Strategies for Effective Dentist-Patient Communication: A Literature Review.

The effectiveness of high-quality dental care predominantly lies on the communication between dentist and patient. However, little literature has reported the importance of these "soft skills" in dental practice. The aim of this literature review is to explore strategies for effective dentist-patient communication. Dentist-patient communication is a bidirectional process involving the exchange of ideas that should be clear (easy to understand), correct (accurate), concise (to the point), complete (with essential information), and cohesive (well-organized). Effective communication empowers patients with the knowledge required to make an informed decision about their own oral health. It not only improves the dentist's efficiency and boosts patient confidence, but also alleviates patients' dental anxiety and fear, addresses patients' needs and preferences, increases patients' adherence, and enhances patient satisfaction. To enhance dentist-patient communication, dentists should take the patient-centered approach as a premise. The approach comprises understanding patients' illnesses, shared decision-making, and mindful intervention at the patient's own pace. In addition, dentists should use simple, succinct language, proper body posture, gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact when interacting with patients. Dentists should show empathy, encourage questions and feedback, employ visual aids, and give ample time to patients. Nowadays, dentists and their patients use messaging applications in their communication. This form of telecommunication is not only a convenient way of communication but also reduces the costs associated with a dentist visit. In conclusion, effective dentist-patient communication is vital for the success of dental practice. Dentists who prioritize communication and build positive relationships with their patients are more likely to achieve positive outcomes and foster the expansion of their dental practice.

Caries Incidence and Its Associated Factors in Hong Kong Kindergarten Children.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate caries incidence and its associate factors among kindergarten children in Hong Kong. METHOD: This 30-month prospective study recruited 3- to 4-year-old children when they started their kindergarten study. A self-administered parental questionnaire survey was used to collect the children's social demographic information and their oral health-related habits. Child's caries experience was recorded using the decayed, missing, and filled tooth (dmft) index and the visible plaque index (VPI) was used to measure their oral hygiene status. A final examination was performed after 30 months when they were in the final year of kindergarten. Data were analysed using the zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression model. RESULTS: This study examined 660 children at baseline and 501 children at the final examination (dropout 24%). At baseline, the caries prevalence among 501 children was 23%, with mean (SD) dmft scores of 0.7 (1.8). At the final examination, caries prevalence increased to 41%, with mean (SD) dmft scores of 1.6 (2.8). The 30-month incidence rate was 34%, and the mean (SD) number of new carious teeth developed was 0.9 (1.7). Lower first molars exhibited the highest caries increment rate (11%), followed by upper second molars (9%) and upper central incisors (9%). ZINB regression analysis revealed associations among caries incidence and family income, baseline dmft, and baseline VPI (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: One third of Hong Kong kindergarten children developed new caries. Low family income, prior caries experience and poor oral hygiene were the significant factors associated with their caries incidence. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Many children developed new caries during their kindergarten years, with their caries experience more than doubling. Preventive measures, including oral health education and reinforcing oral hygiene practice in kindergarten, are essential to reduce their caries incidence, particularly for children with low family income, caries experience and poor oral hygiene.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices towards Silver Diamine Fluoride among Dentists in Vietnam.

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a topical solution used for managing dental caries. The mixed-methods study consists of a quantitative study (questionnaire survey) and a qualitative study (in-depth interview) to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards SDF among dentists in Vietnam. A descriptive approach and a thematic approach were performed to analyze data, respectively. The questionnaire survey invited 436 licensed dentists registered for the national annual dental meeting and 226 dentists participated (response rate: 52%). Among them, 174 (77%, 174/226) dentists knew SDF, and 69 (40%, 69/174) dentists used SDF for caries management. Most of them considered SDF therapy as non-invasive (84%, 146/174) and simple (80%, 140/174). However, most of them expressed concern that SDF could discolor the tooth (74%, 128/174). Their most preferred teeth for SDF therapy were primary posterior teeth (92%, 160/174). The in-depth interview consulted 16 dentists to reach data saturation. They learned about SDF from outside curriculum resources as an effective anti-caries agent. They understood the advantages (simple, non-invasive, timesaving) and disadvantages (tooth discoloring, ammonia odor) of SDF. They used SDF to arrest caries in uncooperative children in the clinic and people living in rural areas in outreach services. Most dentists in Vietnam are supportive of SDF therapy, and they know its advantages and disadvantages for caries management. The results addressed the aim of the study to investigate Vietnamese dentists' perspectives towards SDF.

