level of periodontal diseases and children's periodontal status was explored only in few studies, findings indicate that children exposed to passive smoking and having parents with periodontal diseases are more likely to present with periodontal diseases as well. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the studies considered socioeconomic factors and had not attempted to explore the impact of parental psychosocial variables on periodontal diseases in children. The literature indicates that these variables significantly influence health practices, including oral hygiene practices, which could ultimately affect periodontal health. More studies are required to explore the association of these variables with periodontal outcomes in children.

Impact of oral potentially malignant disorders on quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) could have a significant psychological impact on patients, principally because of the unknown risk of malignant transformation, while the physical and functional impairments could differ. This study aimed to assess the impact of three different OPMDs and their disease stages on the quality of life (QoL) of affected patients. METHODS: Oral leukoplakia (OL), oral lichen planus (OLP) and oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) patients who were undergoing treatment at an oral medicine clinic of a dental teaching hospital in India were the study population. All subjects completed the recently developed OPMDQoL questionnaire and a short form 12 item (version 2) health survey questionnaire (SF-12v2). OPMDQoL questionnaire consists of 20 items over four dimensions. A higher score denotes poor OHRQoL. SF-12v2 has two components, a Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS). RESULTS: A total of 150 subjects (50 each of OL, OLP and OSF) participated. OL patients (37.7 ± 7.9) reported significantly better OPMDQoL scores than OLP (47.3 ± 5.8) and OSF (45.4 ± 9.2) patients. OLP patients reported significant problems in obtaining a clear diagnosis for their condition, more so than the other OPMDs. OL patients reported fewer problems for the dimension, "physical impairment and functional limitations" than the OLP and OSF patients. A significant trend was observed with the overall OPMDQoL and MCS, deteriorating as the disease stage increased. CONCLUSIONS: OLP and OSF have a significant impact on the QoL of affected individuals: OL less so. Increasing stage of the disease is associated with worsening QoL.

Dental Caries and its Socio-Behavioral Predictors- An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess dental caries status and oral health related behavior of 12 year old school children in relation to urbanization and gender; to analyze the effect of socio-demographic and behavioral variables on dental caries experience. STUDY DESIGN: Study sample comprised 831, 12 year old school children in, India. Caries status was assessed by Decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) index and a 16 item closed ended questionnaire was administered to children for assessing their oral health related knowledge, beliefs and behavior. RESULTS: Mean caries experience and prevalence was 1.94 and 64.9% respectively. Decay was the dominant component of DMFT. Greater proportion of female and urban children presented better oral health knowledge, beliefs and practices. Boys were more liable (OR=1.2, 95% CI=1.10-1.96) for having caries than girls. Children living in rural areas and whose parents were not professionals or semiprofessionals were more likely to experience caries. Children whose mothers were unskilled or house wives were more than twice likely to present caries (OR=2.14, 95% CI-2.03-2.45) than those children whose mothers were skilled or semi-skilled. Children of illiterate fathers and mothers were 1.09 (95% CI, 1.02-1.49) and 1.98 (95% CI, 1.13-1.99) times more likely to have dental caries than those children whose parents had greater than 10 years of education. Children, those who cleaned their teeth less than once a day presented an odds ratio of 1.36 (CI-1.17-1.86) also higher odds of dental caries was observed in children consuming sweets or soft drinks more than once a day. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence and severity of dental caries was low among urban children and girls than their rural and boy counterparts. In general, oral health knowledge, beliefs and practices were low, predominantly in rural and male children. Caries experience was significantly associated with gender, location of residence, brushing frequency, frequency of consumption of soft drinks and sweets, parents' occupation and education.

Knowledge of Teething and Prevalence of Teething Myths in Mothers of Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge about teething, to evaluate the experiences of the mothers' during the teething of their youngest child and practices undertaken by them to relieve teething symptoms. STUDY DESIGN: A stratified cluster sampling technique was used to collect representative sample of school children of Jazan province (Saudi Arabia), who were provided with a questionnaire kit to be filled by their mothers. RESULTS: A total of 159 mothers participated in this study. More than four-fifths and three-fourths of the study population knew that the first primary teeth erupt at 6-7 months of age and lower central incisors are the first teeth to erupt respectively. The most prevalent signs and symptoms associated with teething as reported by the mothers were desire to bite (97.5%), fever (93%), diarrhoea (91.1%), increased salivation (79.9%), loss of appetite (77.4%) and gum irritation (71.7%). A little more than half (55.7%) of the mothers' gave their child a chilled object to bite and 42.1% bottle fed their baby at night to relieve teething pain. CONCLUSIONS: Many mothers had poor knowledge and misbeliefs about teething. There is a need to educate the mothers of Jazan province on the facts related to teething, specifically those related to teething pain relieving practices.

