Oral health education interventions may improve the oral health status of older people.

DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science. STUDY SELECTION: Experimental and quasi-experimental interventional studies. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two authors independently evaluated the included studies using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) quality assessment tool, and any discrepancies in the scoring of the quality assessment tool were resolved through discussion or by involving a third author. The outcome was descriptive in nature. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were included in the review (17 RCTs and 6 quasi-experimental). The studies showed improvement in all areas related to oral health of the older people after implementation of the interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Well-structured oral health educational programs may help improve the oral health of older people. However, more robust evidence is needed in this area.

Impact of Protracted War Crisis on Dental Students: A Comparative Multicountry Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of conflict and war crisis on dental students is poorly understood. Given the prolonged conflicts and political instability in the Arabic-speaking countries, it is crucial to investigate the effect of these conditions on dental students. This study aimed to assess the impact of protracted war on dental students by comparing the personal, university, and wider context challenges they face across war-affected and unaffected countries. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted including a convenience sample of dental students from 13 universities in 12 Arabic-speaking countries. Respondents were those at entry and exit points of their undergraduate dental training. A self-administered paper questionnaire collected anonymized data on sociodemographics, and personal, university, and wider context challenges that students were facing. Multivariable Poisson regression analyses were carried out. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 64.8%. The mean age was 21.2 (standard deviation = 2.1) years, with 68% of participants being female. After adjusting for age and sex, dental students in Arabic-speaking countries affected by protracted war crisis were significantly more likely to report wider context challenges compared to their counterparts in unaffected countries (n = 2448; beta = 1.12; 95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.13; P < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Dental students in Arabic-speaking countries affected by protracted war crisis were more likely to suffer from wider context challenges such as difficulties in attendance due to the deterioration of security and lack of flexibility of teaching time to accommodate the different circumstances induced by the war crisis. Supporting dental students in areas affected by protracted war crises is needed and may include developing online dental education programs.

Breastfeeding beyond 24 months of age could be a risk for higher childhood caries experience.

DESIGN: Cohort study design. COHORT SELECTION: Children from the Birth Cohort Study who attended a 48-month follow-up were included in the study. DATA ANALYSIS: Caries was (caries is not plural. It is the name of the disease) measured using decayed-missing-filled surfaces (dmfs) index score. Relative excess risk due to interaction (PERI) was used to assess the interaction between breastfeeding and processed food consumption. RESULTS: Breastfeeding for prolonged periods was found to be associated with higher experience and prevalence of early childhood caries. Caries prevalence was higher in children who consumed higher amounts of processed food. CONCLUSIONS: Prolonged breastfeeding and high consumption of processed food were associated with early childhood caries. Both seem to affect caries independently, as there was no observed interaction.

Could behavioural intervention improve oral hygiene in adolescents?

Design Quasi-randomised controlled trial.Case selection Study participants (312; test: 158, control: 154) were conveniently selected based on age (16-17 years old), marginal gingival bleeding index or plaque index of 50% or more and good command of the Swedish language.Data analysis Measuring study outcomes was dichotomous. Marginal gingival bleeding and plaque were either present (1) or absent (2) at four sites on each tooth. Bleeding index and plaque index were presented as a percentage.Results By the end of the study, only 274 patients showed up for the six-month follow-up (test: 128, control: 146). Both groups showed improvement compared to baseline, although the test group showed significantly higher improvement than the control group.Conclusions A person-centred and theory-based behavioural programme was found to be more effective than conventional programmes in improving oral hygiene habits in adolescents.

Is professionally applied fluoride effective in preventing or arresting caries in older adults?

Design Systematic review of clinical trials.Case selection Clinical trials with adults 60 years of age or older who professionally received fluoride therapy for caries prevention or arrest. Controls were adults of the same age group who received another professionally applied fluoride agent, placebo, or nothing.Data analysis The expected outcomes were the mean difference in the number of new caries, caries prevented fraction and caries arrest rate. Independently, two researchers assessed the risk of bias in the included studies.Results Seven studies met the selection criteria where 5% sodium fluoride varnish, 38% sodium diamine fluoride solution and 1.23% acidulated phosphate fluoride gel were used with root caries and coronal caries. Given the nature of the studies, the three agents were effective in preventing root caries in older adults. None of the agents were particularly superior to the others.Conclusions Professionally applied fluoride is effective in preventing dental caries in older adults.

