Knowledge, attitude and practices towards oral health among secondary school students in Huye district, Rwanda.

Background: Good oral health knowledge is considered to be crucial for health-related practices and better oral hygiene. Objective: This study was aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices towards oral health among secondary student in Huye district. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 386 students from public secondary schools with advanced level. Boarding secondary schools were excluded. Stratified Clustering sampling technique was used for selecting study participants. A closed ended questionnaire was used for collecting data. Results were found on the basis of percentage and frequency using SPSS 21.0 version. Results: The majority of participants, 222 (57.5%) were female and 164 (42.5%) were male. The majority of the participants, 168 (43.5%) were between 15-17 years old. Out of the total population of students 1.8% had good knowledge, 56.2% had average knowledge and 42% had poor knowledge about oral health. Moreover, 56.2% had negative and 43.8% had positive oral health attitudes and overall practice towards oral hygiene of students showed that 74.6 % had poor practice and 24.4% had good practices. Conclusion: Oral hygiene has to be long life practice and oral health education have to be included as part of the school environment.

Oral health education strategies for patients living with cardiovascular disease within hospital settings: a scoping review.

Objective: To identify and describe the impact of current oral health education programmes provided to patients in cardiology hospital wards and outpatient clinics. Methods: This review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis for Scoping Reviews statement. Searches were conducted using electronic databases: Cochrane, Medline, and Scopus, as well as grey literature searching. Results: Three eligible studies were identified. All included studies reported generalised poor oral health in their participants at baseline, with significant improvement at follow-up. They all reported significant reductions in plaque deposits and gingival bleeding. One study reported significantly less bacteria on participant tongues, as well as fewer days with post-operative atrial fibrillation in the intervention group. Furthermore, in this study, one patient in the intervention group developed pneumonia, whilst four patients in the control group did. Conclusion: Oral health education for patients with cardiovascular disease is limited and many have poor oral health. Educational programmes to improve oral health behaviours in patients with cardiovascular disease can improve both oral and general health outcomes. Implications for public health: Oral disease is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Integrating oral health education into cardiology hospital settings is a simple strategy to improve access to oral health information and improve both oral and cardiovascular outcomes.

Obesity/overweight and dental caries experience in children and adolescents: an umbrella review.

PURPOSE: The present umbrella review aimed to synthesize and critically assess the methodological and reporting quality of previous systematic reviews about the potential relationship between obesity or overweight and caries dental experience in pediatric patients. METHOD: Electronic database and manual searches were conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library up to July 2023. The risk of bias assessment of eligible systematic reviews was performed using the Risk Of Bias In Systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool. A systematization of the results was carried out in order to understand the possible relationship between the two conditions. RESULTS: Electronic and manual searches identified 136 titles and abstracts. After the removal of duplicates, 15 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Six studies were excluded, resulting in 8 systematic reviews and 1 scoping review that met the inclusion criteria. Five were systematic reviews without meta-analysis and the rest were conducted with quantitative analysis. CONCLUSION: Conflicting findings to date from this umbrella review suggest that the relationship between obesity and dental caries in children is still inconclusive and likely to be complex.

Effect of oral health education on improving knowledge, attitude, practice, and oral health status of patients with liver cancer: A quasi-experimental study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model (PPM) in helping patients with liver cancer be aware of their knowledge, skills, and abilities in self-oral health behaviors and improve their oral health status. METHODS: This is a quasi-experimental study of 90 patients with liver cancer assigned to an oral health education or a control group. The intervention group was educated with the PRECEDE-PROCEED model. A brief oral scale and the knowledge, attitude, and practice oral health questionnaire were employed to measure the oral health status and cognitive behavioral ability to seek oral health in patients. RESULTS: Among 102 eligible patients, 90 (88.23%) agreed to participate in the present study and were divided to intervention (n = 45) or control (n = 45) groups. After the intervention and one month after discharge, the oral health scores of patients in the Intervention group were lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, after the intervention and one month after discharge, the patients in the test group had higher scores on knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors of oral health than the control group (P < 0.05). One month after discharge, the mean knowledge and skills scores were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that oral health education may be a useful health intervention for patients with liver cancer. It may also improve the knowledge and beliefs of liver cancer patients seeking oral health. Larger long-term investigations are necessary to provide more support for these preliminary conclusions.