Oral-health-related quality of life in patients with cancer: cultural adaptation and the psychometric testing of the Persian version of EORTC QLQ-OH17.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the validity, reliability, responsiveness to treatment, and gender invariance of the Persian version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Oral Health Questionnaire (QLQ-OH17) among Iranian cancer patients. METHODS: Cancer patients (n = 729) from three oncology centers in Tehran and Qazvin were recruited. A forward and backward translation procedure was performed to develop a culturally acceptable version of Persian QLQ-OH17. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the QLQ-OH17 was assessed. In addition, convergent and discriminant validity, concurrent validity, construct validity, and known-groups validity were evaluated. The factor structure of the questionnaire was examined by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Responsiveness to change was measured in an independent sample of patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy. Finally, factorial invariance of the QLQ-OH17 was assessed across gender. RESULTS: The Persian version of QLQ-OH17 showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.71-0.83) and reliability on repeated administration (intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.85-0.94). Persian QLQ-OH17 exhibited the original four-factor structure. Patients who perceived good oral health and satisfaction with their mouth reported significantly better oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) than those who perceived poor oral health and dissatisfied with their mouth. Similarly, those who perceived a need for dental treatment reported significantly poorer OHRQoL than those who have not perceived any treatment need. Older patients, females, and those experiencing greater caries had poorer QoL than their comparative counterparts. All QLQ-OH17 subscales were correlated with QLQ-C30 subscales and global QoL. Both male and female patients with cancer interpreted items on the QLQ-OH17 in a similar manner. The QLQ-OH17 was found to be responsive to treatment in a sample of head and neck cancer patients. CONCLUSIONS: The Persian version of QLQ-OH17 is a valid and reliable questionnaire for assessing OHRQoL in Iranian patients with various cancers.

Reliability and validity of Arabic Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (AREALD-30) in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the reliability and validity of Arabic Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (AREALD-30) in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A convenience sample of 200 subjects was approached, of which 177 agreed to participate giving a response rate of 88.5%. Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (REALD-99), was translated into Arabic to prepare the longer and shorter versions of Arabic Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (AREALD-99 and AREALD-30). Each participant was provided with AREALD-99 which also includes words from AREALD-30. A questionnaire containing socio-behavioral information and Arabic Oral Health Impact Profile (A-OHIP-14) was also administered. Reliability of the AREALD-30 was assessed by re-administering it to 20 subjects after two weeks. Convergent and predictive validity of AREALD-30 was evaluated by its correlations with AREALD-99 and self-perceived oral health status, dental visiting habits and A-OHIP-14 respectively. Discriminant validity was assessed in relation to the educational level while construct validity was evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). RESULTS: Reliability of AREALD-30 was excellent with intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.99. It exhibited good convergent and discriminant validity but poor predictive validity. CFA showed presence of two factors and infit mean-square statistics for AREALD-30 were all within the desired range of 0.50 - 2.0 in Rasch analysis. CONCLUSIONS: AREALD-30 showed excellent reliability, good convergent and concurrent validity, but failed to predict the differences between the subjects categorized based on their oral health outcomes.

Unveiling a Health Disparity: Comparative Analysis of Head and Neck Cancer Trends between First Nations People and Non-Indigenous Australians (1998-2015).

