Factors related to the willingness of Palestinian dentists to treat patients with blood-borne diseases.

This study aimed to explore, using groups of simulated patients, the willingness of Palestinian dentists to treat patients with blood-borne diseases. Simulated patients conducted a telephone survey of a random sample of dentists registered with the Palestinian Dental Association. A random system was used to assign dentists to one of two groups, in which simulated patients randomly identified themselves with either human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus (HBV) and asked for a dental appointment. Three-hundred and four dentists (76%) responded to our telephone survey. Sixty-six per cent accepted requests for appointments and 34% declined the appointment requests. Sixty-eight per cent of the dentists declined appointment requests from patients with HIV and 32% declined appointments from patients with HBV. Dentist's gender, 'blood-borne disease type', 'place of private practice', 'country of graduation' and 'years since graduation' were all significant predictors in the final logistic model. More than one-third of our respondents declined appointment requests from patients with blood-borne disease, two-thirds of which were for patients who identified themselves as having HIV. Education and training programmes are needed to improve attitudes of dentists - especially female dentists, older dentists and dentists practising in northern governorates - towards patients with blood-borne diseases.

Salivary levels of mutans streptococci and Lactobacilli among Palestinian school children in East Jerusalem.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to investigate the distribution of oral cariogenic bacteria among 12-year-old Palestinian children attending schools in East Jerusalem. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Salivary levels of mutans streptococci (MS) and Lactobacilli (LB) were examined by semi-quantitative commercial kits and then correlated to social-demographic parameters. RESULTS: Overall, 52.1 % of the examined children presented the highest possible ranking score categories for MS bacteria, with only 5.4 % in the lowest category. Only 12.6 % of the school children presented the highest LB score, while 25 % had the lowest ranking score. Salivary MS levels in children attending private schools were lower than those of children in government schools and United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) schools. Conversely, levels of LB were lowest in children attending UNRWA schools compared to government and private schools. Girls had significantly higher amounts of MS and LB than boys (p = 0.001). Lower MS levels were significantly related to the following socioeconomic variables: higher father's education level (p = 0.037), higher mother's education level (p = 0.063), mother's employment status (p = 0.012), and lower home density (p = 0.001). For LB, the only significant socioeconomic variable was higher father's employment level, which was related to lower LB level (p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Levels of MS and LB were found to be strongly related with socioeconomic status among Palestinian children in East Jerusalem. The relatively high prevalence of cariogenic bacteria suggests that oral care prevention and treatment demands special attention from the health care institutions and authorities.