Is there an association between multiple sclerosis and oral health?

Data sources PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE and CINAHL.Study selection Randomised controlled trials, cross-sectional studies and cohort studies.Data extraction and synthesis Two reviewers independently extracted data using piloted forms and contacted authors if relevant data were missing. Assessment of quality was done using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) for both cohort and cross-sectional studies. The score of NOS ranged from 1-9, where 6-7 is considered moderate quality while 8-9 is high quality.Results Seventeen studies were included in the review (13 cross-sectional and four cohort). Seven out of 13 cross-sectional studies scored ≤5 which indicates poor quality. The four case-control studies were of moderate quality. Overall, there is limited evidence that patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have more dental caries or gingival disease. However, evidence suggests that patients with MS have more risk of periodontal disease and poor oral hygiene. The evidence also suggests a moderate association between MS and temporomandibular disorders (TMD).Conclusions With the exception of TMD, current evidence does not establish an association between MS and most oral health conditions. More high-quality evidence is needed to further explore and establish an association.

Prevalence of Dental Trauma and Receipt of Its Treatment among Male School Children in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Dental trauma is a common dental public health problem, and it affects 20% to 30% of permanent dentition worldwide. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate self-reported dental trauma to permanent anterior teeth and the receipt of dental treatment among male school children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included grade 7 to 9 school children in Dammam/Al-Khobar, the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The participants responded to a pilot-tested self-completion questionnaire which contained questions about experience, types, place, and reasons for dental trauma and the receipt of dental treatment. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: There were 258 students in the study with a mean age of 14.29 ± 1.11 years. Dental trauma was experienced by 39.5% of the participants. Tooth fracture (22.7%) was the most common type of dental trauma followed by tooth displacement (8.7%) and complete tooth removal (8%). The most common reason of dental trauma included fall (9.3%) and accidental hit by some objects (8.9). Home (19.8%), school (5%), and playground (4.2%) were reported as common places of dental trauma. Dental treatment was received by 20.5% of the samples. Most participants visited a dental clinic (10.8%) and used self-care at home (7.2%) after dental trauma. Nearly 4.7% of the participants received dental treatment immediately, 5% on the next day, and 2.7% after a month. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed a significant association of monthly family income (odds ratio = 0.44) with dental trauma (P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Dental trauma was highly prevalent among school children; however, few of them received care/dental treatment. Participants frequently experienced dental trauma due to a fall in their homes. Preventive measures should be taken to prevent dental trauma, reduce its burden, and improve quality of life.

Use of Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) Survey to Evaluate Effectiveness of Teaching in a Leadership Course among Dental Students over Three Years.

Leadership courses are being increasingly integrated into dental curricula. The study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of student evaluation of teaching (SET) instrument among dental students and to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching in a new leadership course over a period of three years. This cross-sectional study was conducted on fourth-year undergraduate dental students (N = 260) who took a practice management course over three consecutive years from 2014 to 2016. A 29-item SET questionnaire was administered among students who were willing to participate in the study. Out of 260 students, 185 returned completed surveys and the response rate was 71.15%. Factor analysis (principal component analysis) showed the validity of four dimensions of the SET instrument. Total variance explained by four dimensions was 62.80%. Cronbach's alpha for the instrument was 0.95 and each dimension had fairly high internal consistency (>0.80). Treating students with respect (94%), accepting different viewpoints of students (94.1%), being flexible/open-minded (92.5%), and preparedness in the course (91.9%) were the most common effective teaching traits. Over the period of three years, 16 items showed improvement in teaching and there was a significant improvement in four items (P < 0.05). In conclusion, it was found that SET is a valid instrument to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching in nonclinical courses in dentistry. This instrument should be used longitudinally to compare the effectiveness of teaching.

Global Prevalence of Periodontal Disease and Lack of Its Surveillance.