Recommendations on Topical Fluoride Usage for Caries Management in East Asia.

Dental caries is a widespread oral health issue in Asia, affecting an estimated 30% to 90% of children and adults. Many caries cases remain untreated, resulting in pain and infection. In response, the Asian Academy of Preventive Dentistry (AAPD) emphasises comprehensive caries management and organised a fluoride workshop at the 15th International Conference of the AAPD in 2023. The AAPD invited a group of experts to form a fluoride working group to review existing literature and develop fluoride recommendations for stakeholders across Asian countries and regions. The working group assessed caries risk and identified commonly used topical fluoride products for home care, professional, and community settings in Asia. The working group concluded that fluoride is a safe and highly effective strategy to reduce caries prevalence and incidence. The working group provided key recommendations based on successful regional caries management practices: (1) use topical fluoride for prevention and control of dental caries; (2) encourage the use of fluoride toothpaste with a concentration of at least 1,000 ppm for effective caries reduction; (3) advise a 0.05% fluoride mouth rinse as soon as children can spit it out to prevent early childhood caries; (4) deliver professionally administered fluoride, such as 5% sodium fluoride varnish, 2% fluoride gel, or 1.23% acidulated phosphate fluoride preparations, to decrease dental caries in at-risk individuals; and (5) apply 38% silver diamine fluoride to arrest cavitated caries. These recommendations aim to help practitioners, health care providers, and parents/caregivers make informed decisions about fluoride use as part of comprehensive oral health care in the region.

Sugar substitutes on caries prevention in permanent teeth among children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to systematically review the effect of sugar substitute consumption on caries prevention in permanent teeth among children and adolescents. DATA: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) comparing the clinical effect of sugar substitutes (both high- and low-intensity sweeteners) in preventing caries in permanent teeth among children and adolescents aged 6-19 were included. SOURCES: A systematic search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, Web of Science and Embase) without any restrictions on publication year. STUDY SELECTION: The initial search found 1,859 items, and finally, 15 studies (11 RCTs and 4 CCTs) with a total of 6325 participants (age: 6-18 years) were included. The Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tools were used for quality assessment. Most (80%, 12/15) were graded as having a 'moderate' or 'high' risk of bias. All trials investigated sugar alcohol, which is a low-intensity sweetener. Xylitol was the most commonly investigated (73.3%, 11/15), followed by sorbitol (46.7%, 7/15), and erythritol (13.3%, 2/15). Results of the meta-analysis showed that both xylitol (standardized mean difference [SMD]: -0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.85 to -0.16, P = 0.005) and sorbitol (SMD: -0.10, 95% CI: -0.19 to -0.01, P = 0.03) had a significant effect in preventing dental caries compared to no treatment/placebo. No clinical trials on high-intensity sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin were found. CONCLUSION: The consumption of xylitol or sorbitol is potentially effective in preventing caries in permanent teeth among children and adolescents. No clinical evidence is available regarding the role of high-intensity sweeteners in caries prevention. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The use of xylitol or sorbitol as sugar substitutes has a beneficial effect in preventing dental caries among children and adolescents.