BACKGROUND: We aim to assess and compare the HNC trends between the First Nations and non-Indigenous population. METHODS: HNC incidence (1998-2013) and mortality (1998-2015) data in First Nations people and non-Indigenous Australians were utilised from the Australian Cancer Database. The age-standardised incidence and mortality trends along with annual percentage changes were analysed using Joinpoint models. Age-standardised incidence and mortality rates according to remoteness, states, and five-year survival rates among First Nations people and non-Indigenous Australians were presented as graphs. RESULTS: First Nations people had over twice the age-standardised incidence (2013; 29.8/100,000 vs. 14.7/100,000) and over 3.5 times the age-standardised mortality rates (2015; 14.2/100,000 vs. 4.1/100,000) than their non-Indigenous counterparts. Both populations saw a decline in mortality, but the decline was only statistically significant in non-Indigenous Australians (17.1% decline, 1998: 4.8/100,000, 2015: 4.1/100,000; p < 0.05). Across all remoteness levels and states, First Nations people consistently had higher age-standardised incidence and mortality rates. Furthermore, the five-year survival rate was lower by 25% in First Nations people. CONCLUSION: First Nations people continue to shoulder a disproportionate HNC burden compared to non-Indigenous Australians.

Evaluation of the Expression Levels of miR-21-5p and miR-429 Genes in Biopsy Samples from Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: MicroRNAs (miRs) are a group of endogenous, non-coding, 18-24 nucleotide length single-strand RNAs that mediate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level through mRNA degradation or translational repression. They are involved in regulating diverse cellular biological processes such as cell cycle, differentiation, and apoptosis. The deregulation of miRs affects normal biological processes, leading to malignancies, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study evaluates the expression level of miR-21-5p and miR-429 genes in biopsy samples from patients with OSCC and performs a comparison with controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, tissue samples were obtained from 40 individuals (20 OSCC patients and 20 healthy controls) to determine miR-21-5p and miR-429 expression using the ΔCT method and analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: The mean age of subjects in the control and patient groups was 47.15 and 53.8 years, respectively. According to the Mann-Whitney test, significant differences were observed in miR-21-5p (p < 0.0001) and miR-429 (p = 0.0191) expression levels between the two groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of miR-21-5p, miR-429, and combined miRNAs in the OSCC group was significantly higher compared to the control group. As a result, changes in the expression of these biomarkers in cancerous tissues could potentially be considered as a marker for the early diagnosis of OSCC.

Photodynamic therapy for oral potentially malignant disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) in the treatment of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMDs) patients. METHODOLOGY: An electronic search was conducted to retrieve articles published until September 2021. Meta-analyses were conducted for the outcomes of complete response (CR) and any response (AR) after treatment with PDT using data from single-arm studies, case series and non-randomised controlled trials (NRCTs). RESULTS: In total, 49 articles were included. RCTs revealed insignificant mean difference (MD) in efficacy index between PDT and comparison groups (MD: 1.32; 95% CI:-28.10-30.72, p=0.930). The likelihood of CR (OR:0.84; 95% CI: 0.42-1.71, p=0.637) or AR (OR:2.10; 95% CI: 0.31-14.25, p=0.448) was not different in PDT group when compared with any comparison treatments in NRCTs. CR/AR among single arm studies was 60.6% (95% CI: 50.5-70.7, P<0.001) and 93.7% (95% CI:91.5-95.8, P<0.001) respectively. Higher prevalence of CR and AR was observed for dysplasia or carcinoma insitu (CIS) (CR: 81%, 95% CI: 70.8-91.3, P<0.001; AR: 94.3%; 95% CI: 89-99.6, P<0.001) and actinic cheilitis (AC) (CR: 73.9%, 95% CI: 65.9-81.9, P<0.001; AR:97%; 95% CI:94.9-99, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the patients receiving PDT showed CR, with more than 90% responding to the treatment. PDT was most effective on oral dysplasias, followed by AC.

The Role of Parenting Practices on the Parent Perceived Impact of Child Oral Health on Family Wellbeing.

BACKGROUND: Family characteristics and parenting practices could significantly influence child oral health and the impact of child oral health on family wellbeing. AIM: To determine the association between parenting practices and parent-perceived impact of children's oral health condition on family wellbeing. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1539 school children in India. Parents answered the short form of FIS (Family Impact Scale), and PCRQ (parent-child relationship questionnaire) to assess the impact of the child's oral health on family and parenting practices, respectively. Two factors emerged on factor analysis of PCRQ: 'Positive parenting' and 'Power assertive parenting'. The intra-oral examination was conducted for children to assess their dental caries experience and gingival health status. Unadjusted linear regression and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used to determine the influence of parenting practices on FIS. RESULTS: An increase in power assertion (B = 1.16) parenting was associated with increased FIS scores indicating a higher adverse impact of the child's oral health on family wellbeing when parents used more power assertive parenting practices. On the other hand, an increase in positive parenting (B = -1.27) was associated with decreased FIS scores, indicating a lesser impact of child's oral health on family wellbeing when parents used more positive parenting practices. CONCLUSIONS: Parenting practices were associated with parents' perceptions of the effect of children's oral health on family wellbeing.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on serum and salivary levels of total antioxidant capacity and C-reactive protein in oral lichen planus patients.