Care-resistant Behavior Trajectories during Mouth Care among Nursing Home Residents with Dementia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study examined day-to-day variation in care-resistant behaviors (CRBs) exhibited by persons living with dementia during mouth health care and the potential influence of time-of-day on CRB trajectories. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A secondary analysis was conducted on a sample of 75 nursing home-dwelling persons living with dementia who exhibited CRBs during mouth care activities. Over 21 days, CRBs were measured using the revised Resistiveness to Care Scale (RTC-r) during morning and afternoon mouth care sessions. Group-based Trajectory Modeling was used to identify trajectory patterns and assess differences between morning and afternoon CRB patterns. RESULTS: Three trajectory patterns were identified: morning CRB trajectory patterns showed 50.6% of persons living with dementia had consistently low RTC-r scores, 37.5% of persons living with dementia exhibited fluctuating, moderate RTC-r scores, and 11.9% exhibited RTC-r scores that started high and then decreased over time. Similarly, CRB trajectory patterns during afternoon mouth care showed a consistently low RTC-r score for 54.5% and a fluctuating moderate RTC-r score for 38.6% of persons living with dementia. However, the third CRB trajectory group followed a high-increasing trajectory, with RTC-r scores starting high and continuing to increase for 6.9% of persons living with dementia. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: CRBs are dynamic and vary within days and over time; however, the time of the day is often not considered in interventions to manage CRBs. Thus, it is important to consider the timing of providing mouth care for persons living with dementia. Based on the characteristics of the trajectories, we suggest that morning mouth activities may be more efficient.

Evaluating the harmonization potential of oral health-related questionnaires in national longitudinal birth and child cohort surveys.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Effective use of longitudinal study data is challenging because of divergences in the construct definitions and measurement approaches over time, between studies and across disciplines. One approach to overcome these challenges is data harmonization. Data harmonization is a practice used to improve variable comparability and reduce heterogeneity across studies. This study describes the process used to evaluate the harmonization potential of oral health-related variables across each survey wave. METHODS: National child cohort surveys with similar themes/objectives conducted in the last two decades were selected. The Maelstrom Research Guidelines were followed for harmonization potential evaluation. RESULTS: Seven nationally representative child cohort surveys were included and questionnaires examined from 50 survey waves. Questionnaires were classified into three domains and fifteen constructs and summarized by age groups. A DataSchema (a list of core variables representing the suitable version of the oral health outcomes and risk factors) was compiled comprising 42 variables. For each study wave, the potential (or not) to generate each DataSchema variable was evaluated. Of the 2100 harmonization status assessments, 543 (26%) were complete. Approximately 50% of the DataSchema variables can be generated across at least four cohort surveys while only 10% (n = 4) variables can be generated across all surveys. For each survey, the DataSchema variables that can be generated ranged between 26% and 76%. CONCLUSION: Data harmonization can improve the comparability of variables both within and across surveys. For future cohort surveys, the authors advocate more consistency and standardization in survey questionnaires within and between surveys.

Evaluation of Parents' Perceptions of the Dental and Oral Health in Children with Disability in the Bandung City.

Background: Children with disability have a risk of poor dental health because of their mental and physical limitations. They depend on caregivers in their daily life Parents have an important role in maintaining children's dental health. Parents attitudes can be influenced by parents' perceptions of children's dental health. This study explored parental perceptions regarding the dental and oral health of children with special needs in Bandung City. Methods: This study utilized a descriptive observational research using a cross-sectional survey. The subjects in this study were 239 parents who had children aged 0-18 years who were taken from 9 special schools. The variables of this study were parents' perceptions and the dental and oral health status of children with disability. Primary data were obtained through a validated questionnaire. Results: Parents' perceptions of the dental and oral health of children with disability consists of 84.94% good enough perceptions, 12.13% good perceptions, and 2.93% bad perceptions. Conclusion: Most parents have a fairly good perception of the dental and oral health of children with special needs.

Effectiveness of herbal oral care products in reducing dental plaque and gingivitis: an overview of systematic reviews.