Developing a novel glass ionomer cement with enhanced mechanical and chemical properties.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a novel glass ionomer cement (NGIC) with enhanced mechanical and chemical properties and assess its biocompatibility, mechanical strength, and ion release. METHODS: Nanosilver doped bioactive glass (NanoAg BAG) was synthesized by sol-gel method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The NanoAg BAG, together with poly(vinylphosphonic acid) (PVPA), alumino-fluorosilicate glass and poly-acrylic acid were used to synthesize NGIC. The optimal PVPA concentration for NGIC was determined by PVPA modified GIC's biocompatibility and mechanical properties and used to prepare NGIC specimens. NGIC specimens with NanoAg BAG at 0%, 1%, 2%, and 5% were allocated into Groups NGIC0, NGIC1, NGIC2, and NGIC5, respectively. The biocompatibility, surface morphology, elemental composition, surface topography, chemical properties, compressive strength, diametral tensile strength, and ion release of the NGIC were assessed. A conventional glass ionomer cement (GIC) was used as a control. RESULTS: A granular BAG with nano silver particles attached on its surface were found, indicating the successful synthesis of NanoAg BAG. PVPA at 10% presented the best effect in enhancing the biocompatibility and mechanical properties of PVPA modified GIC and was used to prepare NGIC specimens. NGIC1 showed similar biocompatibility, surface morphology and topography to GIC. Chemical properties results showed that NGICs showed the same adsorption peaks to GIC. The compressive strength (mean±SD in MPa) was 168.1 ± 29.7, 205.5 ± 29.5, 221.8 ± 46.8, 216.6 ± 59.3 and 167.7 ± 36.4, and the diametral tensile strength (mean±SD in MPa) was 14.1 ± 1.7, 18.3 ± 4.9, 21.2 ± 2.2, 17.2 ± 3.8 and 13.3 ± 3.3 for GIC, NGIC0, NGIC1, NGIC2 and NGIC5 respectively. NIGC0, NGIC1 and NGIC2 showed higher compressive and diametral tensile strength than GIC (p < 0.01). NGIC2 and NGIC5 showed higher release of fluoride, calcium, phosphate and silver ion than GIC and NGIC0 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A biocompatible NGIC with enhanced mechanical properties were developed. It presented enhanced fluoride, calcium, phosphate and silver ion release compared to conventional GIC.

Clinical Effects of Sugar Substitutes on Cariogenic Bacteria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The use of sugar substitutes in food products has recently increased. Limited information regarding the role of various sugar substitutes in caries prevention was found. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the effects of sugar substitute consumption on reducing cariogenic bacteria in dental plaque and saliva. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science (inception to July 2023) for prospective controlled trials published in English and investigated the effects of sugar substitute consumption on cariogenic bacteria in dental plaque and saliva. The primary outcome was the changes in cariogenic bacteria. Two independent reviewers screened the papers. Quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tools. RESULTS: From 977 studies identified, 32 trials were included. Almost half (14/32, 44%) of the included studies had a high risk of bias. Almost all (31/32, 96.88%) were investigations of xylitol and other sugar alcohols (low-intensity sweeteners), such as sorbitol, erythritol, and maltitol. Only one trial investigated stevia, a high-intensity sweetener, whereas no studies on other high-intensity sweeteners, such as sucralose, saccharin, or aspartame, were found. Almost all studies (30/32, 93.75%) showed the consumption of low-intensity sweeteners led to a significant reduction of different types of cariogenic bacteria. The results of the meta-analysis showed that consumption of low-intensity sweeteners led to a significant reduction of cariogenic bacteria in both dental plaque and saliva compared to no treatment. CONCLUSION: The consumption of low-intensity sweeteners helps reduce cariogenic bacteria in dental plaque and saliva. There is limited clinical evidence regarding the role of high-intensity sweeteners in reducing cariogenic bacteria.

Postoperative instructions for silver diamine fluoride therapy: A scoping review of current evidence and practice.

