Age related impairments in ingestion from a large population based-sample.

OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological data regarding the evolution of problems related to mastication and swallowing with age are lacking. This study aims to (i) describe changes in oral function with age, using data from a large French population, (ii) validate online, self-report uses of an ICF questionnaire in older persons, and (iii) assess whether impairment is related to avoidance of certain foods, xerostomia, body mass index (BMI) and oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL). METHODS: Volunteers aged ≥18 years with internet access completed a series of questionnaires on sociodemographic, anthropometric and oral health characteristics (oral function, Xerostomia Index (XI), OHRQoL, reasons for avoidance of certain food). Oral function was assessed using items derived from the International Classification of Functioning (ICF). Five ICF items related to ingestion function and six items related to activities and participation were used. A validation study was undertaken to identify those with poor chewing ability and low salivary flow amongst older participants reporting impairment. FINDINGS: 39 597 individuals were included. The prevalence of individuals with impairment for ICF items related to ingestion function and oral activity (eating, drinking and speaking), and the percentage of participants with poor OHRQoL increased significantly with age (p < 0.001). Each ICF item was significantly associated with OHRQoL (p < 0.001), XI (p < 0.001), BMI (p < 0.001) and avoidance of certain food due to chewing or swallowing difficulties. CONCLUSION: Overall, 21.5% and 13.5% of the study population had chewing and/or biting impairments respectively, which might affect food selection and consumption. These findings raise individual and population-based issues. Further studies are needed to assess whether impairment in oral function might increase frailty in older individuals, and also to compare data with those from other countries.

Oral implant rehabilitation under general anesthesia for patients with cognitive and physical disabilities: A 14-year cohort study.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Oral rehabilitation with implants is an alternative to the provision of removable dentures in all patients for whom missing teeth require replacement. However, individuals with cognitive, mental health issues, and/or physical disabilities are often excluded from implant-supported prostheses because of the high perceived risk of failure linked to poor oral health, presence of parafunction, or systemic conditions. PURPOSE: The purpose of this cohort study was to describe the protocols, outcomes, and survival rates of oral rehabilitation with implant-supported prostheses in patients with cognitive and physical disabilities treated under general anesthesia (GA) in a French unit of Special Care Dentistry. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patient files. Data collected included demographics and information about the surgical and prosthetic phases of rehabilitation. Clinical and radiological reports were retrieved to establish the survival, success, and failure rates of implant placement according to the Health Scale for Dental Implants (HDSI) classification. RESULTS: A total of 298 dental implants had been placed under GA in 57 patients between January 2007 and August 2021. The prevalence of technical and biological postoperative complications was found to be 14% and 13% respectively. Thirty implants were determined to be failures. The estimated survival time in the population studied for loaded implants was 144.7 months [138.0; 151.3]. The cumulative survival rate was estimated to be 86% at 157 months. CONCLUSIONS: Implant-supported prostheses were found to be effective, and oral rehabilitation carried out under the conditions described was determined to be stable.

Implant-supported prostheses in patients with special needs: A systematic literature review of protocols and outcomes.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Implant-supported prostheses for individuals with special needs have been considered high-risk because of the prevalence of poor oral hygiene and parafunction in this population; however, systematic evidence on protocols and outcomes is scarce. PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize implant procedures and outcomes for the special needs population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) methodological framework. Data collected included patient information, location and number of implants, surgical and prosthetic procedures, behavior support techniques, postoperative follow-up, complications, and criteria for outcome assessment. Survival rates were pooled for quantitative analysis, and a separate analysis pooling data from groups of special needs patients that present similar risks was undertaken. RESULTS: The qualitative analysis included 79 studies involving 759 patients and 2269 implants. The quantitative analysis included 65 studies concerning 666 patients with special needs and 1886 implants. The overall weighted implant survival rate was 95.4%, with a mean follow-up duration of 40.7 ±29.5 months. CONCLUSIONS: In individuals with special needs considered suitable for implant-supported prostheses by their clinician, implant survival rates were similar to those reported in the general population. (J Prosthet Dent xxxx;xxx:xxx-xxx).

Identifying people requiring special care dentistry: A scoping review.