OBJECTIVE: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an inflammatory disease that total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and C-reactive protein (CRP) play an important role in its pathogenesis. In this meta-analysis, we compared the salivary and serum levels of TAC and CRP between OLP patients and controls. DESIGN: A comprehensive search was performed in four databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library). Standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed by the RevMan 5.3. Sensitivity analysis, subgroup analysis, meta-regression, and publication bias were analyzed by the CMA 2.0. RESULTS: Nineteen articles were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled SMDs were -1.80 µmol/L (95%CI: -2.75, -0.85; p = 0.0002) and -2.56 µmol/L (95%CI: -4.40, -0.72; p = 0.006) for the salivary and serum levels of TAC, respectively. The SMDs for salivary and serum levels of CRP were 0.64 µg/L (95%CI: 0.35, 0.94; p < 0.0001) and 0.97 mg/L (95%CI: 0.56, 1.338; p < 0.00001), respectively. Geographical area based on the country was a significant factor in the subgroup analysis for salivary TAC level. There was adequate evidence supporting the occurrence of less salivary and serum TAC levels in OLP patients than controls, but the amount of information was inadequate to make valid conclusions for salivary CRP level. CONCLUSIONS: In OLP patients, salivary and serum levels of TAC is significantly lower while the salivary and serum levels of CRP is significantly higher than controls.

Premolar maturity index (IPM) for indicating legal age 12 years in a sample of south Indian children - A digital pantomographic study.

Legal age of 12 years has been set as the minimum age of criminal responsibility in many countries. This paper concerned a method for predicting the legal age 12 years based on the maturation of lower first and second premolars. The sample consisted of 900 digital pantomographs of south Indian children (450 males, 450 females) aged between 8 and 16 years. Among them, 580 DPTs were used as test sample and 320 DPTs as validation sample. New cut-offs at the age threshold 12 years were determined by using the measurement of open apices in first premolars (IPM1 < 0.10), second premolars (IPM2 < 0.14) and the combined method (IPM1 + IPM2 < 0.12). The sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp) and posttest probability (PTP) were established. For IPM1 < 0.10, the Se, Sp and PTP were 92.4 %, 91.3 % and 91.1 % for males and 90.8 %, 87 % and 86.5 % for females. For IPM2 < 0.14, they were 92.6 %, 93.6 % and 93.4 % for males and 91.5 %, 83.1 % and 83.4 % for females. And, for the combined predictor (IPM1 + IPM2 < 0.12), these values were 92.6 %, 94.8 % and 94.6 % and 90.5 %, 84.9 % and 84.7 % in males and females respectively. The best score of positive predictive value and specificity was obtained for males with the combined predictor (IPM1 + IPM2 < 0.12) and with single predictor (IPM1 < 0.10) for females. To conclude, the combined predictor has resulted in better discrimination in males, while in females the single predictor (IMP1 < 0.10) did slightly better. Further studies are warranted to test the combination of dental and skeletal indicators for the prediction of 12 years in the studied population.

Evaluation of serum copper and iron levels among oral submucous fibrosis patients.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate and compare the levels of serum copper and iron among subjects with oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) of different clinical stages and healthy controls. STUDY DESIGN: Study sample comprised of 50 patients clinically diagnosed with OSMF and 50 healthy controls who were matched for age and gender. OSMF patients were categorised by clinical staging. Serum estimation of copper and iron was done using atomic absorbtion spectrophotometry. RESULTS: Mean copper and iron level differed significantly (p < 0.000) between the patients and controls with patients exhibiting higher copper (134.1 ± 20.16) and lower iron (114.78 ± 23.47) levels in contrast to controls who presented lower copper (114.8 ± 12.36) and higher iron (130.86 ± 31.01) levels in serum. There was a definite trend as (P < 0.0001) with cases having the lesion in faucial bands (1st stage) exhibiting the lowest serum copper and those in stage 3 (faucial, labial and buccal bands) presenting the highest copper levels in serum. CONCLUSIONS: Copper level increased and iron level decreased in study group in comparison to healthy controls. Copper level increased as clinical stage of oral submucous fibrosis increased.