OBJECTIVES: Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) has gained popularity in dentistry as an anti-hypersensitive and anti-caries agent. This study aims to review the postoperative instructions for SDF therapy and examine the evidence supporting these instructions in treating dentine hypersensitivity and caries control. DATA AND SOURCES: Two independent reviewers searched three electronic databases (EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science) to identify clinical studies that used SDF to treat dentine hypersensitivity and dental caries. Additionally, they searched Google Chrome for information from manufacturers, the department of health, national dental organisations, authoritative dental organisations, and universities regarding SDF therapy for these conditions. Data on postoperative instructions were extracted, and their impact on the treatment of dentine hypersensitivity and caries control was investigated. STUDY SELECTION: This review included 74 clinical studies, 11 sets of instructions from SDF manufacturers, and six recommendations from national dental organisations, departments of health and universities. Amongst the included records, 50 clinical studies, two manufacturers, and one department of health mentioned postoperative instructions for SDF therapy. The recommendations varied, from suggesting no specific instructions, immediate rinsing, refraining from eating or drinking for 30 to 60 min, and even avoiding brushing until the next day after SDF therapy. Notably, no clinical studies reported the effects of these postoperative instructions on the SDF treatment of dentine hypersensitivity or dental caries. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review highlights the presence of inconsistent postoperative instructions for SDF therapy in the treatment of dentine hypersensitivity and caries control. Furthermore, there is a lack of evidence supporting the effectiveness of these instructions. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: No evidence supports the postoperative instructions for SDF therapy for managing dentine hypersensitivity and dental caries. Studies are necessary to provide guidance for clinicians using SDF in their clinical practice.

Preventive dental erosion with silver diamine fluoride: An in vitro study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the erosion preventive effect of 38 % silver diamine fluoride (SDF) solution in enamel and dentin of human permanent teeth. METHODS: Ninety enamel and ninety dentin blocks were prepared from permanent molars and allocated into three groups. Gp-SDF received a one-off application of 38 % SDF solution. Gp-SNF received a one-off application of a solution containing 800 ppm stannous chloride and 500 ppm fluoride. Gp-DW received a one-off application of deionized water. The blocks were submitted to acid challenge at pH 3.2, 2 min, 5 times/day for 7 days. All blocks were immersed in human saliva between cycles for one hour. The crystal characteristics, percentage of surface microhardness loss (%SMHL), surface loss, and elemental analysis and surface morphology were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), microhardness test, non-contact profilometry, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. Data of%SMHL and surface loss were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. RESULTS: XRD spectra revealed that fluorapatite and silver compounds formed in Gp-SDF, while fluorapatite and stannous compounds formed in Gp-SNF. Gp-DW presented only hydroxyapatite. The median (interquartile range) of%SMHL in Gp-SDF, Gp-SNF and Gp-DW were 27.86(3.66), 43.41(2.45), and 46.40(3.54) in enamel (p< 0.001), and 14.21(1.57), 27.99(1.95), and 33.18(1.73) in dentin, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean (standard deviation, µm) of surface loss of Gp-SDF, Gp-SNF, and Gp-DW were 2.81(0.59), 4.28(0.67), and 4.63(0.64) in enamel (p < 0.001) and 4.13(0.69), 6.04(0.61), and 7.72(0.66) in dentin, respectively (p < 0.001). SEM images exhibited less enamel corruption and more dentinal tubular occlusion in Gp-SDF compared to Gp-SNF and Gp-DW. EDS analysis showed silver was detected in Gp-SDF while stannous was detected in the dentin block of Gp-SNF. CONCLUSION: 38 % SDF yielded superior results in protecting enamel and dentin blocks from dental erosion compared to SNF and DW. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Topical application of 38 % SDF is effective in preventing dental erosion in human enamel and dentin.

Improving oral health of older adults for healthy ageing.

The objective of this article is to discuss the importance of oral health in achieving healthy ageing and the role of all stakeholders in improving oral health for older adults. The World Health Organization defined healthy ageing as the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age. It recognized healthy ageing as an important goal and the key to turn population ageing from a challenge to an opportunity. Healthy ageing has positive impacts on individual older adults, their families and societies. It enhances quality of life of older adults, strengthen family bonding of families and reduce resource demand of the societies. Maintaining oral health and function is essential in healthy ageing. Oral health affects systemic health, cognitive health and psychological health. Oral functions such as eating ensure nutritional health in older adults. Most oral diseases are preventable and oral function decline can be recovered by intervention. Unfortunately, oral diseases remain prevalent and oral function decline is being neglected in older adults. Policy makers, national dental associations, academics and healthcare professionals should collaborate to provide a patient-centred, comprehensive and integrated care to older adults. Health policy reforms are needed to reduce the global oral health inequalities in older adults. Population-wide prevention should be accessible, affordable and available to older adults. Universal oral health coverage is crucial for integration of oral health into general health care.