AIMS: This scoping review aimed to document tools designed to identify persons requiring special care dentistry (SCD) and to provide a better understanding of the factors that justify adaptation in the provision of care. METHODS: A scoping review methodology was applied. An electronic search was performed in April 2021 using Pubmed and Embase. Additional tools were sought using hand searches and informal professional networking. RESULTS: Ten tools were identified that either predict the complexity of dental management or that retrospectively judge the complexity of care, of which two are as yet unpublished. Some had been developed for a specific population (e.g., patients with Alzheimer's disease, with learning disability, elderly persons) whilst others were applicable for any population (case mix tools). Factors considered included the patient's medical history, ability to cooperate, physical and cognitive autonomy, communication skills, anxiety, need for sedation, oral risk factors, ability to consent and the administrative burden for the dentist. CONCLUSION: Identifying persons requiring SCD is possible by looking at various factors that influence the provision of dental care. There may be need for adaptation of tools to local circumstances and to the intended usage of the tool at a health services, systems or policy level.

Understanding oral health from the point of view of adults with disabilities and/or complex medical conditions: A scoping review.

AIM: This study aimed to review the qualitative scientific literature investigating experience of the mouth and oral health amongst adults with disabilities and/or complex health conditions. METHODS: A scoping review methodology was applied in accordance with the methodological framework of Arksey & O'Malley and the PRISMA-SCR checklist. Electronic searching was performed using the databases Pubmed, Embase, and PsychInfo. RESULTS: Thirty articles were included in the final selection. The populations included in the selected studies were very varied in terms of health conditions and disabilities. Three major themes relating to the experience and understanding of the mouth, oral health, and function were highlighted in the review: the representation of oral health, the influence of oral health on the participant's life, and the influence of the socio-environmental context on oral health. No study explicitly described the functional, social, and psychological roles of the mouth in a comprehensive manner. CONCLUSIONS: Perception of the mouth and oral health differs depending on the individual and their health condition. Oral health is described as dependent on the socio-environmental context, however, outside of the experience of dental care services, this context is not investigated in the literature. This scoping review demonstrated that exhaustive understanding of the dimensions of the mouth and oral health has not been explored in published research for this population.

Oral health inequalities and disability: Closing the gap.

The social determinants of health impact disproportionately on disabled people creating a cumulative risk of unequal oral health outcomes, compounded by impairment. Problems in early life, education and employment, poor social status and support, social exclusion, poverty and stress characterize the life course of many disabled people. Ableism and exclusion combine to ensure that disabled voices are rarely heard, ignorance and indifference lead to prejudice in policy-making and enforcement and negative media attitudes fuelled by political austerity lead to stigmatization. Yet, the health disparities experienced by disabled people are still perceived as being uniquely caused by a medical condition or impaired body function, excluding disabled people from the inequalities discourse. In parallel, the influence of medical conditions within other marginalized groups are minimized (e.g. mental health), leading to the underestimation of the impact of disability on oral health generally. The common ground between all groups subject to oral health inequalities can be conceptualized using the WHO International Classification of Functioning. Outcomes for all might be improved by emphasizing this common ground; by considering disability as a primary variable, such as gender or age; by identifying disabled people within existing inequalities research; and by explicitly including disabled people in future research.

Identifying Persons with Special Healthcare Needs in Dentistry-Development and Validation of the French Case Mix Tool.

Providing dental care for certain patient groups is complicated due to difficulties with cooperation, communication, health conditions, and social context, amongst others. The majority of dentists in France work within a public fee-per-item system. A new measure has been introduced providing a financial supplement to dentists for each episode of care for a patient with a severe disability. This supplement is justified by completion of the French Case Mix tool (FCM), a new measure designed to retrospectively identify episodes of dental care that have required adaptation and additional time or expertise. The aim of this study was to investigate the validity and psychometric properties of the FCM. The content validity of the tool was improved at each round of pilot development, involving 392 patient encounters. Test-retest data at 2 weeks for 12 fictional patient treatment episodes were collected from 51 dentists. This phase confirmed inter- and intra-dentist reproducibility, criterion validity, and interpretability. Retrospective analysis of 4814 treatment episodes nationally demonstrated high reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity. Overall, the FCM showed high validity and good psychometric properties. However, the impact of providing a financial supplement on improving access to care for persons with special needs has yet to be evaluated.

Using realist methods for intervention development to fill a methodological gap: A case study showing the development of an oral hygiene intervention for people with intellectual developmental disabilities.