Introduction: Numerous clinical trials and systematic reviews have investigated the effectiveness of both herbal and conventional oral care approaches to reducing plaque and gingivitis. However, their findings vary and are inconsistent. Thus, the objective of this umbrella review is to compile data from systematic reviews and provide an overview of the effects of herbal oral care products on tooth plaque and gingivitis. Methods: A comprehensive search of the literature was performed in 6 databases for systematic reviews with or without meta-analyses, published up to 30 May 2023, without any language restrictions. Only clinical trials comparing herbal oral care products (in the form of mouthrinse or toothpaste) against standard oral care products or placebo were considered. Results: Some herbal oral care products, particularly in the form of mouthrinses, have a similar level of positive effect on plaque and gingivitis reduction and, thus, can be used as an adjunct to traditional dentifrices. However, the shorter duration of trials (<4 weeks) and reported publication bias in the clinical trials mean that these findings must be interpreted with caution. Conclusion: To accurately determine the impact of various herbal extracts on periodontal health, well-designed, long-term, and controlled trials that adhere to standardized protocols must be carried out.

Introduction: On a étudié l'efficacité d'approches de soins buccodentaires classiques et à base de plantes pour lutter contre la plaque dentaire et la gingivite dans le cadre de nombreux essais cliniques et revues systématiques. Toutefois, leurs conclusions ont été variables et incohérentes. Cette revue générale vise donc à compiler des données issues de revues systématiques et de présenter un aperçu des effets des produits de soins buccodentaires à base de plantes sur la plaque dentaire et la gingivite. Méthodes: On a procédé à une recherche documentaire exhaustive dans 6 bases de données pour effectuer des revues systématiques, avec ou sans méta-analyses, sans aucune restriction relative à la langue de l'étude, publiées avant le 30 mai 2023. Seuls des essais cliniques comparant des produits de soins buccodentaires à base de plantes (sous forme de rincebouche ou de dentifrice) à des produits de soins buccodentaires classiques ou à des placebos ont été envisagés. Résultats: Quelques produits de soins buccodentaires à base de plantes, en particulier les rince-bouches de ce type, ont des effets positifs comparables en matière de réduction de la plaque et de la gingivite et peuvent donc être utilisés en complément des dentifrices ordinaires. Toutefois, ces résultats doivent être interprétés avec prudence du fait de la durée relativement courte des essais (moins de 4 semaines) et du biais de publication signalé dans les essais cliniques. Conclusion: Pour déterminer avec précision les effets de divers extraits de plantes sur la santé parodontale, il est nécessaire d'avoir recours à des essais bien conçus, à long terme et contrôlés, qui respectent des protocoles normalisés.

Geriatric oral health neglect: calculus on the attached gingiva: a case report.

Introduction and importance: Aging exerts various effects on and causes changes to the oral tissues. It is often difficult to distinguish between what is caused by the physiological process of aging itself and what is caused by the individual's lifestyle or diseases. The elderly face peculiar health challenges and require special dental care. It is therefore vital that greater attention be given to the oral health needs of this rapidly population. In this article, the authors present the case of an elderly female patient with a rare case of calculus on the attached gingiva. Case presentation: A 90-year-old retired teacher with a history of hypertension, presented with a small, painless, grayish-brown growth on her attached gingiva, noticed by her daughter-in-law. Examination revealed signs of gingivitis and significant dental issues including missing teeth, fractures, and calculus buildup. Diagnosis of chronic generalized marginal gingivitis and calculus deposition was made, and scaling and polishing were performed. Perforation of the attached gingiva was observed during scaling thus exposing the root, which facilitated the calculus accumulation. Post-procedure care included medication and oral hygiene instructions. Follow-up after 1 week showed satisfactory healing, but subsequent assessment at 3 months revealed plaque accumulation, with the patient declining further treatment. Clinical discussion: The patient shows relative neglect in oral healthcare given the subpar oral health features she exhibited and decline of further treatment options presented to her. This is common in the population as some abnormal oral presentations and features are perceived as normal in the population, which can be attributed to poor knowledge of oral health practices, which affects the illness seeking behaviour of individual. Conclusion: Calculus deposition in the oral cavity requires a hard surface for formation, and proper oral hygiene practices are essential to mitigate its adverse effects, particularly among the elderly who may require additional attention due to their unique physiological changes.

The long-term effect on oral health and quality of life using a powered toothbrush in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. An intervention trial.