Clinical evidence for silver diamine fluoride to reduce dentine hypersensitivity: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical evidence for silver diamine fluoride (SDF) to reduce dentine hypersensitivity in adults. METHODS: Two independent researchers searched the English literature in five databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library) up to 15th July 2023 for clinical trials investigating the desensitising effect of professionally applied SDF to manage dentine hypersensitivity in adults aged 18 or above at any follow-up period. The primary outcome was the change in dentine hypersensitivity between baseline and follow-up visits after SDF application regarding any validated pain outcome measures. The Cochrane guidelines were used for the risk of bias assessment. RESULTS: Three hundred and thirty-one studies were identified, and four of them were finally included. Three of the included studies were rated as having a 'low risk' of bias. The SDF solution reduced dentine hypersensitivity in adults. The percentage reduction in dentine hypersensitivity ranged from 23 % to 56 % after a single application of SDF solution. Moreover, the SDF solution was more effective than potassium nitrate, potassium oxalate and glutaraldehyde plus hydroxyethyl methacrylate in reducing dentine hypersensitivity. Meta-analysis indicated a more significant reduction in visual analogue scales (1-10) by 1.35 (95 % CI:0.9-1.8; p<0.00001) after receiving the SDF application than controls. CONCLUSION: The included clinical trials showed that SDF solution reduced dentine hypersensitivity in adults. However, clinical trials are few, and their protocol varied from one another. Further well-designed clinical trials should be conducted to provide more evidence on its use to manage dentine hypersensitivity. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: SDF is cleared as desensitizing agents by the US Food and Drug Administration to manage dentine hypersensitivity, which induces pain, limits food choice, and impacts the quality of life. Evidence from this systematic review informs clinicians and provides researchers insight for future research on SDF use for dentine hypersensitivity. THE INTERNATIONAL PROSPECTIVE REGISTER OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS (PROSPERO) REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023462613.

Erosive tooth wear among non-institutionalised older adults in Hong Kong: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Non-institutionalised older adults is the majority of older adults in Hong Kong. The study aimed to examine erosive tooth wear (ETW) and its association with dental conditions and oral hygiene habits among non-institutionalised older adults in Hong Kong. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited dentate adults aged 60 or above from nine elderly daycare centres in the five main districts of Hong Kong. The study consists of a questionnaire survey and a clinical examination. A researcher used a questionnaire to collected the participants' demographic information, oral hygiene habits such as toothbrushing habits and dental visit behaviour. A calibrated examiner performed an oral examination in the daycare elderly centre to assess the ETW using basic erosive wear (BEWE) criteria. Oral hygiene was recorded using visible plaque index. Prosthetic status was recorded using the World Health Organization criteria. Logistic regression was used to examine the correlation between ETW and the dental conditions and oral hygiene habits. RESULTS: This study recruited 433 dentate adults and 333 adults were female (77%). Their age ranged from 60 to 99 years and their mean age was 74 years (SD = 7). They all had ETW (BEWE > 0). Over half of them (57%) had BEWE score of 3, indicating severe ETW. Analysis showed increasing age (OR = 1.030, p = 0.029) and older adults with untreated dental caries had higher odds (OR = 1.822, p = 0.002) of presenting severe ETW. No other associations were found between the ETW and the factors studied. CONCLUSION: Hong Kong non-institutionalised older adults aged 60 or above had ETW and more than half of them had severe ETW. Increasing age and having untreated dental caries were associated with severe ETW.

Tooth Wear in Older Adults: A Review of Clinical Studies.

