Periodontal Health among Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities Living in a Saudi Institutional Rehabilitation Centre.

The aim of this study was to explore periodontal health among intellectually disabled individuals living in an institutional rehabilitation centre in the Al-Baha Region of Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2023 to January 2024. Clinical oral examinations were carried out using the World Health Organization criteria for bleeding sites and the presence of periodontal pockets. Simplified oral hygiene and community periodontal indices were employed to evaluate participants' oral health. A total of 89 participants, comprising both males and females with intellectual disabilities, were included in this study. Gender, severity of intellectual disability, type of additional physical disability, tooth brushing habits and oral hygiene status were significantly associated with the presence of periodontal disease. Additionally, poor oral hygiene, not brushing teeth and periodontal pockets of 4-5 mm and 6 mm or more were significantly more prevalent among individuals with severe and moderate intellectual disabilities (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, p = 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). The prevalence of periodontal disease among the studied population was 54%. The odds of having periodontal disease were significantly higher in the severe intellectual disability group compared to the mild intellectual disability group (OR = 2.328, 95% CI = 1.430-3.631, p = 0.03). It was also found that intellectually disabled participants with additional physical disabilities suffered more from periodontal disease than those without additional physical disabilities (OR = 0.971, 95% CI = 0.235-4.023, p = 0.025). Overall, individuals with intellectual disabilities had a significant demand for periodontal care. This study highlighted the need for more organised preventive programmes for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Dentists should be vigilant about improving periodontal health, focus on preventive programmes and provide comprehensive dental care with an emphasis on periodic recall and monitoring.

An Observation Study of Caries Experience and Potential Risk Assessments among Disabled Individuals Living in an Institutional Rehabilitation Centre.

The aim of this study was to conduct salivary, microbiological, and caries risk assessments in relation to caries experience among individuals with intellectual disability in an institutional center in the Al-Baha region, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 89 patients residing in special care homes in the Al-Baha region, Saudi Arabia, from October 2023 to February 2024. The demographic details of all participants were recorded. Clinical oral examinations were performed for the decayed, missing, or filled teeth (DMFT) and plaque indices. Salivary and microbiological assessments were also carried out. The mean age of the study sample was 30.11 ± 4.39 years, and the mean duration of years spent residing in the facility was 26.49 ± 4.66. There was no significant difference observed across plaque scores, S. mutans colony count, salivary rate, pH, DFMT, and caries experience when they were compared across the levels of severity of intellectual disability. Statistically significant differences were observed across diet score, circumstance score, and chances to avoid caries and were found to be correlated with the severity of intellectual disability (p = 0.001, p = 0.001, and p = 0.002), respectively. The cariogram revealed that participants in this study had poor oral health status, with participants with severe intellectual disability having higher diet scores, frequency scores, and susceptibility scores; hence lesser chances to avoid dental caries. Regular dental check-ups, including cleanings and other treatments if necessary, seem to be fundamental to prevent dental issues and maintain healthy teeth and gums for this group of people. Developing interventions that focus on improving oral health status among intellectually disabled individuals may be recommended to ensure the optimum level of support and reduce the burden of dental decay among those individuals.

Microbial Adhesion to Different Thermoplastic Denture Base Materials in Kennedy Class I Partially Edentulous Patients.

Introduction Since the polished and fitting surface of the denture base may promote the colonization of microorganisms, it is essential to know how the different types of denture bases prevent or encourage the adhesion of microorganisms. This study aimed to compare the microbial adhesion to the polished and fitting surfaces of thermoplastic nylon, thermoplastic acetal, and thermoplastic acrylic denture bases in Kennedy Class Ⅰ, partially edentulous patients. Materials and methods Thirteen patients were included in the study. The group consisted of eight males (61.54%) and five females (38.46%), with an age range of 41-50 years (mean age 46.1 years). Three types (groups) of removable partial dentures will be made for each patient using different thermoplastic denture base materials: thermoplastic nylon; thermoplastic acetal; and thermoplastic acrylic. The polished and fitting surfaces of the denture bases were swabbed after a one-month follow-up period. Microbial adhesion was evaluated by counting the microorganisms' colony-forming units (CFU) in the collected specimens. The data were collected and statistically analyzed. Results The study revealed no statistically significant difference in microbial adhesion to both polished and fitting surfaces between all types of studied thermoplastic denture base materials. However, the results showed that for the polished surface, the microbial adhesion median of thermoplastic acrylic denture base (40.5 CC x 102/ml) was higher than that of thermoplastic acetal (29.0 CC x 102/ml) and thermoplastic nylon (16.0 CC x 102/ml). Regarding the fitting surface, the microbial adhesion median of thermoplastic acrylic (51.0 CC x 102/ml) is higher than that of thermoplastic acetal (41.0 CC x 102/ml) and thermoplastic nylon (23.0 CC x 102/ml). Conclusion The thermoplastic nylon denture base materials showed less microbial adhesion among the studied thermoplastic materials, so it may be recommended to be used as a denture base material for individuals at high risk of denture stomatitis.

Study of Streptococcus mutans in Early Biofilms at the Surfaces of Various Dental Composite Resins.