BACKGROUND: Periodontal disease is a public health problem and is strongly associated with systemic diseases; however, its worldwide distribution is not fully understood. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate global data of periodontal disease: (1) among adolescents, adults, and older population and (2) in low-, middle-, and high-income countries. METHODS: This ecological study included data of periodontal disease from the World Health Organization's data bank which are based on the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN code: 0 = no disease; 1 = bleeding on probing; 2 = calculus; 3 = periodontal pocket (PD) 4-5 mm; 4 = PD (6+ mm). Age- and income-related periodontal disease inequalities were evaluated across the globe. RESULTS: Compared with 9.3% of adults and 9.7% of older persons, 21.2% of adolescents had no periodontal disease (P = 0.005). Nearly 18.8% of adolescents compared with 8.9% of adults and 5% of older persons had bleeding on probing (P ≤ 0.001). Similarly, 50.3% of adolescents, 44.6% of adults, and 31.9% older persons demonstrated the occurrence of calculus (P = 0.01). On the other hand, older persons had the highest prevalence of PD 4-5 mm and PD 6+ mm than adults and adolescents (P ≤ 0.001). The distribution of periodontitis (CPITN code 3 + 4) in adults differed significantly in low- (28.7%), lower-middle- (10%), upper-middle- (42.5%), and high-income countries (43.7%) (P = 0.04). However, no significant differences in periodontitis (CPITN code 3 + 4) were observed in adolescents and older persons in low- to high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of data, this study found that the distribution of periodontal disease increases with age. Periodontitis was the most common in older persons and in population from high-income countries.

Internet Addiction, Oral Health Practices, Clinical Outcomes, and Self-Perceived Oral Health in Young Saudi Adults.

The study assessed the relationship between Internet addiction and oral health practices and clinical outcomes and whether this was affected by oral health perception. In 2017, a cross-sectional study included university students in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Questionnaires assessed demographic background, oral health practices (consuming sugar, tobacco use, and oral hygiene), perceived oral health, and Internet addiction. Caries experience and gingivitis were assessed using the World Health Organization criteria. The multivariate general linear analysis assessed the relationship between dependent variables (oral health practices, DMFT, and gingivitis) and exposure (Internet addiction). Data were available for 919 participants, 75.4% females, mean age = 19.8 years, and 1.6% with significant Internet use problem. The mean percentage of teeth with gingivitis was 8.5% and mean DMFT was 2.9. Among those with good perception of oral health and compared with participants with significant Internet use problem, average Internet users had lower consumption of sugar and tobacco (B = -6.52, P = 0.03 and B = -2.04, P = 0.03), better oral hygiene practices (B = 2.07, P = 0.33), higher DMFT (B = 2.53, P = 0.10), and lesser gingivitis (B = -15.45, P = 0.06). Internet addiction was associated with negative oral health practices and poor clinical outcomes among young Saudis. Holistic health promotion approaches need to address the negative impact of Internet addiction on health and oral health status for this at-risk age group.

Association of body mass index and gross national income with caries experience in children in 117 countries.

Objective: To evaluate the association of body mass index (BMI) and gross national income (GNI) per capita with dental caries experience in children at population levels.Methods: This ecological study used global data of decay, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT), BMI, and GNI. DMFT data of 12 years old children from 117 countries were obtained from the World Health Organization. BMI data of children and adolescents from the same 117 countries were retrieved from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration and GNI per capita from the World Bank. ANOVA test, Pearson's correlation coefficient (r), and multivariable linear regression were performed.Results: Globally mean BMI ranged from 16.1 to 22.2 in children. Low-income countries had the lowest BMI (17.41 ± 0.57) and high-income countries had the highest BMI (20.14 ± 0.87) (p < .001). The highest mean DMFT was observed in upper-middle-income countries (2.48 ± 1.16) and the lowest in low-income countries (1.22 ± 0.83) (p = .001). There was no significant correlation between BMI and dental caries (DMFT) (r = .063; p = .498). However, there were significant correlations between GNI per capita and BMI (r = 0.366; p < .001) and GNI per capita and DMFT (r= -0.252; p = .007). In multivariable linear regression, GNI per capita was negatively associated with caries experience in children (B= -1.83; p < .001).Conclusion: The study found that BMI was associated with income levels of the countries. GNI per capita significantly and negatively correlated with DMFT in children. Further investigation into the association between BMI and dental caries is warranted.