INTRODUCTION: Tooth wear is a prevalent dental condition among older adults, leading to pain and adversely affecting aesthetics, functionality, and their overall quality of life. This review aims to update the information on tooth wear in older adults from the past five years and to provide guidance on the clinical management of tooth wear in older adults. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in three electronic databases, Scopus, Pubmed, and Embase, for English publications from January 2019 to December 2023 on clinical studies with participants aged 65 or above on tooth wear. A total of 307 articles were retrieved and 14 articles were finally included as references for this study. RESULTS: This review highlights the common causes of tooth wear and various risk factors, such as medical conditions, hyposalivation, dietary habits, oral hygiene practices, parafunctional habits, and occlusal factors, associated with tooth wear. It is crucial for oral health care professionals to diagnose and manage tooth wear at an early stage through a risk assessment and a clinical examination to avoid complex restorative procedures. Tooth wear management should prioritize prevention, aiming to control etiological and risk factors while employing non-restorative treatments. Restorative intervention, if indicated, should be simple, minimally invasive, and cost-effective. Tooth wear progression should be monitored regularly to determine if a further intervention is needed. CONCLUSION: Since the clinical studies on tooth wear in older adults over the past five years are limited and mainly cross-sectional, more interventional clinical studies are warranted to provide more clinical guidance on tooth wear management in older adults.

Global prevalence of early childhood dental fear and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to determine the global prevalence of dental fear and anxiety (DFA) in early childhood and identify its related factors. METHODS: The systematic review utilized three common English-language databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science). Two independent researchers performed a systematic search to include observational studies on young children published from 2000 to 2023. They extracted information on prevalence of DFA, assessment tools used, study sites, respondents, and children's dental visit experiences. RESULTS: A total of 2,895 studies were identified, and 25 studies met the inclusion criteria for analysis. The pooled prevalence of DFA among 2- to 6- year-old children was estimated to be 30 % (95 % CI=25, 36). Children without dental visit experience (OR=1.37, 95 % CI=1.18, 1.59) and children with caries experiences (OR=1.18, 95 % CI=1.09, 1.27) had higher odds of experiencing DFA compared to those with dental visit experience or caries-free status. The most commonly used assessment tools in the included studies were the Frankl Behaviour Rating Scale (32 %, 8/25), Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (20 %, 5/25), and Dental Anxiety Question (20 %, 5/25). CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review reveals that approximately one-third of young children globally experience DFA. Children who lack dental visit experience or have caries experiences are at increased risk of DFA. Clinicians can use this information to make informed decisions regarding dental care provision for young children. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This study provides comprehensive information on the global prevalence of dental fear and anxiety and its associated factors in early childhood. The findings can assist clinicians in understanding and addressing DFA in their dental care approach for young children. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (CRD42023446464).

Tools Evaluating Child Oral Health-Related Quality of Life.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to systemically review the tools developed for evaluating oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in preschool children. METHODS: Two reviewers systematically searched English-language publications within PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science. They screened the titles and abstracts and retrieved the full texts of the selected publications. Studies which developed, validated, or culturally adapted an OHRQoL tool used in preschool children were included. They recorded information regarding tool characteristics, item configuration, discriminative validation, the aim of assessment, and the target group. RESULTS: The study included 59 publications and identified 12 tools for assessing OHRQoL in preschool children. Seven tools were tailored for preschool ages. Most of the scales were generic oral health measures. Dental caries was the most commonly used oral condition for assessing a tool's discriminative validity. Eight tools required parental proxy reports. Three tools were both child-administrated and parent-administrated. One tool was designed to be answered solely by children. Ten tools assessed the oral health-related impact on children, including oral condition-related, functioning, environmental, and emotional/social domains. Four tools included items regarding the impact on both children and family. CONCLUSIONS: This review identified 12 tools developed for evaluating OHRQoL in preschool children, 7 of which were tailored for preschool age. The 12 tools were validated but incomprehensive due to the subjective and multidimensional nature of the OHRQoL concept. Researchers can choose a suitable tool for their studies by understanding the basic characteristics and item setting of the tools. Researchers can have an overview of the tools developed for evaluating OHRQoL in preschool children. They can use the findings from this review to choose a suitable tool for their studies regarding the OHRQoL in preschool children.

