Workflows and Laboratory Cost for Removable Digital Complete Denture: Two Case Reports with and without Existing Denture.

The integration of digital dentistry in the fabrication of complete dentures (CDs) has been facilitated through the use of intraoral scanners and computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM). However, the financial implications associated with the fabrication of digital CDs have been rarely explored. This study is aimed at presenting two different approaches to CD fabrication, combining conventional with digital techniques, and comparing the total cost of fabrication. The first case involved a 70-year-old woman without existing denture, while the second case involved a 97-year-old woman with inadequate retention and stability of CDs in both jaws. In the first patient, who lacked information about her old denture, the first approach was employed, utilizing milling technology for denture processing. The second patient, who already had an existing denture, underwent the second approach, which employed printing technology for denture processing. CAD/CAM replicas of the existing dentures were used for the final impression, bite registration, and as a guide for tooth arrangement. Two digital protocols and laboratory cost in CD fabrication have been proposed. The relatively high cost of CAD/CAM CDs restricts the widespread of digital technology in CD fabrication.

Impact of oral diseases on 12- and 15-year-old children's quality of life: condition-specific oral health related quality of life analysis.

BACKGROUND: Oral diseases can affect children's quality of life. The aim of the present study was to assess the Condition-Specific (CS) impacts from oral diseases in 12- and 15-year-old Thai population using data from the two consecutive national oral health-related quality of life surveys. METHODS: The oral health-related quality of life surveys were conducted for this study as a part of 6th and 7th national oral health survey. The study sample of 1,066 12- and 815 15-year-olds from 6th national oral health survey; and 556 12- and 351 15-year-olds from 7th national oral health survey were from Bangkok and four regions of Thailand. Oral impacts were assessed by the Child-Oral Impacts on Daily Performances index for 12- and Oral Impacts on Daily Performances index for 15-year-olds. The overall impacts and CS impacts attributed to oral diseases were calculated. The detailed characteristics of the CS impacts were analyzed. Cochran's Q test and McNemar's test were used to determine the difference between the proportions of CS impacts of caries, gingival diseases, oral lesions, and malocclusion. RESULTS: CS impacts-caries were prevalent for both age, followed by gingival disease and oral lesions. CS impacts-caries were the highest in the intensity and extent for both age groups. CS impacts-caries were significantly higher than those of gingival diseases for eating, speaking, relaxing, emotional state, and studying. CS impacts-gingival disease was significantly higher than caries for cleaning in one survey. CONCLUSIONS: CS impacts-caries were the most prevalent and severe among adolescent. Gingival disease was infrequently related to severe impacts on daily performances.

Facilitating dental disease screening program in prisoners using an intraoral camera in teledentistry.

OBJECTIVES: To facilitate dental disease screening program in prisoners by testing the diagnostic accuracy of teledentistry examination in comparison to direct oral examination by a dentist. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This crossover study comprised three phases. Phase I, prisoner health volunteers (PHVs) enrolled teledentistry training for an intraoral camera (IOC) use. Phase II, the PHV used IOC for examining dental diseases of prisoners who reported dental-related problems, and captured symptomatic areas. The PHV and dentist independently determined tentative dental treatment need, comprising dental fillings, scaling, extraction, and surgical removal of impacted tooth. Phase III, another dentist performed direct oral examination of the prisoners who reported problems in phase II and determined dental treatment needs. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated, using direct oral examination by dentist as a true positive. RESULTS: Diagnostic accuracy was determined in 152 prisoners with 215 teeth. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of teledentistry and direct examination between two dentists were above 80%. The lowest sensitivity and specificity of teledentistry examination by the PHV were scaling and surgical removal. CONCLUSIONS: IOC use in teledentistry facilitates dentists in dental diseases screening for prisoners with acceptable diagnostic accuracy in identifying possible treatment needs. However, the imaging obtained from teledentistry is not adequate to accurately identify all dental treatment needs.

Oral status is associated with chewing difficulty in Thai older adults: data from a National Oral Health Survey.