BACKGROUND: The number of older individuals with mild cognitive impairment and neurocognitive diseases is increasing, which may rapidly deteriorate oral health and Quality of life. Therefore, removing dental biofilm is essential for maintaining good oral health. The present study aimed to investigate whether introducing a powered toothbrush reduces the presence of dental plaque, bleeding on probing, and periodontal pockets ≥4 mm, leading to maintained or improved oral health and improved Quality of life in a group of older individuals with mild cognitive impairment. METHODS: Two hundred and thirteen individuals aged 55 or older living without official home care with a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score between 20 and 28 and a history of memory problems in the previous 6 months were recruited and screened for the study. The individuals received a powered toothbrush and thorough instructions on how to use it. Clinical oral examinations, Quality of life examinations, and MMSE tests were conducted at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months. The intervention group was compared to control groups at baseline and 24-month examination. It was divided into an MMSE high group with a score of more than 26 and an MMSE low group with a score of 26 and lower or decreasing two steps or more for 12 months. RESULTS: PI, BOP, and PPD≥4 mm improved continuously in both MMSE groups during the 24 months of the study. The values for QoL-AD deteriorated over time, while the oral health-related Quality of life did not show any statistically significant changes. CONCLUSIONS: Introducing a powered toothbrush improved PI, BOP, and PPD≥4 mm over 24 months, even among individuals with low or declining MMSE scores. Improved oral health is associated with a preserved OHR-QoL.

Patient-centric periodontal research: A pioneering application of patient-reported outcome measures.

Conventional dentistry or periodontal research often ignores the human component in favor of clinical outcomes and biological causes. Clinical research is driven by the statistical significance of outcome parameters rather than the satisfaction level of the patient. In this context, patient-centric periodontal research (PCPR) is an approach that considers the patient´s feedback concerning their functional status, experience, clinical outcomes, and accessibility to their treatments. It is argued that data self-reported by the patient might have low reliability owing to the confounding effect of their personal belief, cultural background, and social and economic factors. However, literature has shown that the incorporation of "patient-centric outcome" components considerably enhances the validity and applicability of research findings. Variations in the results of different studies might be due to the use of different and non-standardized assessment tools. To overcome this problem, this editorial enlists various reliable tools available in the literature. In conclusion, we advocate that the focus of researchers should shift from mere periodontal research to PCPR so that the results can be effectively applied in clinical settings and the therapeutic strategy can also change from mere periodontal therapy to patient-centric periodontal therapy.

Number of teeth and functional disability in community-dwelling older adults.

INTRODUCTION: This study determined whether tooth loss was associated with the development of functional disability and estimated the population attributable fraction (PAF) of functional disability due to tooth loss, along with risk factors for functional disability such as physical function and cognitive impairment. METHODS: The participants were 838 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥70 years living in the Tsurugaya district in Japan in 2003. The exposure variable was the number of remaining teeth (counted by trained dentists). Other variables were age, sex, depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment, educational attainment, physical function and social support. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the incidence of functional disability for each risk factor, such as tooth loss. The functional disability PAF due to tooth loss was estimated, and risk factors for functional disability were identified. RESULTS: In total, 619 (73.9%) participants developed functional disability during follow-up. A multivariable model showed that those with <20 teeth (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.08-1.53) were more likely to develop functional disability than those with 20 teeth or more. PAF estimation for functional disability was shown to have decreasing values in the following order: age, female sex, tooth loss and reduced physical function. CONCLUSIONS: Tooth loss was associated with the development of functional disability in community-dwelling older Japanese adults. While retaining teeth may be a potential strategy for avoiding functional disability, clinical studies on the effect of dental treatment on preventing functional disability are warranted.

Determining the relationship between oral health and physical function in elderly people.

BACKGROUND: Poor oral conditions in the elderly may have numerous effects on general health, including physical fitness and performance. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the relationship between oral health and physical function in elderly people. METHODS: Physical function and oral health parameters were compared using parametric comparison tests and Pearson correlation analyses. In addition, principal components analysis, hierarchical clustering and multidimensional scaling analysis clustered the patients' physical and oral health scores. The relationship between the groups was also determined using decision tree analysis. RESULTS: A total of 112 elderly patients participated in the study. Grip strength (GS) was higher in patients with high chewing ability, and Timed Up and Go (TUG) scores were lower in the high oral health group (p < .05). GS was correlated with Decay, Missing, and Filled Teeth Index (DMFT) and the number of remaining and functional teeth (p < .05). According to principal component analysis, it was seen that there were three components (oral, functional and quality of life (QoL) parameters), and the features that were related to each other were gathered together. TUG and GS showed the highest relative importance among physical function criteria in the classification based on chewing ability. They were GS and physical activity for oral health-related QoL. CONCLUSION: In the elderly, higher physical function parameters, especially GS may be an indicator of a better oral health and oral health-related QoL. Preventive physical rehabilitation practices, in addition to oral treatments, may be effective in improving oral health in the elderly.