Silver Compounds for Caries Management.

Silver metal and compounds have antibacterial properties, although their action's mechanisms are not fully understood. Scientists generally consider that silver disrupts the bacterial cell wall. It causes a structural change in the bacterial cell membrane and cytoplasm. It also stops deoxyribonucleic acid replication, resulting in inactivating enzymatic activity and cell death. The antimicrobial effect of silver-containing compounds relies on the release of bioactive silver ions. Hence, silver metal and compounds have been used in medicine to prevent infection for hundreds of years. Silver metal and compounds are also used as antibacterial agents in dentistry. Studies have shown that silver compounds are effective in the management of dental caries. Fluoride-containing silver compounds have been found in experiments to be beneficial at remineralising dental cavities. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) can assist in preventing and arresting tooth cavities. The World Health Organization included SDF in its Model List of Essential Medicine for both adults and children in 2021. Clinicians also use SDF to manage dentine hypersensitivity as well as to inhibit growth of periodontal pathogens. However, traditional silver compounds cause tooth discolouration because of the silver-staining effect. These side effects of their applications depend on the amount applied and the frequency of application. Researchers are developing nanosilver fluoride and silver nanoparticles to overcome the staining. This review gives an overview of the antibacterial mechanism of silver compounds, namely silver nitrate, silver fluoride, SDF, silver nanoparticles, and nano silver fluoride for caries management. The outlook for the future development of silver compounds will be discussed.

Early Childhood Caries and Dental Public Health Programmes in Hong Kong.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship amongst early childhood caries (ECC), economic development, and dental public health programmes in Hong Kong. We searched exhaustively qualitative and quantitative data on the oral health policy, dental service, public health strategies of caries control and epidemiologic surveys on ECC. We then performed meta-regression to explore the impact of the Human Development Index (HDI), gross domestic product (GDP) growth, water fluoridation, oral health promotion, dental school establishment, free education, and dental workforce on ECC prevalence in 5-year-olds. We found that the first government oral health survey was conducted in 1960, when Hong Kong experienced significant growth, as the HDI indicated. The survey revealed that 97% of 6- to 8-year-old children experienced ECC. Water fluoridation was implemented in 1961 at 0.7 ppm (0.9 ppm in winter) to prevent caries. The government offered free 9-year education in 1978. In 1981, the government established a dental school to improve a low dentist-to-population ratio of 1:9000. The ECC prevalence amongst 5- to 6- year-old children was reduced from 84% in 1968 to 63% in 1986. The Department of Health created an oral health education division in 1989. The ECC prevalence for 5-year-old children was further reduced to 44% in 1997. The ECC prevalence amongst 5-year-old children was stabilised at 51% both in 2001 and 2011. However in 2021, the prevalence of untreated ECC increased to 57% during the outbreak of COVID-19. Meta-regression analysis showed that ECC prevalence was not linked to GDP growth but decreased with improvements in HDI, the provision of 9-year free education, the establishment of a dental school, fluoridation of water supply, and implementation of territory-wide oral health promotion. In conclusion, better education, living conditions, and dental public health programmes have improved children's oral health in Hong Kong.

Polyelectrolyte-Cation Complexes Using PAsp-Sr Complexes Induce Biomimetic Mineralization with Antibacterial Ability.