Influence of lifestyle on oral health behavior among rural residents of Udaipur district, India.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the relation of life style with dental health behavior such as tooth brushing frequency, use of extra cleansing devices and regular visits to dentist among rural residents of Udaipur district, India. STUDY DESIGN: The study population comprised of 1001 rural population between the ages 18 to 69 years selected by multi stage stratified cluster sampling procedure. Personal interviews were conducted by three trained interviewers who collected information on socio-demographic and lifestyle factors in addition to some aspects of dental health behavior including tooth brushing frequency, use of extra cleaning devices like dental floss and regular visits to dentist. RESULTS: Majority of the population (63.3%) brushed their teeth once a day and only a few subjects (19.8%) brushed twice a day whereas 8.6 % never brushed their teeth. Logistic regression analysis revealed that females were more apt in every aspect of dental health behavior. House wives were more regular in brushing their teeth (OR=1.51) and using extra cleansing devices as compared to other occupation groups. Subjects who suffered from systemic disease showed negative association with use of extra cleansing devices but showed positive association with regular visits to dentist. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that dental health behavior is related with life style factors as well as socio-demographic variables.

Association of IL-10 and TNF-α Polymorphisms with Dental Peri-Implant Disease Risk: A Meta-Analysis, Meta-Regression, and Trial Sequential Analysis.

Genetic susceptibility has been reported to be an important risk factor for peri-implant disease (PID). The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the association between TNF-α and IL-10 polymorphisms and PID susceptibility. The Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and PubMed/Medline databases were searched for studies published until 12 April 2021. RevMan 5.3, CMA 2.0, SPSS 22.0, and trial sequential analysis software were used. Twelve studies were included in our analysis. The pooled ORs for the association of TNF-α (-308 G > A), IL-10 (-1082 A > G), IL-10 (-819 C > T), and IL-10 (-592 A > C) polymorphisms were 1.12, 0.93, 1.35, and 0.77 for allelic; 1.42, 0.95, 3.41, and 0.34 for homozygous; 1.19, 1.88, 1.23, and 0.49 for heterozygous, 1.53, 1.12, 1.41, and 0.39 for recessive; and 1.16, 1.87, 2.65, and 0.75 for dominant models, respectively, with all the estimates being insignificant. The results showed an association between TNF-α (-308 G > A) polymorphism and the risk of PID in patients of Asian ethnicity (OR = 1.59; p = 0.03). The present meta-analysis illustrated that TNF-α (-308 G > A), IL-10 (-1082 A > G), IL-10 (-819 C > T), and IL-10 (-592 A > C) polymorphisms were not associated with the risk of PID, whereas TNF-α (-308 G > A) polymorphism was associated with an elevated risk of PID in Asian patients.

In vitro studies evaluating the efficacy of mouth rinses on Sars-Cov-2: A systematic review.

This systematic review aims to evaluate the evidence on the efficacy of mouth rinses on SARS-CoV-2 from in vitro studies. Five electronic databases were searched up to February 2021; no language or time restrictions were used. Two independent reviewers conducted both selection and data extraction processes. The toxicological data reliability assessment tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias. Starting from 239 articles, retrieved by the electronic search, only eight studies were included in our systematic review. Povidone Iodine (PVP-I) was effective in killing SARS-CoV-2, demonstrated higher virucidal activity than other commonly used active ingredients. Conflicting results were found about the effectiveness of Chlorhexidine (CHX) while hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) proved less effective than PVP-I. Other active ingredients, such as quaternary ammonium compounds and Ethanol (particularly when combined with essential oils), have also shown promising results in reducing viral load, with results comparable to PVP-I.