BACKGROUND: Realist methods offer a novel approach to intervention design. Such novelty is needed for effective oral health promotion interventions with people with intellectual developmental disabilities (IDD) and their carers because existing interventions are poorly described and lack theoretical underpinning. In this study, the steps between inception and final intervention development are presented, with an aim to expand understanding of how realist theorizing can be used to develop interventions, and to demonstrate theory-driven intervention development in the field of oral health promotion. METHODS: In this intervention development study, the use of realist methods to develop an intervention aiming to improve the oral hygiene of people with IDD is presented. Realist theories (RTs) arising from a mixed synthesis were used to develop the Keep My Teeth intervention. The use of realist theory in intervention development was mapped across seven domains and 18 actions with emphasis on how theory informed key actions. RESULTS: Realist theories informed many but not all actions in the development process. Where gaps arose, this was augmented with other systems of intervention development, such as the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and Behaviour Change Technique (BCT) systems. The resulting intervention and underlying theory are presented using TiDieR criteria. CONCLUSIONS: It is demonstrated how realist methods could be integrated with substantive theory when developing an intervention. RTs enhanced the contextualization of the intervention that was developed but were insufficient in their own right to guide the development process from conception to intervention. This was overcome by augmenting with substantive theory, in this case, using the BCW and BCT behaviour change systems, to select and specify the behaviours that needed to change. In essence, the BCTs guided which techniques to select, while the RTs guided how to develop and intervene. Robust intervention development in the field of oral health promotion is also presented in this study.

Intersection of the iADH undergraduate curriculum in special care dentistry and the association of Canadian faculties of dentistry competencies framework.

AIMS: To map the International Association of Disability and Oral Health (iADH) curriculum to the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry (ACFD) competencies framework to develop a strategy for teaching special care dentistry (SCD) using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). To review the literature to identify educational methodologies that support teaching SCD competencies. METHODS: The 20 subdomains of the ACFD competencies framework were mapped to the 18 subdomains of the iADH competency matrix. A literature review of methods, techniques, or innovations used to teach SCD was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and the Sample, Phenomenon of Interest, Design, Evaluation, and Research Type (SPIDER) tool. RESULTS: The iADH curriculum was mapped to the ACFD competencies in the areas of patient care, professionalism, communication and collaboration, practice information management, and health promotion. A total of 176 articles from PubMed and 10 resources from MedEdPortal were identified in the literature search. Eleven articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The overall quantity and quality of studies was low. Experiential learning in either a dental school or hospital-based program seemed to improve knowledge of SCD and to incite greater willingness to treat patients requiring SCD. CONCLUSIONS: Case-based learning, computer-based modules, standardized patients, and clinical practice are educational strategies for teaching SCD competencies. The integration of SCD into the undergraduate dental curriculum seems feasible, as most required competencies are transferable to all dental disciplines. Furthermore, the ICF provides a functional model that is a patient-centered approach and is applicable to dentistry beyond SCD.

Measuring oral health-How can the International Classification of Functioning help?

There is a need for a theoretically informed, contextualized approach to measuring oral health from a multidisciplinary perspective that goes beyond the commonly used clinical indices and sociodental measures. This commentary aims to discuss the potential for the WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to provide a model for the development of indicators for oral health. It is suggested that the ICF might provide both a theoretical model and an operational classification for indicators of oral health. The ICF model states that human experience of physical, cognitive and social functioning is universal and, thus, can be described and qualified. Human function is given social and environmental context within the model at both an individual and population level. The ICF can not only capture data regarding oral health and function at the physiological level (e.g. chewing) but also at the social level (e.g. sharing meals). It is able not only to capture aspects of preventive behaviour (e.g. caring for teeth) but also aspects of social facilitation (e.g. economic self-sufficiency) or ability to fulfil a social role (e.g. remunerative employment). It also includes aspects of social environment, such as healthcare services or political, economic and legal systems. Case studies are given as examples of the potential use of the ICF in the oral health domain. Examples are also given of the first steps that have been made towards operationalization of the ICF in data collection and oral health research. The challenges of encompassing such a comprehensive model into a practical oral health measure are discussed.