BACKGROUND: The number of older adults in Thailand is increasing. Better chewing ability is associated with healthy aging. Although numerous studies have demonstrated the relationship between social backgrounds, dental service utilization, oral status and chewing difficulty, there is no study in Thailand using national oral health data to identify the variables involved with chewing difficulty among Thai older adults. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the association between oral status, and chewing difficulty, adjusting for social backgrounds, and dental service utilization among Thai older adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from the eighth Thai National Oral Health Survey (TNOHS). A stratified multi-stage method was used for sample selection. The eighth TNOHS was conducted from June-August 2017. Data were collected using interviews and clinical oral examinations by trained interviewers and trained dentists, respectively. The bivariate analysis, chi-square test was used to explore the associations between social backgrounds, dental service utilization, oral status, and chewing difficulty. Dependent variables with p-values of < 0.2 for their association with independent variables in the bivariate analysis were entered into the multiple logistic regression models. RESULTS: This study found that older adults with at least 27 teeth (p < 0.05), or at least eight occlusal pairs (p < 0.05) or income exceeding 15,000 baht per month (p < 0.05) were more likely to have less chewing difficulty (p < 0.001), while the elderly who utilized dental services in the past 12 months were associated with more chewing difficulty than those who did not utilize dental services in the past 12 months (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that policymakers increase the number of preventive plans and set a goal for more than 20 remaining natural teeth and four posterior occlusal pairs in young and working aged people, especially in the low income group.

Condition-Specific Oral Health Impacts in Thai Children and Adolescents: Findings From the National Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Survey.

This study was a part of the 7th National Oral Health Survey of Thailand and aimed to assess overall and condition-specific oral health-related quality of life of 12 and 15 year olds. Oral impacts were assessed using the Child-Oral Impacts on Daily Performances Index for 12 year olds and the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances index for 15 year olds. Overall oral impacts and condition-specific oral impacts (CS-impacts) were calculated. Detailed characteristics of CS-impacts were analyzed. Seventy-five percent of 12 year olds and 70.1% of 15 year olds had one or more oral impacts. CS-impacts attributed to dental caries were 37.8% and 36.5% for 12 and 15 year olds, respectively, followed by CS-impacts attributed to periodontal diseases and oral lesions. Dental caries was the most important cause of oral impacts. The severe impacts on daily performances of 12 year olds were mainly caused by dental caries, while those of 15 year olds related to dental caries and oral lesions. The majority of Thai children and adolescents experienced oral impacts. CS-impacts attributed to dental caries were most prevalent and most severe.

The Associations of School Oral Health-Related Environments with Oral Health Behaviours and Dental Caries in Children.

Creating supportive oral health-related environments in schools is an important strategy for promoting schoolchildren's oral health. This study determined the associations between school environments and children's oral behaviour and dental caries. The data on school oral health-related environments were obtained through observation and interviews. Oral behaviour and dental caries data were collected through interviews and oral examinations of 984 sixth grade children. χ2 and multiple logistic regression, adjusted for sociodemographic and economic status, other school environment variables, and oral behaviour were used. Providing fresh fruit with school meals was associated with low sweets consumption and low caries levels. Children's daily sweets consumption was positively associated with sweetened milk sales in schools. Selling sweetened beverages, including sweetened milk, sweetened drinks, and soft drinks, was associated with high caries levels, while selling meat and crispy packed snacks was associated with low caries levels. Children in schools with integrated oral health education were significantly more likely to brush their teeth twice a day and to brush after lunch. In conclusion, school oral health-related environments, especially available food choices, were associated with sweets consumption behaviour and caries levels. Children in schools with integrated oral health education had better brushing habits.

Oral diseases associated with condition-specific oral health-related quality of life and school performance of Thai primary school children: A hierarchical approach.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the hierarchical associations between children's school performance and condition-specific (CS) oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), school absence, oral status, sociodemographic and economic status (SDES) and social capital; and to investigate the associations between CS OHRQoL and related oral status, adjusting for SDES and social capital. METHODS: Data on 925 sixth grade children in Sakaeo province, Thailand, were collected through oral examinations for dental caries and oral hygiene, social capital questionnaires, OHRQoL interviews using the Child-Oral Impacts on Daily Performances index, parental self-administered questionnaires and school documents. A hierarchical conceptual framework was developed, and independent variables were hierarchically entered into multiple logistic models for CS OHRQoL and linear regression models for school performance. RESULTS: After adjusting for SDES and social capital, children with high DMFT or DT scores were significantly threefold more likely to have CS impacts attributed to dental caries. However, poor oral hygiene was not significantly associated with CS impacts attributed to gingival disease. High DMFT scores were significantly associated with lower school performance, whereas high Simplified Oral Hygiene Index scores were not. The final model showed that CS impacts attributed to dental caries and school absence accounted for the association between DMFT score and school performance. CONCLUSIONS: Dental caries was associated with CS impacts on OHRQoL, and exerted its effect on school performance through the CS impacts and school absence. There was no association between oral hygiene and CS impacts on OHRQoL or school performance.