Redox-tunable isoindigos for electrochemically mediated carbon capture.

Efficient CO2 separation technologies are essential for mitigating climate change. Compared to traditional thermochemical methods, electrochemically mediated carbon capture using redox-tunable sorbents emerges as a promising alternative due to its versatility and energy efficiency. However, the undesirable linear free-energy relationship between redox potential and CO2 binding affinity in existing chemistry makes it fundamentally challenging to optimise key sorbent properties independently via chemical modifications. Here, we demonstrate a design paradigm for electrochemically mediated carbon capture sorbents, which breaks the undesirable scaling relationship by leveraging intramolecular hydrogen bonding in isoindigo derivatives. The redox potentials of isoindigos can be anodically shifted by >350 mV to impart sorbents with high oxygen stability without compromising CO2 binding, culminating in a system with minimised parasitic reactions. With the synthetic space presented, our effort provides a generalisable strategy to finetune interactions between redox-active organic molecules and CO2, addressing a longstanding challenge in developing effective carbon capture methods driven by non-conventional stimuli.

The Occlusal Side Effects of Mandibular Advancement Device Therapy in Adult Sleep Apnea Patients: A Systematic Review.

Mandibular advancement devices (MADs) remain a popular non-invasive treatment modality for the management of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, the occlusal side effects from long-term therapy may result in poor patient compliance and patient drop-outs. Hence, knowledge of the possible side effects of these devices on occlusion is necessary. This article attempts to systematically review the evidence available in support of the possible long-term effects of mandibular advancement therapy on occlusion in adult sleep apnea patients. A detailed search was conducted for unpublished and published literature and their references in various electronic databases. A grey literature search was also performed. Studies until June 30, 2022, were selected. Randomized controlled trials, non-randomized trials, and cohort studies investigating the occlusal side effects of MADs for the treatment of snoring or OSA with a follow-up of at least four years were included. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were performed individually and in duplicate. The risk of bias was assessed by Cochrane tools for randomized and non-randomized studies. Fourteen studies were selected for the final qualitative analysis. The side effects reported were upper incisor retroclination, lower incisor proclination, decreased overjet and overbite, and change in the total occlusal contact area. The review concludes that long-term MAD therapy has statistically and clinically significant effects on occlusion.

Smokeless Tobacco Use and Its Association with Type 2 Diabetes: A Case Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a prevalent metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and insulin resistance. Its incidence is increasing globally, with a significant impact on public health. Smokeless tobacco (SLT) is a form of tobacco consumption that has been associated with various health risks, including potential effects on glucose homeostasis. This case-control study aimed to investigate the association between SLT use and T2DM. Additionally, the study aimed to assess the relationship of age, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), body mass index (BMI), family history of diabetes, physical activity, and periodontal status with T2DM participants. METHODS: The study was conducted over 24 months and included 82 T2DM cases and 164 non-diabetic controls. Demographic data, tobacco use, medical history, oral hygiene habits, BMI, and periodontal status were collected through a self-administered questionnaire and interviews. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows 26.0 (SPSS, Inc. Chicago, Illinois). RESULTS: The majority of T2DM cases were in the age group of 31-50 years, and there was a significant association between gender and T2DM, with more males being diabetic. There was no significant association between SES and diabetes. Obesity was found to be a significant risk factor for T2DM. Among SLT users, gutkha was the most commonly used product. SLT use was significantly associated with T2DM. Family history of diabetes and physical inactivity were also significantly associated with diabetes. CONCLUSION: The study suggests that SLT use is a risk factor for T2DM and may be associated with increased diabetes risk. Further research is warranted to understand the underlying mechanisms and potential interventions to reduce the impact of SLT on diabetes risk.

Electrifying Carbon Capture by Developing Nanomaterials at the Interface of Molecular and Process Engineering.