BACKGROUND: Biofilm deposit on the composite restoration is a common phenomenon and bacterial growth follows the deposition. The study aims to evaluate Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) early biofilm formation on the surfaces of various dental composite resins by using the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two discs, where eight discs were in each group of Filtek Supreme Ultra (FSU; 3M, St. Paul, MN), Clearfil AP-X (APX; Kuraray Noritake Dental Inc., Tokyo, Japan), Beautifil II (BE2; Shofu, Inc., Kyoto, Japan), and Estelite Sigma Quick (ESQ; Tokuyama Dental, Tokyo, Japan), were fabricated and subjected to S. mutans biofilm formation in an oral biofilm reactor for 12 hours. Contact angles (CA) were measured on the freshly fabricated specimen. The attached biofilms underwent fluorescent microscopy (FM). S. mutans from biofilms were analyzed using a qPCR technique. Surface roughness (Sa) measurements were taken before and after biofilm formation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), including energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) analysis, was also performed for detecting relative elements on biofilms. RESULTS: The study showed that FSU demonstrated the lowest CA while APX presented the highest values. FM revealed that condensed biofilm clusters were most on FSU. The qPCR results indicated the highest S. mutans DNA copies in the biofilm were on FSU while BE2 was the lowest (p < 0.05). Sa test signified that APX was significantly the lowest among all materials while FSU was the highest (p < 0.05). SEM displayed areas with apparently glucan-free S. mutans more on BE2 compared to APX and ESQ, while FSU had the least. Small white particles detected predominantly on the biofilms of BE2 appeared to be Si, Al, and F extruded from the resin. CONCLUSION: Differences in early biofilm formation onto various composite resins are dependent on the differences in material compositions and their surface properties. BE2 showed the lowest quantity of biofilm accumulation compared to other resin composites (APX, ESQ, and FSU). This could be attributed to BE2 proprieties as a giomer and fluoride content.

Inappropriate Dental Antibiotic Prescriptions: Potential Driver of the Antimicrobial Resistance in Albaha Region, Saudi Arabia.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to analyze and evaluate dental antibiotic prescriptions in Albaha Region, Saudi Arabia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A two-year retrospective cohort study was conducted between September 1, 2017 and September 1, 2019 in children and adults. Data collected from the patients' medical records were analyzed using SPSS. The Z-test with Bonferroni correction and descriptive proportions were utilized to compare several levels of categorical variables. RESULTS: Of the 43,255 dental visits, antibiotics were provided during 12,573 (29.1%). The commonly prescribed antibiotics were amoxicillin and amoxicillin combined with metronidazole (56.3% and 16.9%, respectively). Alarmingly, antibiotics were provided in several conditions for which they are medically neither recommended nor indicated; together, they represented 27.8% of those consultations in which antibiotics were prescribed. Female dentists prescribed more antibiotics than male dentists (30%, P = < 0.000), with male patients receiving more antibiotics than female patients (36%, P = <0.0001). CONCLUSION: Unnecessary prescription of antibiotics was observed in the present study. Improving knowledge and awareness of Saudi dentists on dental antibiotic prescription is warranted.

Parent perspectives on perceived dental pain and dental caries in Saudi schoolchildren with intellectual disability.

AIMS: To assess dental pain among male Saudi schoolchildren with intellectual learning disabilities (ILD) compared with controls and evaluate parents' perceptions of their children's dental pain and dental status. METHODS AND RESULTS: A mixed-method cross-sectional study of 92 male schoolchildren aged 12-16 years was conducted at schools in Albaha, Saudi Arabia between March and May 2018. Participants were clinically examined for dental caries. Parents' perspectives on their children's dental pain were explored using interviews and a questionnaire. Chi-square, Mann-Whitney, Kendall's tau-b, and t-test analyses were run using SPSS® version 20.0. Children with and without ILD had a high prevalence of dental caries (77% and 86%, respectively). Participants with ILD had significantly higher Dental Discomfort Questionnaire (DDQ) scores than healthy controls (0.75 ± 0.27 and 0.59 ± 0.11, respectively), and their decayed teeth (DT) scores were higher. Parents' ability to determine the complexity of dental treatment needed was significantly related to oral pain in both groups. CONCLUSION: Children with ILD had more dental caries and pain than children without disabilities. Future research may use longitudinal studies to examine dental pain and caries in younger children with ILD and assess their parental perspectives. Implementation of oral educational programmes targeting parents of those children may be recommended.

Association between oral diseases and impact on daily performance among male Saudi schoolchildren.

Objective: Little is known about exploring the oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) of school children in Saudi Arabia. The importance of examining this topic has centred on its ability to measure associations between the oral symptoms, impacts and clinical measures. This study aims to explore associations between the (OHRQoL) based on the children's Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (Child-OIDP) index and oral diseases of Saudi school children living in Albaha region. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2017 to January 2018 using two-stage randomised sampling technique. The oral diseases and impacts were examined using the World Health Organization's (1997) guidelines and the Child-OIDP index, respectively. Data analysis was conducted using the SPSS software version 20.0. Chi-squared, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression tests were used, as appropriate. Results: In total 349 Saudi male school children, 12 to 15 years old, were recruited. The Child-OIDPrate was significantly high (75.1%). The participants reported minor, moderate and major (severe) oral impacts (29.4%, 50%, and 20.6% respectively). The overall mean of the Child-OIDP score was 2.15±1.40. Conclusions: The high overall Child-OIDP score was in accordance with the participants' dental status. Further research should focus on improving knowledge and implementing education programmes to advance the community's oral diseases and practices.