Perception of Care Givers about Oral Health Services for Institutionalized Elderly - A Mixed Method Study.

Background: In India, the absence of formal training in geriatric dentistry and the lack of recognition of it as a speciality contributes to the deterioration of oral health in the older adults. India lacks specific oral healthcare policies for older adults. Additionally, caregivers' perspective in Indian old age homes regarding oral health care services remains underexplored, necessitating further studies in this context. Methods: A mixed method study was conducted, and the quantitative component focused on assessing the oral health status of institutionalized older adults and caregivers' perceptions using a questionnaire. The qualitative part evaluates caregivers' perceptions of providing oral health care services for institutionalized older adults by conducting in-depth interviews. Results: More than 50% of caregivers perceived that the oral health status of institutionalized older adults was fair even though institutionalized older adults has poor oral health status. Barriers include autonomy, difficulty in traveling, lack of financial support, lack of knowledge and time. Approaches for enhancing oral health services for institutionalized older adults include oral health education for older adults and caregivers, monthly dentist visits to the institution, utilization of portable dental chair services, collaboration with dental colleges/dental clinics, distribution of oral health education materials, and provision of oral hygiene aids. Conclusion: Caregivers face barriers in providing oral health care services to institutionalized older adults, especially those who are functionally reliant and cognitively impaired. Findings from our study show that there is a need to collaborate with the dental colleges to provide oral health services in old age homes.

Capturing the smile: Exploring embodied and social acts of smiling.

Smiling is an embodied and complex social act. Smiling is presented as facilitating individual health and wellbeing, but the value placed on smiling raises questions about structural conditions acting on the body. While smiling has been considered sociologically, psychologically and historically, we argue that further exploration of the embodied smile offers fruitful avenues for future research. This article attempts to advance understanding of the smile and its importance by: (I) Bringing together literature on smiling as a social act and smiling as embodied. (II) Systematically identifying key themes, which recognise sociological insights and the relevance of oral health. (III) Pointing to useful directions for future sociological research into smiling. In this article, we review literature on body techniques; impression management and social interaction; gender, race and smiling; and emotional, aesthetic and affective labour. We move on to embodiment, considering the mouth as a body project and in relation to the ageing body, before reflecting on the significance of oral health and dentistry. We highlight future directions for sociological research on smiling, building on eight interrelated and cross-cutting themes: norms and expectations, aesthetic ideals, self and identity, health and wellbeing, body work, commodification and labour, inclusion and exclusion and resistance.

Impact of research paradigms on low-income female caregivers and their children: an oral health literacy discourse.

Objective: Despite the vast knowledge gained through research and public health surveillance, dental caries prevalence among children from low-income households remains high. The aim of this literature review is to identify assumptions made within existing empirical, constructivist, and critical paradigms to determine how those assumptions impact knowledge and if these impacts have aided in perpetuating inequity or health disparities within this target population. Method: A literature search of EBSCOhost, PubMed, and Web of Science was conducted to retrieve articles from peer-reviewed journals published in the last 10 years, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies. Qualitative methods included narrative research via interviews; quantitative designs included cross-sectional studies using surveys and various indices to assess oral health literacy (OHL) levels and oral health status. Exclusion criteria were non-English studies and studies that did not include female caregivers. Results: Nine primary research articles were selected for analysis. The positivist paradigm was dominant in 7 of 9 articles. Oral health social processes, such as the lack of value placed on oral health as a component of overall health by the broader medical community and the public, were not discussed as influencing factors on OHL. Discussion: Assumptions identified within the dominant paradigms were determined to perpetuate inequity or health disparities, confirming a link between caregivers' OHL levels and the oral health status of their children. It is critical that all health care professionals improve their understanding of factors affecting caregivers' OHL. Conclusion: Strategies that empower and advocate for women to improve their OHL should be developed.