The impact of COVID-19 on access to dental care for people with disabilities: a global survey during the COVID-19 first wave lockdown / El impacto del COVID-19 en el acceso a la atención dental de personas con discapacidad: Una encuesta mundial durante el confinamiento de la primera ola de COVID-19

Background: It is unclear what immediate impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on delivery of oral healthcareto people with disabilities worldwide. Aim: To report the international impact of COVID-19 lockdown on oralhealthcare provision for people with disabilities before, during and after the first lockdown (March to July 2020).Material and Methods: Cross-sectional online self-administered survey of dentists who treat people with dis-abilities completed 10th to 31st of July 2020. Responses allowed comparison from before, during and immediatelyafter the first wave lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were analysed using McNemar’s test to comparereported practice before to during lockdown, and before to after lockdown.Results: Four-hundred-thirty-six respondents from across global regions reported a significant reduction frombefore to during and from before to after lockdown regarding: the proportion of dentists treating people with alltypes of disability (p <0.001) and the number of patients with disabilities seen per week (p<0.0001). The pro-portion reporting no availability of any pharmacological supports rose from 22% pre-lockdown to 61% duringlockdown (p < 0.001) and a persistent 44% after lockdown (p < 0.001). An increase in teledentistry was observed.Conclusions: During the first COVID-19 lockdown, there was a significant negative impact on the delivery of den-tal care to people with disabilities. Oral healthcare access was significantly restricted for people with disabilitieswith access to sedation and general anaesthesia particularly affected. There is now an increased need to ensurethat no-one is left behind in new and existing services as they emerge post-pandemic.(AU)

Radiological Evaluation of Stainless Steel Crowns Placed on Permanent Teeth in Patients Treated under General Anaesthesia.

Evidence-based evaluations of dental treatment are needed to support the development of special care dentistry services. This retrospective study was designed to collect and analyse X-ray images of permanent teeth restored with stainless steel crowns (SSC) in patients treated under general anaesthesia. Between 2013 and 2019, 360 permanent molars were crowned with SSCs in 198 adult patients. One calibrated investigator used an original validated tool to evaluate four radiographic criteria for molars restored with SSCs: (i) marginal adaptation; (ii) interdental proximal contact; (iii) the presence of glass ionomer cement overflow; and (iv) the loss of alveolar bone. Overall, no defect or a minor defect was reported for the majority of SSCs for the criteria "Marginal adaptation" (62.5%, n = 320), "Proximal contact" (82.2%, n = 236) and "Cement overflow" (95.8%, n = 337). Alveolar bone resorption was reported in 8.3% of cases, n = 14, after a mean period of 8.9 ± 14.3 months. It was shown that the restoration of permanent teeth using SSCs placed under general anaesthesia presents a low risk of periodontal morbidity in the medium term when assessed radiographically.

The Impact of the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Providing Special Care Dentistry: A Survey for Dentists.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the experiences of special care dentistry providers worldwide. An online survey was administered from 10 to 31 July 2020. Age, sex, years of professional activity, COVID-19 status, geographical area of origin and length of lockdown period were recorded for all participating dentists. The relationships between these variables and the changes in clinical activity, the treated patients' COVID-19 status and the implementation of protective measures in the dental clinic were analyzed. A total of 436 (70.6% women) dentists from 59 countries responded to the survey. Clinical activity was reduced or stopped for 79.1% of respondents. The most common change was to limit treatment to urgent care only (53.7%). Treatment under general anesthesia or deep sedation was discontinued (51.0%) or reduced (35.8%) for the majority of respondents. Male dentists were more likely to maintain their clinical activity than female dentists (p < 0.001), and respondents from North America were more likely to do so than participants from other geographical regions (p < 0.001). Dentists from Latin America and the Caribbean were more likely to report treatment of confirmed cases of COVID-19 than those from Europe (p < 0.001). The implementation of protective measures in the dental office was determined by the survey participant's sex, intensity of clinical activity and geographical area of origin. To conclude, the provision of special care dentistry was considerably reduced in response to the pandemic. Service maintenance was mainly related to the geographical area in which the surveyed dentists worked, further exacerbating pre-existing inequalities.

Comparative optimism about infection and recovery from COVID-19; Implications for adherence with lockdown advice.