Intention to seek esthetic dental treatment and the theory of planned behavior in Saudi dental students and the general population.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Tooth shade is of major concern for patients when receiving esthetic dental treatment. Understanding the motivating factors that drive patients' intentions to seek esthetic dental treatment helps in planning services. PURPOSE: The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between the intention to seek esthetic dental treatment and the theory of planned behavior (TPB), including attitude regarding tooth shade, perceived ability to seek treatment, and subjective norms of how others perceive tooth shade. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included first-year dental students and clinic patients in a Saudi dental school (N=283). The shade of the maxillary central incisors was clinically assessed by using the Crystaleye spectrophotometer, and the L*, a*, and b* values were recorded. Participants were asked to select a shade that represented how others perceived their shades by using the VITA classical shade guide and to respond to a self-administered questionnaire based on a TPB assessing attitude regarding shade (9 items), perceived ability to seek esthetic treatment (7 items) on a 5-point Likert scale, and intention to seek esthetic treatment. The internal consistency of the TPB items was assessed, and scores were calculated. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with the intention to seek esthetic treatment, including the TPB components controlled for L*, a*, and b* values in addition to age (α=.05). RESULTS: Of all participants, 49.5% indicated that they intended to seek esthetic treatment. The most commonly perceived shades were B1, B2, A2, A1, and A3 (76%). In adjusted regression, the intention to seek esthetic treatment was significantly associated with a more positive attitude regarding shade (OR=2.31, 95% CI=1.54, 3.47) and a lower b* value (OR=0.74, 95% CI=0.59, 0.93), but not with shade coordinates (P values of L*=.94, a*=.64, and b*=.13). CONCLUSIONS: Intention to seek esthetic dental treatment was associated with a positive attitude regarding the importance of shade and a greater perception of having a less yellow shade, regardless of the shade.

Smoking cessation is effective in reducing the risk of tooth loss.

Data sources MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science and Cochrane Library in September 2019.Study selection Cross-sectional and cohort studies that explored the relationship between smoking cessation and tooth loss.Data extraction and synthesis The reviewers extracted data and contacted authors if relevant data were missing. Risk of bias was assessed using modified versions of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) for both cohort and cross-sectional studies. For cross-sectional studies, random-effects model was used to assess the outcome (tooth loss). Estimates were presented as odds ratios (with 95% confidence interval). For cohort studies, random-effects model was also used to compare former and current smokers to never smokers. The estimates were presented as risk ratio (with 95% confidence interval). Heterogeneity was tested for both types of studies.Results Twenty-one studies were included in the review (14 cross-sectional and seven cohort). Of the cross-sectional studies, five studies were of low risk of bias while seven and two studies were of moderate and high risk of bias respectively. Former vs current smokers showed no significant difference in all levels of tooth loss. Of the cohort studies, the risk of tooth loss was twice as much for current smokers compared to former smokers.Conclusions There was not a significant difference in tooth loss between former smokers and never smokers. Current smokers are at a higher risk for tooth loss than former smokers.

Dentists thoughts about COVID-19.

Data sources Self-developed survey.Data extraction and synthesis This was a cross-sectional study using a self-administered online survey.Results Out of 700 randomly selected dentists in Jordan, 368 completed an online survey. Of those, 36% reported that the incubation period for COVID-19 is 1-14 days. The majority were aware of the symptoms of the disease and can identify affected patients. Nonetheless, 36.7% of dentists did not believe it to be a serious public health issue.Conclusions This group of Jordanian dentists was generally aware of COVID-19 symptoms and mode of transmission. Clinical practice guidelines should be made available to dentists by their associations during such crises.

Indicators of adolescents' preference to receive oral health information using social media.