ConspectusCarbon capture is an indispensable step toward closing the anthropogenic carbon cycle. However, the large-scale implementation of conventional thermochemical carbon capture technologies is hindered by their low energy efficiency, limited sorbent stability, and complexity in infrastructure integration. A mechanistically different alternative, commonly known as electrochemically mediated carbon capture (EMCC), has garnered increasing research traction over the past few years and relies on electrochemical stimuli instead of thermal or pressure swings for the capture and release of carbon dioxide (CO2). Compared to conventional methods, EMCC can be operated under mild conditions driven by intermittent renewable energy sources and has a flexible design to meet the multiscale demands of carbon capture, offering a potentially sustainable, energy-efficient, and cost-effective solution to CO2 concentration from dilute mixtures or the ambient environment.Nanomaterials have played a crucial role in carbon capture research. For instance, nanoporous materials can provide increased free volumes, surface areas, and active sites for carbon capture through physical or chemical adsorption from the gaseous phase. In contrast, EMCC relies on chemical absorption via acid-base interactions using solubilized CO2 in electrolytes. Therefore, most EMCC sorbents and mediators explored so far have been developed as molecules rather than nanomaterials. In recent years, our team has been focusing on electrifying the carbon capture processes at the molecular, materials, and process levels. We seek to address the most pressing issues associated with EMCC, either in fixed-bed or flow systems, that prevent their practical use. These issues include parasitic reactions with molecular oxygen, insufficient electrode capacity utilization, sorbent crossover, etc. To address these problems, there is an urgent need to develop rationally designed nanomaterials at the interface of molecular electrochemistry and device engineering. This Account provides an overview of recent progress on developing new chemistries and engineering batch/continuous processes for EMCC. We discuss the limitations of current EMCC technology and emphasize why nanomaterials are critical for electrifying carbon capture. First, we introduce the design principles for EMCC sorbents based on redox-active organic CO2 carriers and discuss metrics for their performance evaluation. Second, we showcase how molecular design can tackle problems of sorbent solubility, oxygen stability, and electrolyte compatibility in EMCC. Third, we discuss the early results of nanomaterials as solid sorbents in fixed-bed systems, nonswelling membranes for flow systems, and high-surface-area gas-liquid contactors. Finally, building on the foundation we established through our prior work, we offer perspectives on future directions for nanomaterials to help address the challenges in EMCC.

Comparative evaluation of pain perception during conventional greater palatine injections versus the use of a novel barovibrotactile device - In vivo study.

Background: Pain control by means of local anesthesia is an intrinsic part of clinical practice in dentistry. It is an irony that the modality used for pain free procedure itself is a source of fear & anxiety to the patient. Several modifications have been made to the injecting devices, local anesthetic solutions and techniques to render their administration comfortably. The objective of this study was thus designed to evaluate and compare anxiety and pain perception during conventional greater palatine injections versus use of a novel barovibrotactile device named Accupal to give painless anesthesia. This device has an additional attachment which works on Vibra-pulse technology thus minimizing pain during injection technique. Materials and methods: A prospective, split mouth, open label, randomized, crossover clinical study was conducted on 50 patients coming to our institute whereby on one side Accupal was used during administration of local anesthesia. And on other side, traditional local anesthetic injection technique was used with one week of time interval. Results: A statistically significant difference was found as in the pain perception between the two techniques as per Visual Analogue Scale whereas no difference was seen in the anxiety levels as per the physiological parameters recorded by noninvasive blood pressure machine at various intervals. Conclusion: The use of Accupal has thus proved to show better pain control as compared to traditional injection techniques of local anesthesia.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of bacterial aerosols in dental clinical settings: Risk exposure towards dentist, auxiliary staff, and patients.

INTRODUCTION: Cross-infection or contamination are the major threats related to any medical profession. Microorganisms present in the dental clinic can cause cross-infection to the dentist, auxiliary staff and even towards the patients. AIMS: The study was conducted to assess the level of atmospheric microbial contamination and composition of aerosols before, during and after dental treatment procedures in four clinical settings. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The present study was conducted over a two-week period in a private dental college setting. An equal number of culture medium plates (blood agar) were placed 30 min prior to the initiation of work sessions in the selected area and 1 h after the working session began and after 2 h of cessation of the working period. After the collection of samples, the culture medium plates were incubated aerobically at 37°C in an incubator for 48 h. The number of colonies was expressed as colonies per media plate. After counting the colonies bacterial cell morphology was determined by a microscopic examination using a Reichert-Jung Series 150 light microscope. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Statistical analysis such as ANOVA test for mean values and post hock was done using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). RESULTS: It shows that colony count increased after the working session and which reduced by itself once the working session was concluded which was significant (P < 0.001). The highest increase in the mean colony count was found in the department of periodontology during the treatment sessions. In the blood agar plates, the S. epidermidis was found maximum 62%, micrococcus was 22%, diphtheroid was 10%, fungi 4% and the least S. aureus 2%. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that aerosols increase during and after work sessions and, therefore, increases the chance for infectious agent transmission in clinical settings.

