Association between early childhood caries and parental education and the link to the sustainable development goal 4: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: The goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The aim of this scoping review was to map the current evidence on the association between the prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC) and parental education; and to identify possible pathways by which parental education may protect against ECC. METHODS: The two questions that guided this review were: what is the existing evidence on the association between maternal and paternal education and ECC; and what are the pathways by which parental education protects against ECC? The initial search was conducted in January 2023 in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. Articles published in English between January 2000 and October 2022 that reported on the association between parental education and ECC were screened, and the extracted data were compiled, summarized, and synthesized. Review papers and non-primary quantitative research papers were excluded from the full-text review. Open coding was applied to develop a conceptual framework. RESULTS: In total, 49 studies were included: 42 cross-sectional, 3 case-control and 4 cohort studies. The majority (91.8%) reported on the associations between ECC and maternal (n = 33), paternal (n = 3), and parental (n = 9) level of education, and 13 (26.7%) reported on the association between parental education and the severity of ECC. Mothers with more than primary school education (n = 3), post-secondary/college/tertiary education (n = 23), and more than 4-12 years of education (n = 12) had children with lower risk for ECC. Two studies reporting on parental education found an association between maternal but not paternal education and ECC. The review suggests that achieving the SDG 4.1 may reduce the risk of ECC. Possible pathways by which maternal education protects from ECC were feeding practices, oral hygiene practices, and the use of dental services. CONCLUSION: The study findings suggests that higher maternal educational level may reduce the risk for the consumption of cariogenic diet, poor oral hygiene practices and poor use of dental services for caries prevention. However, the association between paternal education and ECC was not consistently observed, with significant associations less frequently reported compared to maternal education. Future studies are needed to define the magnitude and modifiers of the impact of maternal education on the risk for ECC.

A scoping review on the association of early childhood caries and maternal gender inequality.

AIM: The objective of this scoping review is to present current evidence regarding the association between early childhood caries (ECC) and maternal-related gender inequality. METHODS: Two independent reviewers performed a comprehensive literature search using three databases: EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science. Literature published in English from 2012 to 2022 was included in the search and was restricted to only primary research by using the following key terms: "dental caries", "tooth decay", "gender", "sex", "preschool", "toddler," and "infant". The included studies were limited to those reporting an association between ECC and maternal aspects related to gender inequality. Titles and abstracts were screened, and irrelevant publications were excluded. The full text of the remaining papers was retrieved and used to perform the review. The critical appraisal of selected studies was guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Tools. RESULTS: Among 1,103 studies from the three databases, 425 articles were identified based on publication years between 2012 and 2022. After full-text screening, five articles were included in the qualitative analysis for this review. No published study was found regarding a direct association between ECC and maternal gender inequality at the level of individuals. Five included studies reported on the association between ECC and potential maternal-gender-related inequality factors, including the mother's education level (n = 4), employment status (n = 1), and age (n = 1). Regarding the quality of the included studies, out of five, two studies met all JBI criteria, while three partially met the criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the findings of this scoping review, evidence demonstrating an association between gender inequality and ECC is currently limited.

A scoping review on the links between sustainable development goal 14 and early childhood caries.

BACKGROUND: The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 addresses life below the waters, an important source of protein and contributor to global food security and economic development. Our aim was to explore possible evidence on the links between life below water and early childhood caries (ECC). METHODS: This scoping review identified articles on the link between life below water and caries according to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) were systematically searched in January 2023, using specific search terms. Studies written in English, with full text available, addressing life under water, focusing on dental caries in humans, with results that can be extrapolated to control ECC in children less than 6 years of age were included in the review. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the retrieved papers and graphical presentation was used for visualization. RESULTS: There were 224 publications retrieved of which 13 studies, published between 1960 and 2022, were included in the analysis. The papers originated from Asia (7/13), North America (3/13), Europe (1/13), and 2/13 had multi-country authorship. Also, four laboratory studies extracted agents from marine products to determine their efficacy in preventing caries formation and preventing/slowing plaque formation; four letters discussed the caries prevention potential of sea salt as a source of fluoride; and two review articles about the positive effects of extracted marine products for caries prevention. Most (11/13) studies addressed target 14.1 concerned with enriching the marine environment with nutrients and minerals; two addressed target 14.4 focused on ensuring fish stocks are within biologically sustainable levels; two addressed target 14.7 aimed at increasing the economic benefits through sustainable use of marine resources such as fisheries; and one focused on target 14.5 aimed at conserving marine areas by increasing protected areas. In addition, one ecological study assessed the association between the ecosystem and ECC. CONCLUSIONS: Currently, there is little known about the impact of protection of marine and coastal ecosystem from pollution and ocean acidification on the risk of ECC. Further evidence on possible associations between life below water and ECC management is needed.