Evaluation of Serum and Salivary Iron and Ferritin Levels in Children with Dental Caries: A Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Dental caries appears to be related to iron deficiency anemia and to low ferritin levels. In the present meta-analysis, we report salivary and serum iron and ferritin levels in children with dental caries, compared to healthy controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched in Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and PubMed/Medline databases to extract studies published until 25 July 2021. We calculated mean differences (MD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of salivary and serum iron and ferritin levels in children with dental caries, always compared to healthy controls. In addition, we applied a trial sequential analysis (TSA). RESULTS: A total of twelve articles covering thirteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled MD for salivary iron level was -5.76 µg/dL (p = 0.57), and -27.70 µg/dL (p < 0.00001) for serum iron level: compared to healthy controls, children with dental caries did not show different salivary iron levels, while children with caries had significantly lower serum iron levels. The pooled MD of salivary ferritin level was 34.84 µg/dL (p = 0.28), and the pooled MD of serum ferritin level was -8.95 µg/L (p = 0.04): compared to healthy controls, children with dental caries did not have different salivary iron levels, but significantly lower serum ferritin levels. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present meta-analysis showed that salivary levels of iron and ferritin did not differ between children with and without caries, though compared to healthy controls, children with caries had significantly lower salivary and serum iron and ferritin levels. The results are of practical and clinical importance: Possibly, iron and ferritin supplementation might prevent or attenuate dental caries in children at risk. Further, children with caries might suffer from further iron- and ferritin-related health issues. Lastly, serum blood samples, but not saliva samples inform accurately about the current iron and ferritin concentrations in children with or without caries.

Impact of the Poor Oral Health Status of Children on Their Families: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study.

The impact of poor oral health may not just be limited to the children themselves but can impact their families. The current study aims to perform psychometric analyses of the Arabic version of the Family Impact Scale and investigate the association of its domains with the oral health status of children. This cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 500 parent-child dyads from high schools of Jazan city of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Arabic version of the Family Impact Scale was subjected to reliability and validity tests. The explanatory variables in the current study are: the oral health status, parents combined income, parents' education, age and sex of the child. The descriptive analysis was reported using proportions, this was followed by the bivariate and multivariable analyses. About 24.2% of children were reported to have fair, poor, and very poor oral health. A lower frequency of family impact corresponded with better oral health (OH) status of children (p < 0.001). The likelihood of parent's taking time off from work and having financial difficulties was nearly two-times greater if their children had poor oral health. Similarly, interruption in sleep and other normal activities of parents is four times and five times greater, respectively, if the child has poor oral health status. Thus, the poor oral health of school children in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia is a matter of grave concern as it is observed to be associated with family impacts; particularly affecting the parent's work, sleep, and other normal family activities.

Association between Interleukin-1 Polymorphisms and Susceptibility to Dental Peri-Implant Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Interleukins (ILs), as important biochemical mediators, control the host response to inflammation and are associated with bone resorption. In the present meta-analysis, we investigated the association between IL-1 polymorphisms and susceptibility to dental peri-implant disease (PID). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and PubMed/Medline databases for studies published until 9 September2021, without any restrictions. We calculated the crude OR and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to estimate the associations between IL-1 polymorphisms and PID risk in the five genetic models. We further performed the subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, meta-regression, trial sequential analysis, and calculated the publication bias. RESULTS: Out of 212 retrieved records, sixteen articles were used in the meta-analysis. There was no association between IL-1A (-889), IL-1B (-511), IL-1B (+3953), and IL-1RN (VNTR) polymorphisms and the risk of dental PIDs, but there was an increased risk of IL-1B (+3954) in the patients with PIDs. In addition, an association of the composite genotype of IL-1A (-889)/IL-1B (+3953) was observed with the risk of PIDs, but not for the composite genotype of IL-1A (-889)/IL-1B (+3954). The publication year, the ethnicity, sample size, and the outcome were significantly influenced pooled estimates of some genetic models. Trial sequential analysis showed the lack of sufficient sample sizes in the studies. Conclusions: Among IL-1 polymorphisms evaluated in the meta-analysis, the composite genotype of IL-1A (-889)/IL-1B (+3953) and IL-1B (+3954) were the only polymorphisms associated with the risk of PID. The T allele and CT genotype of IL-1B (+3954) polymorphism were also associated with an elevated risk of PID.