Perception of undergraduates enrolled in health science courses from Asmara Eritrea towards Hepatitis B.

INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis B (HB) is one of the highly infectious and the most common cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. It is transmitted through blood and body fluids. Most healthcare related personnel are at very high susceptibility towards this infection from the infected patients. AIMS: To evaluate the knowledge and practice towards the hepatitis disease and its cross-infection among dental and medical undergraduate students for the first time ever from Eritrea. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: It is a cross-sectional survey conducted in the only institute offering undergraduate courses in the field of health sciences. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 115 medical and 50 dental undergraduate students from a health science institute situated in Asmara Eritrea filled the form and submitted for evaluation. The questionnaire consisted of the demographic variables such as college of study, year of course, age, gender, apart from questions regarding the knowledge, attitude, and practice towards hepatitis and its transfusion. All the data was transferred to excel and applied statistical test using SPSS software. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Chi-square test was to test the association between the knowledge and practice variable within the stream of study. RESULTS: The overall knowledge of the undergraduate students was found to be very high when assessed through this survey although practice scores were not satisfactory. When asked, "Do you think you can be affected by Hepatitis?", in regular practice 33 individual gave incorrect answers. CONCLUSION: There is no doubt that the overall knowledge of the undergraduate students is found to be very high but practice scores and awareness towards chances of cross-infection is poor which requires further sessions of education and practice-based courses to be planned for the students.

Polypropylene Carbonate-Based Adaptive Buffer Layer for Stable Interfaces of Solid Polymer Lithium Metal Batteries.

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) have the potential to enhance the safety and energy density of lithium batteries. However, poor interfacial contact between the lithium metal anode and SPE leads to high interfacial resistance and low specific capacity of the battery. In this work, we present a novel strategy to improve this solid-solid interface problem and maintain good interfacial contact during battery cycling by introducing an adaptive buffer layer (ABL) between the Li metal anode and SPE. The ABL consists of low molecular-weight polypropylene carbonate , poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), and lithium salt. Rheological experiments indicate that ABL is viscoelastic and that it flows with a higher viscosity compared to PEO-only SPE. ABL also has higher ionic conductivity than PEO-only SPE. In the presence of ABL, the interface resistance of the Li/ABL/SPE/LiFePO4 battery only increased 20% after 150 cycles, whereas that of the battery without ABL increased by 117%. In addition, because ABL makes a good solid-solid interface contact between the Li metal anode and SPE, the battery with ABL delivered an initial discharge specific capacity of >110 mA·h/g, which is nearly twice that of the battery without ABL, which is 60 mA·h/g. Moreover, ABL is able to maintain electrode-electrolyte interfacial contact during battery cycling, which stabilizes the battery Coulombic efficiency.

A 1-year appraisal of pit and fissure sealants following disinfection with and without chlorhexidine solution: An in vivo randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of chlorhexidine on the outcome of pit and fissure sealant (PFS) in permanent molars. METHODS: A double-blind randomized controlled trial using split-mouth design was conducted for a period of 1 year. The clinical trial registry was done in the Indian Council of Medical Research, and the clinical trial number obtained was CTRI/2016/08/007222. The age group of participants involved in the trial was 7-14 years. Maxillary or mandibular permanent molar which satisfies the criteria for application of PFS was included in the trial. Based on the eligibility criteria and considering the unknown observer/instrumentation errors, the sample size is 33 for each group. Simple randomization of treatment allocation was carried out using computer-generated random number for treatment assignment of the right molar tooth. The left molar received the alternative treatment. The outcomes of PFS were evaluated by a lone proficient assessor by means of the mouth mirrors and probes following the US public health service criteria. RESULTS: A 6-month evaluation for the PFS with and without chlorhexidine showed 77.27% and 89.39% retention, respectively. PFS without chlorhexidine suffered a greater loss of surface texture and marginal discoloration in comparison to PFS with chlorhexidine at 3-, 6-, and 12-month intervals, but it was statistically insignificant. CONCLUSION: The present study showed improvement in outcome of PFS when an additional step of chlorhexidine is added although the results were statistically nonsignificant.

