Charting the Future of Oral Health: A Bibliometric Exploration of Quality-of-Life Research in Dentistry.

In recent decades, the focus of health research has shifted to the impact of disease or impairment on how people proceed, behave, and experience quality of life. People's lives are affected by oral diseases in various ways. Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is inextricably linked to general health and well-being, and it has far-reaching consequences for clinical practice and dentistry research. Particularly in Indonesia, increasing attention to OHRQoL is related to several concerning oral conditions, such as the extremely high number of cases of tooth decay and inflammation of dental supportive tissue that inexplicably lowers the population's OHRQoL. To date, there has yet to be a bibliometric study of OHRQoL research in Indonesia. We intend to map the existing scientific literature on OHRQoL research in Indonesia during the last five years and investigate its research gaps. Scopus and the Sinta Database (a national database through Google Scholar) were used to retrieve Indonesian OHRQoL research publications from 2018 to 2023. Bibliographic data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics 25.0 and VOS Viewer 1.6.19. The data demonstrate that the number of OHRQoL-related publications in Indonesia and the number of local writers have increased over time. More of these publications were published in prestigious national journals than foreign ones. The study found that local researchers tended to conduct OHRQoL research on children and older populations, raising the issue of tooth decay or tooth loss. Exploring other subjects, such as dental anxiety, patient satisfaction, chewing performance, aesthetics, and appearance, and other populations (people with oral cancer and other systemic conditions) could broaden the environment of OHRQoL research in Indonesia.

Oral Conditions as Risk Factors for Low Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Among the Elderly Population in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: Approximately 70% of the elderly population living in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, has a low oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). This study aimed to identify the risk factors for low OHRQoL in the elderly population of Yogyakarta. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Oral Hygiene Index Simplified (OHI-S), Community Periodontal Index, Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index, and the number of natural occluding pairs (NOP) were assessed for 153 participants aged ≥ 60 years. Xerostomia, hyposalivation, and OHRQoL were also examined using Xerostomia Inventory (XI), unstimulated spitting whole saliva collecting method, and Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) questionnaire, respectively. OHRQoL was categorized as low, moderate, and high. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Bivariate and multivariate tests were conducted to identify the risk factors for low OHRQoL. RESULTS: Initial analysis of characteristics of participants revealed that hyposalivation, xerostomia, periodontal pocket, high DMFT, NOP ≤ 5, poor OHI-S, and low OHRQoL were experienced by 40 (26.1%), 92 (60.1%), 39 (25.5%), 110 (71.9%), 112 (73.2%), 44 (28.8%), and 108 (70.6%) participants, respectively. Relative risk (RR) and p values for hyposalivation, xerostomia, periodontal pocket, high DMFT, NOP ≤5, and poor OHI-S were found to be at 1.573 (CI 0.681-3.637) and 0.225; 2.532 (CI 1.255-5.108) and 0.006; 0.846 (CI 0.391-1.830) and 0.606; 1.759 (CI 0.843-3.670) and 0.110; 1.133 (CI 0.522-2.461) and 0.008; and 2.723 (CI 1.293-5.734) and 0.632, respectively. Multivariate tests showed that xerostomia and NOP ≤5 had RR of 2.519 (CI 1.221-5.195) and 2.536 (CI 1.175-5.477), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, elders with xerostomia or NOP ≤ 5 had 2.5 times higher risk of having a low OHRQoL.

Expression of Cytokeratin 19 in the epithelial cell of Azo-exposed buccal mucosa.

Background: Azo is a synthetic dye used in batik industries. It can be toxic to the tissue when exposed via inhalation, swallowing, or direct contact. Expression of cytokeratin will change in hyperplastic and cancer of the oral mucosa. Expression of Cytokeratin 8, 18, 19 is strong in the epithelial cells that undergo excessive hyperproliferation and oral mucosal changes in leukoplakia and squamous stratification carcinoma. The present study was conducted to analyze the expression of Cytokeratin 19 in the epithelial cells of azoexposed buccal mucosa. Methods: A total of 30 males were divided into 2 groups of azo-exposed and controls equally. Criterion for azo-exposed participants was working at batik coloring division for at least 5 years, while the controls were the ones who were not exposed to azo dyes. Exfoliative cytology using cytobrush was the method of collecting buccal mucosal epithelial cells. Expression of Cytokeratin 19 was analyzed using Cytokeratin 19 monoclonal antibody and immunohistochemical staining. Data were analyzed using independent samples t test in SPSS 13.0 software. Results: There was a negative expression on the controls, while positive expression was observed in the exposed group. T test analysis showed significant differences (p<0.001) in the positive expression of the exposed group (97.600±2.063) compared to controls (3.133±1.641). Conclusion: Azo dye could increase the expression of Cytokeratin 19 on buccal mucosa epithelial cells.

Influence of residential characteristics on the association between the oral health status and BMI of older adults in Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the possible effects of residential characteristics on the association between oral hygiene and body mass index (BMI) of elderly people in Indonesia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 186 participants (87 males, 99 females) aged ≥60 years who were randomly recruited from 8 community health stations for the elderly people. Dentition status, oral hygiene index (OHI), probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were assessed in accordance with WHO guidelines. Salivary condition was assessed through the unstimulated whole saliva collection method. Education status and oral health behaviours were evaluated using a standardised questionnaire. BMI was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Participants were grouped in accordance with their OHI status (poor, moderate or good) combined with their residential characteristic (rural or urban) to assess the independent effect of OHI and residential characteristic on BMI through linear regression analysis with confounder adjustment. RESULTS: In the crude model of linear regression analysis, the poor OHI group is associated with low BMI regardless of their residential characteristic (rural/urban) when compared to the "good OHI, urban" group with P-values of .045 and <.01 and regression coefficients (ß) of -2.1 and -4.5, respectively. However, in the adjusted model, only the "poor OHI, rural" group showed a significant association with low BMI when compared to the "good OHI, urban" group (ß = -3.4; P < .01). CONCLUSION: Low BMI is significantly associated with poor OHI and rural residential characteristic among elderly people in Indonesia.

Relationship between clinical periodontal parameters and changes in liver enzymes levels over an 8-year period in an elderly Japanese population.

AIMS: An association between periodontal disease and liver enzymes has been reported previously. This study examined the relationship between clinical periodontal parameters and changes in liver enzymes levels in 265 non-institutionalized Japanese elderly aged 72 years over 8 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The number of sites with probing pocket depth (PPD) ≥ 6 mm and clinical attachment level (CAL) ≥ 6 mm were measured. Changes in liver enzymes (alanine transaminase [ALT] and aspartate transaminase [AST]) was grouped based on any elevation of concentrations. The relationship was determined by logistic regression with adjustment for confounders. Interaction test and stratified analysis were then performed according to smoking status and alcohol drinking habits, separately. RESULTS: Elevation in ALT, but not AST, was significantly associated with PPD (odds ratio [OR] = 1.10) and CAL (OR = 1.03). A significant interaction of periodontal parameters on ALT was observed with smoking status, but not with alcohol drinking habit. The stratified analysis suggested that ALT was found to be significantly correlated with PPD (OR = 1.20) and CAL (OR = 1.04) to those who were smoker. CONCLUSION: The elevation in ALT levels might be associated with clinical periodontal parameters among non-institutionalized Japanese elderly, and this association was modified by smoking status.