BACKGROUND: Comparative optimism, the belief that negative events are more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself, is well established in health risk research. It is unknown, however, whether comparative optimism also permeates people's health expectations and potentially behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVES: Data were collected through an international survey (N = 6485) exploring people's thoughts and psychosocial behaviours relating to COVID-19. This paper reports UK data on comparative optimism. In particular, we examine the belief that negative events surrounding risk and recovery from COVID-19 are perceived as more likely to happen to others rather than to oneself. METHODS: Using online snowball sampling through social media, anonymous UK survey data were collected from N = 645 adults during weeks 5-8 of the UK COVID-19 lockdown. The sample was normally distributed in terms of age and reflected the UK ethnic and disability profile. FINDINGS: Respondents demonstrated comparative optimism where they believed that as compared to others of the same age and gender, they were unlikely to experience a range of controllable (eg accidentally infect/ be infected) and uncontrollable (eg need hospitalization/ intensive care treatment if infected) COVID-19-related risks in the short term (P < .001). They were comparatively pessimistic (ie thinking they were more at risk than others for developing COVID-19-related infection or symptoms) when thinking about the next year. DISCUSSION: This is one of the first ever studies to report compelling comparative biases in UK adults' thinking about COVID-19.

Long-term Outcomes of Full Pulpotomy in Permanent Molars for Patients Treated in a Single, Short Session under Special Conditions.

INTRODUCTION: Endodontic procedures for patients requiring treatment in a single, short session need to be validated. This study aimed at evaluating the long-term outcome of full pulpotomy in permanent molars performed with reinforced zinc oxide-eugenol cement (Intermediate Restorative Material [IRM], Dentsply Sirona, Versailles, France) immediately restored using stainless steel crowns under general anesthesia. METHODS: The absence of clinical signs and symptoms and the evolution of the periapical index between the treatment date and the longest follow-up time were used to grade the pulpotomy outcome as "effective," "uncertain," or "ineffective." The impact of different criteria on the pulpotomy outcome was tested (ie, the etiology of the lesion, tooth maturity, endodontic difficulty related to the coronal shape and the root canal shape, and endodontic difficulty related to the radiographic root canal appearance). RESULTS: Among the 608 teeth (338 patients) treated in a single session with IRM full pulpotomy and stainless steel preformed crowns, 263 (143 patients) were evaluated after a median follow-up period of 24 months. Overall, 89% of the pulpotomies were effective, 7.6% were of uncertain outcome, and 3.4% were ineffective. No tested criteria influenced the rate of effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term outcomes of IRM pulpotomy are similar to those of calcium silicate-based cement pulpotomy observed in the literature. This procedure should not be restricted to patients treated under general anesthesia because it is relevant for all special conditions that impose the provision of endodontic treatment in a single, short session, such as dental care emergencies during humanitarian crises or pandemic periods.

Inequalities in treatment planning for children with intellectual disabilities: A questionnaire study of dentists in Europe.

BACKGROUND: Children with intellectual disabilities experience major inequality in the field of oral health, including a higher number of extracted teeth. The literature explains this difference in terms of higher levels of dental disease but does not mention the possibility of inequality in the treatment options offered these children. AIM: The aim is to investigate whether the same treatment options are offered by practitioners to children with and without intellectual disability in equivalent clinical circumstances. DESIGN: A scenario involving a clinical dental situation was developed, with one varying parameter: the patient described was a child with or without cerebral palsy. RESULTS: One hundred and thirty-nine dental specialists from France and Europe were recruited. A large number of practitioners (68%) chose the same treatment for both patients, but 32% declared modifying the dental treatment planning in the case of the child with cerebral palsy. The most frequently chosen treatment for the scenario of irreversible pulpitis for the child without disability was conservative endodontic treatment (73%) whereas the most frequently chosen treatment for the child with intellectual disability was tooth extraction (54%). DISCUSSION: These results are discussed in terms of beneficence, fear of restorative failure, lack of guidelines, practitioner experience and the implications for equity in healthcare.

High-viscosity glass-ionomer vs. composite resin restorations in persons with disability: Five-year follow-up of clinical trial.