Route of Drug Abuse and its Impact on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among Drug Addicts.

BACKGROUND: Various studies have tested quality of life (QOL) among drug addicts, however very few have reported any association between oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) and mode of drug administration among drug addicts. Hence, the present study was conducted aiming to evaluate the impact of mode of administration of drugs on OHRQOL among drug addicts. METHODS: Data was collected using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) method among 313 male drug addicts in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India, using self-administered questionnaires on oral hygiene aids and drug addiction history. OHRQOL was recorded using Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire. The chi-square test, t-test, and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for statistical analysis. FINDINGS: In this study, 56.2% of the drug addicts reported practicing oral hygiene aids. The main drugs abused were heroin, cocaine, and amphetamines as 51.4%, 35.1%, and 13.4%, respectively. Most of the drug addicts were employed (82.4%) and studied up to primary education (46.3%). The highest mean values of community periodontal index (CPI) and decayed, missing, filled surface (DMFS) were found among the cocaine addicts and amphetamine abusers with rates of 3.11 ± 0.98 and 6.69 ± 8.52, respectively. Poor OHRQOL was observed among addicts who consumed drugs in inhalation since a long time irrespective of the type of the drug, but among them heroin addicted subjects had the poorest OHRQOL. CONCLUSION: OHRQOL was poor among the drug addicts in comparison to general population. Preventive strategies on oral health and other health promotion programs for this vulnerable group can be unified.

OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF ADOLESCENT'S ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT NEEDS AND THEIR IMPACT ON SELF-ESTEEM. / AVALIAÇÃO OBJETIVA E SUBJETIVA DA NECESSIDADE DE TRATAMENTO ORTODÔNTICO DO ADOLESCENTE E SEU IMPACTO SOBRE A AUTOESTIMA.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the presence of association between objective and subjective evaluation of orthodontic treatment needs in adolescents and their impact on their self-esteem. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with adolescents aged 10-17 years old in Sri Ganganagar city, Rajasthan, India. The objective index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN) dental health component (DHC) and the subjective aesthetic component (AC) were used to determine the normative and the self-perception need for orthodontic treatment, respectively. The selected students were further examined for dental trauma, tooth loss, and dental caries. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was applied for self-esteem level determination. Linear regression analysis was executed to test the individual association of different independent clinical variables with self-esteem scores. RESULTS: Among 1,140 studied adolescents, the prevalence of dental normative orthodontic treatment need was in 56.9% of individuals, whereas 53.3% of individuals considered themselves as needy for the treatment. Multivariate analyses revealed that out of all dental disorders, DHC followed by AC of IOTN had maximum impact on the self-esteem of the adolescence. CONCLUSIONS: Dissatisfaction with dental appearance is a strong predictor for low self-esteem in adolescence.

OBJETIVO: Verificar a presença de associação entre a avaliação objetiva e subjetiva da necessidade de tratamento ortodôntico em adolescentes e seu impacto na autoestima. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com adolescentes de 10 a 17 anos da cidade de Sri Ganganagar, Rajastão, Índia. Foi utilizado o Índice de Ortodontia de Saúde Dental (IOTN) para avaliar de modo objetivo a necessidade de tratamento (DHC) e o componente estético desse índice (AC) para a avaliação subjetiva. Os estudantes selecionados foram também avaliados quanto a traumatismos dentários, perda dentária e cárie dentária. Aplicou-se a escala de autoestima de Rosenberg para determinar o nível de autoestima dos estudantes. Os dados foram analisados por regressão linear múltipla, testando a associação individual das diferentes variáveis clínicas independentemente da autoestima dos adolescentes, de acordo com o escore da escala de Rosenberg. RESULTADOS: Entre 1.140 adolescentes estudados, a prevalência da necessidade de tratamento ortodôntico avaliado de modo objetivo pelo IOTN-DHC ocorreu em 56,9% dos indivíduos. A avaliação subjetiva do adolescente (IOTN-AC) revelou prevalência de necessidade de tratamento de 53,3%. A análise multivariada mostrou que, além de todos os problemas dentários, o componente objetivo (IOTN-DHC), seguido do componente estético subjetivo (IOTN-AC), teve maior impacto na autoestima dos estudantes analisados. CONCLUSÕES: A insatisfação com a aparência dental é um forte preditor de baixa autoestima na adolescência.