The association of smartphone addiction, sleep quality and perceived stress amongst Jordanian dental students.

INTRODUCTION: Smartphone addiction has been associated with sleeping problems and psychological anxiety. However, little is known about the association of smartphone addiction, sleep quality and perceived stress amongst university students particularly in dentistry. This study investigated the association of these variables amongst dental students in a Jordanian dental faculty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A sample of 420 undergraduate dental students enrolled for academic year 2017/2018 at the Jordan University of Science and Technology participated in this study. They were given a set of self-administered questionnaires which consisted of questions regarding demographic information, characteristics of smartphone use, assessment of smartphone addiction, sleep quality as well as perceived stress. RESULTS: The mean Smartphone Addiction Scale (SAS) score amongst Jordanian dental students was high (109.9 ± 23.8). The correlation between SAS and Global Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score was significant (r = 0.137, P =0.005) indicating that the higher the smartphone addiction level, the poorer the quality of sleep. Similarly, a significant correlation was found between Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) score and Global PSQI score (r = 0.348, P < 0.001) which implied that students who have higher perceived stress experienced poorer sleep quality. Year 3 students (clinical year), smartphone addiction and perceived stress were determinants of sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: Dental students who have high levels of smartphone addiction or high perceived stress levels experienced poor sleep quality. Identifying smartphone addicts amongst students as well as stressors are imperative measures to allow timely assistance and support in the form of educational campaigns, counselling, psychotherapy and stress management.

Dentists' Awareness, Perception, and Attitude Regarding COVID-19 and Infection Control: Cross-Sectional Study Among Jordanian Dentists.

BACKGROUND: Despite the availability of prevention guidelines and recommendations on infection control, many dental practices lack the minimum requirements for infection control. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the level of awareness, perception, and attitude regarding the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and infection control among Jordanian dentists. METHODS: The study population consisted of dentists who worked in private clinics, hospitals, and health centers in Jordan. An online questionnaire was sent to a sample of Jordanian dentists in March 2020. The questionnaire was comprised of a series of questions about dentists' demographic characteristics; their awareness of the incubation period, the symptoms of the disease, mode of transmission of COVID-19 and infection control measures for preventing COVID-19; and their attitude toward treating patients with COVID-19. RESULTS: This study included a total of 368 dentists aged 22-73 years (mean 32.9 years, SD 10.6 years). A total of 112 (30.4%) dentists had completed a master or residency program in dentistry, 195 (53.0%) had received training in infection control in dentistry, and 28 (7.6%) had attended training or lectures regarding COVID-19. A total of 133 (36.1%) dentists reported that the incubation period is 1-14 days. The majority of dentists were aware of COVID-19 symptoms and ways of identifying patients at risk of having COVID-19, were able to correctly report known modes of transmission, and were aware of measures for preventing COVID-19 transmission in dental clinics. A total of 275 (74.7%) believed that it was necessary to ask patients to sit far from each other, wear masks while in the waiting room, and wash hands before getting in the dental chair to decrease disease transmission. CONCLUSIONS: Jordanian dentists were aware of COVID-19 symptoms, mode of transmission, and infection controls and measures in dental clinics. However, dentists had limited comprehension of the extra precautionary measures that protect the dental staff and other patients from COVID-19. National and international guidelines should be sent by the regional and national dental associations to all registered dentists during a crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic, to make sure that dentists are well informed and aware of best practices and recommended disease management approaches.