The aim of this clinical trial was to compare the 5-year cumulative survival of atraumatic restorative treatment restorations using high-viscosity glass-ionomer restorations (ART/HVGIC) and conventional resin composite restorations (CRT) placed in patients with intellectual and/or physical disability. Patients referred for restorative care to a special care service in Córdoba, Argentina, were recruited. Patients and/or caregivers were provided with written and verbal information regarding treatment options and selected the alternative they preferred. The treatment protocols were ART (hand instruments/HVGIC) in the clinic or CRT (rotary instrumentation/resin composite) in the clinic or under general anaesthesia (GA). Two independent, trained and calibrated examiners evaluated restoration survival using established ART codes after 6, 12, 24, 36 and 60 months. The proportional hazard model with frailty corrections provided survival estimates. Jackknife errors were used to test 5-year results. Sixty-six patients (13.6 ± 7.8 years) with 16 different medical conditions participated. CRT in the clinic proved feasible for five patients (13%), and 14 patients received CRT under GA (21%). ART was provided for 47 patients (71.2%). A total number of 298 dentine carious lesions were restored in primary and permanent teeth (182 ART; 116 CRT). Four patients died between the 3 and 5-year follow up. Percentage survival and jackknife standard error were calculated and were significantly higher for all ART/HVGIC restorations (90.2% ± 2.6) than for all CRT restorations (82.8% ± 5.3), 5 years after placement (p=0.044). These 5-year follow-up results confirm that ART/HVGIC is an effective treatment protocol for patients with disability, equal to that of conventional resin composite restoration. The results of this clinical trial support the use of ART as an evidence-based treatment resource contributing to the reduction of inequalities in access to oral health care among people with disability.

Evaluation of a Care Coordination Initiative in Improving Access to Dental Care for Persons with Disability.

In French law, the state is responsible for ensuring equal access to health care for people with disabilities. No system exists within dentistry to guarantee this-there are no salaried public service workers, over 85% of dentists work in general practice, and hospital dentistry is poorly developed. Public funding is available for care coordination initiatives termed "Health Networks". The objective of this study is to report on an internal evaluation of the Réseau Santé Bucco-Dentaire et Handicap de la région Rhône-Alpes (RSBDH), a Health Network coordinating dentistry for persons with disability in the Rhône-Alpes region, and to discuss the French model of Health Networks as a response to improve access to care. Existing governmental guidelines for the evaluation of Networks were adapted for the RSBDH. The RSBDH coordinated dentists to ensure screening, prevention, and treatment for 3219 persons with disability in 2015. Identified strengths included the identification of vulnerable persons, improved access to treatment and collaboration with primary care services. Weaknesses included training of professionals, continuity of care, information sharing, and stakeholder participation. In 2015, the cost was €501 per patient. This model raises major issues of cost, training, equity, and quality of care within special care dentistry. This discussion is relevant to many countries where models of service provision are currently being developed.

Conservative and endodontic treatment performed under general anesthesia: A discussion of protocols and outcomes.

AIMS: This work discusses the procedures and outcomes of restorative and endodontic treatments performed under general anesthesia, with examples from the Unit of Special Care Dentistry at the University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand. METHODS AND RESULTS: The restorative and endodontic treatment techniques used in the Special Care Unit are described. These techniques are compared to existing reports in the literature of treatment procedures under general anesthesia. Little evidence was found in the literature regarding sealants or restorative protocols. A few studies described root canal treatment and pulpotomy protocols carried out under general anesthesia, and the results of these met academic outcome standards. CONCLUSION: Patients with equal needs should have equal access, equal quality of treatment and equal treatment outcomes, regardless of whether a facilitatory procedure is used to achieve treatment. The provision of restorative treatment under general anesthesia is essential to avoid an excessive number of extractions in patients unable to receive treatment in the chair. Restorative care provided under general anesthesia should be standardized and evaluated in the same way as treatment performed under local anesthesia. In this way, the provision of conservative dental care under general anesthesia could be promoted and the maintenance of a functional dentition encouraged.

Could a national oral health promotion program improve the oral hygiene of persons attending special care establishments in France? Evaluation of a pilot program.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an oral health promotion intervention implemented in special care establishments by dentists trained online. Twenty-six dentists intervening in 27 French special care establishments undertook a standardised oral health promotion intervention, including a conference presentation for care staff and hands-on toothbrushing workshops. Oral hygiene status of the residents was performed at baseline and at 6 months, and were compared using the McNemar test. Mixed logistic regression was performed to identify the factors associated with an improvement of dental plaque removal. The oral health intervention was completed by 890 residents: 445 children, 373 adults and 72 elderly adults. At baseline, dental plaque was observed for 79.8% of the 797 dentate residents. Among the 691 dentate residents included in the final analysis, dental plaque removal was improved for 34%. Improvement in dental plaque removal was recorded more often for the group of 13 to 20-year-old residents (OR = 1.97; 95% CI = 1.15-3.38). The results indicate that this programme failed to significantly improve the dental plaque removal of the residents. More research is needed to understand the limiting factors of such interventions.