OBJECTIVES: To assess (1) adolescents' preference to use social media (SM) to receive oral health information (OHI) and (2) factors associated with this preference. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2016, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia including male middle school students. A questionnaire assessed explanatory variables including background, previous OHI seeking practices, internet use purposes, convenience of using SM for OHI and perceived usefulness of obtained OHI. The outcome variable was respondents' preference to use SM to receive OHI. Simple and multiple logistic regression models were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The response rate was 91.2% (456/500). Of those, 57.5% preferred using SM to receive OHI. The odds for this were significantly associated with being Saudi (OR = 3.12, 95%CI = 1.36, 7.18), previously using Twitter (OR = 4.59, 95%CI = 1.77, 11.89) and Instagram for OHI (OR = 2.60, 95%CI = 1.51, 4.45), frequent use of the internet to obtain OHI (OR = 1.25, 95%CI = 1.02, 1.54) and ease of obtaining OHI using the Internet (OR = 2.69, 95%CI = 1.5, 4.39). CONCLUSION: Most adolescents preferred using SM to receive OHI. This was associated with previous OHI seeking practices and convenience of using SM. These findings have implications for designing SM-based health education campaigns targeting adolescents.

An investigation of dental students' perceptions about the characteristics of effective instructors and their related factors.

BACKGROUND: The characteristics of effective teachers can be used to improve student learning, support their academic achievement outcomes and promote faculty development and career advancement. OBJECTIVES: To assess dental students' perceptions about the characteristics of effective instructors and related factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study analysed data collected from students at a dental college in Saudi Arabia. A pilot-tested questionnaire with satisfactory internal consistency was distributed amongst all students. The questionnaire contained 21 items related to the characteristics of effective instructors on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Student's t test was performed to analyse the association of factors like gender, last year's GPA, academic year, paternal income, education and employment with three highly rated items of the characteristics of effective teachers. RESULTS: The response rate was 85.4%. There were 53.6% female and 46.4% male students in the study. The provision of learning resources (mean 4.3 ± 1.06), demonstration of honesty, ethics and integrity (mean 4.28 ± 0.99) and showing respect and caring attitude (mean 4.24 ± 0.94) were three most highly rated characteristics of effective instructors. Using the latest technology, acting as a role model and maintaining class discipline were the least rated traits of good teachers. A significantly higher percentage of female students considered these three items more important than male students (P < 0.05). The students with last year GPA > 4 considered providing learning material as an attribute of effective teacher significantly more important than the students with GPA ≤ 4 (P < 0.001). In addition, the characteristics of effective instructors (75.1%) were considered more important in providing students with rewarding learning experience than their teaching experience (15.4%) and educational attainment (9.5%). CONCLUSION: The most important attributes of effective teachers included providing learning resources, demonstrating honesty/integrity and showing respect/care.

Determinants of knowledge and practice of forensic dentistry amongst dental practitioners.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the determinants of knowledge and practice of forensic dentistry (FD) amongst dental practitioners. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on dental practitioners working in private and public sectors in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. A pilot tested self-administered questionnaire was distributed amongst an estimated sample of 323 dentists. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: In the study, 72.4% of the estimated sample returned completed questionnaires. There were 142 male (60.7%) and 92 female dentists (39.3%) in the study. There were 59 (25.2%) dentists who had the knowledge of FD and 27 (11.5%) handled the cases related to FD. Multivariable logistic regression showed that receiving FD training in undergraduate program (Adjusted odd ratio [AOR] = 10.31, 95% CI = 4.67-22.76), and updating the information of FD (AOR = 6.68, 95% CI = 2.81-15.86) were significantly associated with increased odds of having the knowledge of FD. Similarly, updating the information of FD (AOR = 7.56, 95% CI = 2.54-22.51) and having ≥5 years of clinical experience (AOR = 4.64, 95% CI = 1.00-21.40) were significant determinants of handling the cases of FD. The adjusted odds ratio for the maintenance of dental records was 4.16 times higher for specialists and consultants than general dentists. CONCLUSION: The study found that the dentists who received FD training had greater chances of having FD knowledge. Updating information about FD was associated with improved knowledge and practice of FD. Dental curricula should provide knowledge and skills of FD to students in undergraduate programs and the dentists should learn about FD through different educational sources.