Traumatic Dental Injuries Prevalence and their Impact on Self-esteem among Adolescents in India: A Comparative Study.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescents are mostly injured during sport activities, traffic accidents and some forms of violence which may lead to traumatic injuries. Traumatic injuries not only pose a health risk worldwide but are also regarded among serious social problems. Poor oral health has been related to poor social relationships that affect the ability to learn and grow which may lead to reduced self-esteem. AIM: This study was conducted to compare self-esteem of adolescents with and without anterior Traumatic Dental Injury (TDI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A population based comparative study was conducted among 10 to 17 years old adolescents from November 2014 to January 2016. The study sample comprised of 424 controls and 212 cases with 2:1 control-to-case ratio that were selected by four examiners along with a gold standard examiner. TDI was recorded using Ellis classification and self-esteem was recorded using Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). For comparing self-esteem of cases and controls according to RSES questions, t-test is used. Odds ratio (OR) was utilized to assess and compare the self-esteem according to high and low esteem in cases and controls. RESULTS: Ellis Class I, Ellis Class II and Ellis Class III fractures were observed in 53.3%, 33.49% and 13.20% of cases, respectively. The maxillary arch was the most affected (72.48%) and on the hierarchy of causes, this study found that on most occasions dental injuries were caused by sports (40.09%). The total mean score of RSES in cases (23.16) and in controls (24.43) was also statistically significant (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Improving oral health in schools may contribute considerably to increase the self-esteem of adolescents in a positive direction and help them in becoming socially competent adults.

Impact of Dental Disorders and its Influence on Self Esteem Levels among Adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: Self esteem is more of a psychological concept therefore, even the common dental disorders like dental trauma, tooth loss and untreated carious lesions may affect the self esteem thus influencing the quality of life. AIM: This study aims to assess the impact of dental disorders among the adolescents on their self esteem level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present cross-sectional study was conducted among 10 to 17 years adolescents. In order to obtain a representative sample, multistage sampling technique was used and sample was selected based on Probability Proportional to Enrolment size (PPE). Oral health assessment was carried out using WHO type III examination and self esteem was estimated using the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale score (RSES). The descriptive and inferential analysis of the data was done by using IBM SPSS software. Logistic and linear regression analysis was executed to test the individual association of different independent clinical variables with self esteem. RESULTS: Total sample of 1140 adolescents with mean age of 14.95 ±2.08 and RSES of 27.09 ±3.12 were considered. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was applied and best predictors in relation to RSES in the descending order were Dental Health Component (DHC), Aesthetic Component (AC), dental decay {(aesthetic zone), (masticatory zone)}, tooth loss {(aesthetic zone), (masticatory zone)} and anterior fracture of tooth. CONCLUSION: It was found that various dental disorders like malocclusion, anterior traumatic tooth, tooth loss and untreated decay causes a profound impact on aesthetics and psychosocial behaviour of adolescents, thus affecting their self esteem.

AVALIAÇÃO OBJETIVA E SUBJETIVA DA NECESSIDADE DE TRATAMENTO ORTODÔNTICO DO ADOLESCENTE E SEU IMPACTO SOBRE A AUTOESTIMA / OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE EVALUATION OF ADOLESCENT'S ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT NEEDS AND THEIR IMPACT ON SELF-ESTEEM

RESUMO Objetivo: Verificar a presença de associação entre a avaliação objetiva e subjetiva da necessidade de tratamento ortodôntico em adolescentes e seu impacto na autoestima. Métodos: Estudo transversal com adolescentes de 10 a 17 anos da cidade de Sri Ganganagar, Rajastão, Índia. Foi utilizado o Índice de Ortodontia de Saúde Dental (IOTN) para avaliar de modo objetivo a necessidade de tratamento (DHC) e o componente estético desse índice (AC) para a avaliação subjetiva. Os estudantes selecionados foram também avaliados quanto a traumatismos dentários, perda dentária e cárie dentária. Aplicou-se a escala de autoestima de Rosenberg para determinar o nível de autoestima dos estudantes. Os dados foram analisados por regressão linear múltipla, testando a associação individual das diferentes variáveis clínicas independentemente da autoestima dos adolescentes, de acordo com o escore da escala de Rosenberg. Resultados: Entre 1.140 adolescentes estudados, a prevalência da necessidade de tratamento ortodôntico avaliado de modo objetivo pelo IOTN-DHC ocorreu em 56,9% dos indivíduos. A avaliação subjetiva do adolescente (IOTN-AC) revelou prevalência de necessidade de tratamento de 53,3%. A análise multivariada mostrou que, além de todos os problemas dentários, o componente objetivo (IOTN-DHC), seguido do componente estético subjetivo (IOTN-AC), teve maior impacto na autoestima dos estudantes analisados. Conclusões: A insatisfação com a aparência dental é um forte preditor de baixa autoestima na adolescência.