Remineralized dentin with an antibacterial ability is still a significant challenge in dentistry. Previously, a polyelectrolyte-calcium complexes pre-precursor (PCCP) process is proposed for rapid collagen mineralization. In the present study, the expansion concept of the PCCP process is explored by replacing the calcium with other cations, such as strontium. The results of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), 3D stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and high-resolution TEM with selected area electron diffraction demonstrate that biomimetic mineralization of collagen fibrils and demineralized dentin could be fulfilled with Sr&F-codoped hydroxyapatite (HAp) after they are treated with poly-aspartic acid-strontium (PAsp-Sr) suspension followed by a phosphate&fluoride solution. Moreover, dentin remineralized with Sr&F-codoped HAp exhibits in vitro and in vivo antibacterial ability against Streptococcus mutans. The cytotoxicity and oral mucosa irritation tests reveal excellent biocompatibility of mineralization mediums (PAsp-Sr suspension and phosphate&fluoride solution). The demineralized dentin's mechanical properties (elastic modulus and microhardness) could be restored almost to that of the intact dentin. Hence, the expansion concept of the PCCP process that replaces calcium ions with some cationic ions along with fluorine opens up new horizons for generating antibacterial remineralized dentin containing ions-doped HAp with excellent biocompatibility via biomimetic mineralization technology.

Application of omics technologies in cariology research: A critical review with bibliometric analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To review the application of omics technologies in the field of cariology research and provide critical insights into the emerging opportunities and challenges. DATA & SOURCES: Publications on the application of omics technologies in cariology research up to December 2022 were sourced from online databases, including PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. Two independent reviewers assessed the relevance of the publications to the objective of this review. STUDY SELECTION: Studies that employed omics technologies to investigate dental caries were selected from the initial pool of identified publications. A total of 922 publications with one or more omics technologies adopted were included for comprehensive bibliographic analysis. (Meta)genomics (676/922, 73 %) is the predominant omics technology applied for cariology research in the included studies. Other applied omics technologies are metabolomics (108/922, 12 %), proteomics (105/922, 11 %), and transcriptomics (76/922, 8 %). CONCLUSION: This study identified an emerging trend in the application of multiple omics technologies in cariology research. Omics technologies possess significant potential in developing strategies for the detection, staging evaluation, risk assessment, prevention, and management of dental caries. Despite the numerous challenges that lie ahead, the integration of multi-omics data obtained from individual biological samples, in conjunction with artificial intelligence technology, may offer potential avenues for further exploration in caries research. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This review presented a comprehensive overview of the application of omics technologies in cariology research and discussed the advantages and challenges of using these methods to detect, assess, predict, prevent, and treat dental caries. It contributes to steering research for improved understanding of dental caries and advancing clinical translation of cariology research outcomes.

Improvement of parents' oral health knowledge by a school-based oral health promotion for parents of preschool children: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Parents of preschool children have inadequate oral health knowledge in Hong Kong. Parents play a critical role in preschool children's dietary patterns and oral health behaviors. A school-based oral health promotion (OHP) for parents of preschoolers was developed and investigated. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of the school-based OHP for parents of preschool children on parents' oral health knowledge and preschool children's early childhood caries (ECC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a quasi-experimental study. Parents of preschool children were divided into the intervention group (IG) and the control group (CG) according to their own selection. Parents in the IG participated in a structured school-based OHP workshop, while those in the CG did not attend the OHP workshop. Parents in both groups were invited to complete a questionnaire assessing their oral health knowledge before (T0), one month after (T1), and twelve months after (T2) the OHP workshop. Preschool children's caries was examined via dmft score at T0 and T2. RESULTS: Parents' oral health knowledge was negatively correlated with preschool children's dmft scores (R = -0.200, P < 0.001). Oral health knowledge was significantly improved in IG (P < 0.001) but not in CG (P = 0.392) at T1. Both groups experienced a significant improvement in oral health knowledge from T0 to T2 (P < 0.001). Parents' oral health knowledge in the IG was significantly higher compared to the CG at T1 (P < 0.001), but difference in the scores at T2 between the two groups showed no significant difference (P = 0.727). No significant difference was found in changes in children's dmft score from T0 to T2 between the IG and CG (p = 0.545). CONCLUSION: Preschool children's high ECC is associated with the limited oral health knowledge of their parents. The school-based OHP workshop for parents increased parents' oral health knowledge within one month. This positive effect was maintained for twelve months and can be extended to a larger scale in the school setting.