Objectif: Malgré les vastes connaissances acquises par le biais de la recherche et des activités de surveillance de la santé publique, la prévalence des caries dentaires chez les enfants vivant dans des ménages à faible revenu demeure élevée. La présente revue de la littérature vise à cerner les suppositions des paradigmes empiriques, constructivistes et critiques existants afin de déterminer comment elles influent sur les connaissances, et si ces effets ont contribué à perpétuer les iniquités ou les disparités en matière de santé au sein de cette population cible. Méthodes: On a procédé à une recherche documentaire sur EBSCOhost, PubMed et Web of Science pour trouver des articles publiés au cours des 10 dernières années dans des revues à comité de lecture, y compris des études par cohortes qualitatives, quantitatives et mixtes. Les méthodes qualitatives comprenaient des recherches narratives réalisées au moyen d'entrevues. Les méthodes quantitatives comprenaient des études transversales faisant appel à des sondages, ainsi que divers indices visant à évaluer les niveaux de littératie en santé buccodentaire et la situation en matière de santé buccodentaire. Les critères d'exclusion s'appliquaient aux études non anglophones et aux études qui n'incluaient pas de femmes soignantes. Résultats: Neuf articles présentant des études originales ont été sélectionnés aux fins d'analyse. Le paradigme positiviste était dominant dans 7 des 9 articles. L'influence de certains processus sociaux de santé buccodentaire, tel que le manque de valeur accordée à la santé buccodentaire en tant qu'élément de la santé globale par la communauté médicale en général et par le public, sur la littératie en santé buccodentaire n'a pas été discutée. Discussion: On a établi que les suppositions définies dans les paradigmes dominants perpétuaient l'iniquité ou des disparités en matière de santé, ce qui confirme l'existence d'un lien entre le niveau de littératie en santé buccodentaire parmi les soignants et l'état de santé buccodentaire de leurs enfants. Il est essentiel que tous les professionnels de la santé renforcent leur compréhension des facteurs qui influent sur cette littératie chez les soignants. Conclusion: Il est nécessaire d'élaborer des stratégies propres à défendre les femmes et à leur donner les moyens d'améliorer leur littératie en santé buccodentaire.

Evaluation of plaque removal by a single-headed versus a triple-headed manual toothbrush using different plaque assessment tools.

Background: Dental plaque is a common issue that can be effectively managed with proper oral hygiene practices and regular oral health care. The aim of this crossover study was to assess dental plaque using different methods (digital and clinical plaque scores) and evaluate the effectiveness of toothbrushing with a triple-headed manual toothbrush compared to a single-headed manual toothbrush in removing dental plaque. Methods: Plaque staining was performed to assess dental plaque amounts before and after brushing with the triple-headed (test) and single-headed (control) manual toothbrush in 21 study participants after plaque was allowed to accumulate for 48 hours. Dental plaque was scored both clinically as well as digitally. Results: Toothbrushing with a manual single-headed toothbrush and a triple-headed toothbrush was found to be equally effective when comparing plaque removal ability. Brushing time was shorter when using a triple-headed toothbrush, compared to a single-headed toothbrush. Conclusion: The triple-headed manual toothbrush may be a good alternative to the single-headed manual toothbrush for certain patient groups.

Contexte: La plaque dentaire est un problème courant qui peut être géré efficacement en adoptant de bonnes pratiques d'hygiène buccale et en obtenant régulièrement des soins buccodentaires. L'objectif de cette étude croisée était d'évaluer l'état de la plaque dentaire à l'aide de différentes méthodes (cotes de plaque numériques et cliniques) et d'évaluer l'efficacité du brossage à l'aide d'une brosse à dents manuelle à 3 côtés comparativement au brossage avec une brosse à dents manuelle à 1 côté pour éliminer la plaque dentaire. Méthodes: On a coloré la plaque dentaire pour en évaluer la quantité avant et après le brossage avec une brosse à dents manuelle à 3 côtés (essai) et à 1 côté (contrôle) parmi les 21 participants à l'étude après avoir laissé la plaque s'accumuler pendant 48 heures. On a attribué une cote clinique et numérique à la plaque dentaire. Résultats: Le brossage avec une brosse à dents manuelle à 3 côtés s'est révélé tout aussi efficace que le brossage avec une brosse manuelle à 1 côté sur le plan de l'élimination de la plaque. Le temps de brossage était plus court avec une brosse à dents à 3 côtés qu'avec une brosse à dents à 1 côté. Conclusion: Pour certains groupes de patients, la brosse à dents à 3 côtés peut être une bonne alternative à la brosse à dents ordinaire.