Which final impression technique and material is best for complete and removable partial dentures?

Data sources Cochrane Oral Health's Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Medline, Embase, the US National Institutes of Health Trials Registry (ClinicalTrials.gov) and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform databasesStudy selection Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing different final-impression techniques and materials for treating people with complete dentures (CD) and removable partial dentures (RPD) were included.Data extraction and synthesis Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Results were expressed as risk ratios (RR) for dichotomous outcomes, and as mean differences (MD) or standardised mean differences (SMD) for continuous outcomes, with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Meta-analysis used a random-effects model.Results Nine studies were included, eight involving CD. Six of the CD studies were at high risk of bias, two at low risk. For complete dentures there was low-quality evidence that silicone was a better final-impression material for oral health-related quality of life than alginate. There was also very low-quality evidence of no clear differences between the single-stage impression alginate and the two stage- two step elastomer groups in participant-reported quality of life using OHIP-EDENT. The RCT involving RPD altered-cast technique versus one-piece cast technique found low quality evidence of no difference between groups, for general satisfaction at one-year follow-up.Conclusions There is no clear evidence that one technique or material has a substantial advantage over another for making complete dentures and removable partial dentures. Available evidence for the relative benefits of different denture fabrication techniques and final-impression materials is limited and is of low or very low quality. More high-quality RCTs are required.

Reach of Messages in a Dental Twitter Network: Cohort Study Examining User Popularity, Communication Pattern, and Network Structure.

BACKGROUND: Increasing the reach of messages disseminated through Twitter promotes the success of Twitter-based health education campaigns. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify factors associated with reach in a dental Twitter network (1) initially and (2) sustainably at individual and network levels. METHODS: We used instructors' and students' Twitter usernames from a Saudi dental school in 2016-2017 and applied Gephi (a social network analysis tool) and social media analytics to calculate user and network metrics. Content analysis was performed to identify users disseminating oral health information. The study outcomes were reach at baseline and sustainably over 1.5 years. The explanatory variables were indicators of popularity (number of followers, likes, tweets retweeted by others), communication pattern (number of tweets, retweets, replies, tweeting/ retweeting oral health information or not). Multiple logistic regression models were used to investigate associations. RESULTS: Among dental users, 31.8% had reach at baseline and 62.9% at the end of the study, reaching a total of 749,923 and dropping to 37,169 users at the end. At an individual level, reach was associated with the number of followers (baseline: odds ratio, OR=1.003, 95% CI=1.001-1.005 and sustainability: OR=1.002, 95% CI=1.0001-1.003), likes (baseline: OR=1.001, 95% CI=1.0001-1.002 and sustainability: OR=1.0031, 95% CI=1.0003-1.002), and replies (baseline: OR=1.02, 95% CI=1.005-1.04 and sustainability: OR=1.02, 95% CI=1.004-1.03). At the network level, users with the least followers, tweets, retweets, and replies had the greatest reach. CONCLUSIONS: Reach was reduced by time. Factors increasing reach at the user level had different impact at the network level. More than one strategy is needed to maximize reach.

Contribution of preventive methods in controlling caries among Saudi primary schoolchildren: a population-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the association between caries preventive measures including regular dental checkups, twice a day tooth brushing using fluoridated toothpaste and pit and fissure sealants on one side and the presence of caries among primary schoolchildren in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2016 including 1198, 6-12-year-old children from 13 randomly selected schools. The outcome variable was caries presence. The explanatory variables were brushing twice a day using fluoridated toothpaste, the presence of sealant and regular dental checkups. Multivariable logistic regression model was conducted to assess the associations controlling for confounders (age, gender, ability to get treatment, being health insured and school) using SPSS version 20.0. RESULTS: Data of 921 participants (83.8%) were available. The prevalence of caries was 63.5%, whereas 67.6% brushed their teeth twice a day, 28.3% visited the dentist for regular checkups and 7.6% had sealant. In multivariable regression, out of the three main explanatory variables, only having regular checkups was significantly associated with caries presence (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.48, 0.88). CONCLUSIONS: Lower odds of caries presence were associated with regular dental checkups but not with regular brushing or having sealant.