Simplifying Oral health evaluation: a novel approach through single-item surveys.

BACKGROUND: This study adopts a novel approach of using single-item surveys to simplify the assessment of oral health status and behaviors among Japanese private sector employees. We aimed to establish the validity of self-reported oral health in relation to clinical dental examinations, and to elucidate the relationship between oral diseases, health behaviors, and self-assessments. A secondary aim was to explore the association of self-rated oral health with oral health behaviors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Self-administered questionnaires and dental examinations were obtained from 2262 Japanese private sector employees. Workers self-rated their overall oral health status according to five choices: "very good," "good," "fair," "poor," or "bad." Self-reports were then compared with the results of clinical dental examinations, which included measuring the oral hygiene index (DI-S), the number of decayed teeth, periodontal status (Community Periodontal Index) and number of missing teeth. Convergent validity was also tested by examining the correlations of self-reported oral health status with oral health behaviors. RESULTS: Overall, 30.8% of workers reported their oral health as "poor" or "bad." "Poor" or "bad" oral health status was significantly correlated with missing teeth, periodontitis, and decayed teeth. However, lower correlations were found for gingivitis and the oral hygiene index. Most self-reported oral health behaviors were correlated with self-rated oral health; exceptions were "tooth brushing instructions received in a dental clinic," "having a primary-care dentist," and "habitual snacking between meals." CONCLUSIONS: Self-rated oral health provides reasonably valid data, and correlated well with clinically assessed oral health status, including dental caries, periodontal status, and tooth loss. Convergent validity was also found for oral health behaviors. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical trial registration number: UMIN000023011 (UMIN-CTR). Date of clinical trial registration: 06/07/2016.

SARS-CoV-2 detection by fluorescence loop-mediated isothermal amplification with and without RNA extraction.

Rapid and simple point-of-care detection of SARS-CoV-2 is an urgent need to prevent pandemic. Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) can detect SARS-CoV-2 more rapidly than RT-PCR. Saliva is non-invasive specimen suitable for mass-screening, but data comparing utility of nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) and saliva in RT-LAMP test are lacking and it remains unclear whether SARS-CoV-2 could be detected by direct processing of samples without the need for prior RNA extraction saliva. In this study, we compared utility of saliva and NPS samples for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 by a novel RT-fluorescence LAMP (RT-fLAMP). The sensitivity and specificity of the RT-fLAMP with RNA extraction were 97% and 100%, respectively, with equivalent utility of NPS and saliva. However, sensitivity was decreased to 71% and 47% in NPS and saliva samples without RNA extraction, respectively, suggesting that RNA extraction process may be critical for the virus detection by RT-fLAMP.

The Oral Healthcare System in Japan.

This paper describes the present Japanese oral healthcare system and outlines the future challenges and perspectives for Japan. Japan has developed a system for providing high-quality and appropriate health care efficiently through a universal health insurance system which has been in operation since 1961. This health insurance covers most restorative, prosthetic and oral surgery treatment. Therefore, all people can receive dental treatment at a relatively low cost, with the same fees applying throughout the nation. In Japan, public oral health services are provided by the local governments according to the life stage of their populations. These services are mainly conducted by private dental practitioners under contracts with local governments. National oral health data shows that the oral health of the Japanese population has improved over the last several decades. Future challenges and perspectives for Japanese dentistry include: tackling the regional differences in oral health, decreasing the cost of health expenditure, establishment of sustainable emergency oral healthcare services in times of disaster, and the development a new tele-dental system for remote areas without access to dental professionals.