Parents' Knowledge and Awareness About the Importance of Primary Teeth and Space Maintainers in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Primary teeth are important for eating, speaking, and esthetics, as well as for guiding the eruption and maintaining the space for the permanent teeth. The best space maintainers (SM) for permanent dentition are the natural primary teeth. The aim of this study was to assess parents' knowledge and awareness of the importance of primary teeth and SM in Saudi Arabia. METHOD: This cross-sectional study invited parents who were living in Saudi Arabia via different social media platforms to complete a validated questionnaire. The data collected included demographic characteristics, questions about parents' knowledge of their children's oral hygiene, and the importance of primary teeth, as well as questions about knowledge of SM. RESULTS: A total of 392 participants completed the questionnaire. Dental problems and pain were the most common reasons for visiting the pediatric dentist (n=260; 66.3%). With respect to the age at which the first primary tooth erupted, more than half of the parents (n=270; 68.9%) knew the correct age. Only 43.3% (n=168) of the parents had received any information about SM and only 39.5% (n=155) of them knew their purpose. CONCLUSION: Most parents agree that treating primary teeth is important for their children's oral health and development. However, most are unaware of an SM's purpose. We recommend that dentists discuss SM's importance with parents actively after extracting their child's teeth. This will help increase parents' awareness and understanding of SM and encourage them to be more informed about this dental treatment option.

Unhealthy habits and comorbidities associated with uncontrolled asthma in young people.

INTRODUCTION: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lower airways that affects more than 260 million people worldwide and has been related to more than 460,000 deaths a year. It is estimated that in 60% of asthma cases, the symptoms are not adequately controlled. The objective of this study was to determine the association between some comorbidities, habits, and health risk behaviors with uncontrolled asthma in a sample of young people with asthma. METHODS: Through a cross-sectional study, data from 1,078 young people aged 17 to 19 years were analyzed. Information was collected through physical examination, direct questioning, and the application of a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: In the group of young people with asthma, the prevalence of uncontrolled asthma was 20.6%, of which 53.8% were women, 76.9% suffered from rhinitis, 46.2% were overweight and 23.1% were obese. In the group of young with uncontrolled asthma, gingivitis was detected in 53.8% and alcohol consumption in 84.6%. Logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between allergic rhinitis, gingivitis, carbohydrate intake, alcohol consumption, overweight, and obesity with uncontrolled asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Parents and members of the health team need to identify on time the risk factors associated with uncontrolled asthma in young people with asthma to limit its development and the negative effects it generates. The results of this study should be used to strengthen programs that promote the comprehensive health of adolescents.

Dental complications as a potential indicator of Redondovirus infection: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Redondoviridae is a newly discovered virus family linked to oral and respiratory conditions in people, while there is still debate about whether it is also coinfected with other respiratory viruses. This study aimed to determine the frequency of Redondovirus (ReDoV) in nasopharyngeal samples and to investigate any possible links to SARS-CoV-2 infections. METHODS: A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was conducted on 731 nasopharyngeal samples from individuals referred to medical centers in Tehran, Iran, for SARS-CoV-2 testing to investigate the prevalence of ReDoV. An oral interview was performed to complete information on dental issues and the individuals' demographics, symptoms, and vaccination history. RESULTS: The prevalence of ReDoV was 25.99%, and 15.26% had a coinfection with SARS-CoV-2. No notable correlation was found regarding ReDoVs and SARS-CoV-2 infections (p > 0.05). Women had a higher ReDoV positivity rate of 18.47% compared to men at 7.52% (p = 0.12), and there was no significant correlation between age groups and ReDoV presence. Nonetheless, a significant association was noted between ReDoVs and dental/gum issues (p < 0.0001, OR: 13.0326). A phylogenetic analysis showed that ReDoVs originated from various human-related clusters. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlight the potential for detecting ReDoVs in nasopharyngeal samples of people with gum or dental issues. Additionally, conducting more ReDoV epidemiological research and proposing oral health as a possible marker for ReDoV infections is important.