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the presence of association between objective and subjective evaluation of orthodontic treatment needs in adolescents and their impact on their self-esteem. Methods: Cross-sectional study with adolescents aged 10-17 years old in Sri Ganganagar city, Rajasthan, India. The objective index of orthodontic treatment need (IOTN) dental health component (DHC) and the subjective aesthetic component (AC) were used to determine the normative and the self-perception need for orthodontic treatment, respectively. The selected students were further examined for dental trauma, tooth loss, and dental caries. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale was applied for self-esteem level determination. Linear regression analysis was executed to test the individual association of different independent clinical variables with self-esteem scores. Results: Among 1,140 studied adolescents, the prevalence of dental normative orthodontic treatment need was in 56.9% of individuals, whereas 53.3% of individuals considered themselves as needy for the treatment. Multivariate analyses revealed that out of all dental disorders, DHC followed by AC of IOTN had maximum impact on the self-esteem of the adolescence. Conclusions: Dissatisfaction with dental appearance is a strong predictor for low self-esteem in adolescence.

Impact of sociodemographic attributes and dental caries on quality of life of intellectual disabled children using ECOHIS.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of oral health outcomes on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) among intellectual disabled children and their families. METHODOLOGY: OHRQoL based study was conducted among 150 intellectual disabled children students in the North West part of the country, Rajasthan, India. Guardians were asked to complete questionnaire on socioeconomic status and the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) on their perception of the children's OHRQoL. Clinical assessment included dental caries and OHI-S INDEX. Univariate regression analysis was fitted to assess covariates for the prevalence of impacts on OHRQoL. RESULTS: 54% of the caregivers reported that their child had an impact on at least one ECOHIS item. Negative impacts were more prevalent on items related to difficulty in eating some foods, difficulty in pronouncing any words and missed preschool, day-care or school. The univariate Poisson regression analysis showed that dental caries was significantly associated with the outcome. The prevalence of any impact on OHRQoL was approximately 1.32 and 2.84 times higher for children with low and higher severity of dental caries respectively when compared with those who were free of caries. CONCLUSION: Patient-oriented outcomes like OHRQoL will enhance our understanding of the relationship between oral health and general health and demonstrate to clinical researchers and practitioners that improving the quality of patient's well-being go beyond simply treating dental disease and disorders.

The effect of sugar-free and sugar chewing gums on plaque deposition.

BACKGROUND: Chewing gum is a habit practiced regularly by a relatively high proportion of individuals in many countries including India, and its use has increased within the last decade. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of sugar-free and sugar chewing gums on plaque deposition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study is a double blind clinical trial involving 16 healthy volunteers (divided into 2 groups) in a 4-day plaque regrowth model. On day one, subjects received professional prophylaxis, suspended oral hygiene measures, and commenced chewing their allocated product. Gum chewing was one piece chewed for 30 minutes 3 times a day. On day 5, subjects were scored for plaque with the help of Silness and Loe Index. RESULTS: Results show sugar-free group have a lesser mean plaque score of 0.98 as compare to sugar group (1.23), though this difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The sugar-free gums can be used as an adjunct to mechanical oral hygiene measures.

Anti-gingivitis effects of Acacia arabica-containing toothpaste.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis properties of Acacia arabicacontaining toothpaste in an adult population. METHODS: Sixty subjects with gingivitis were randomly assigned to a test group (Acacia arabica-containing toothpaste) or control group (regular toothpaste). An analysis of plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI) and bleeding on probing index (BOP%) were carried out at baseline and after 28 days followed by a washout period. After the washout period, the test and control groups were crossed over and the assessments were repeated. RESULTS: Reductions in PI, GI and BOP% were observed in the test group compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: Brushing with Acacia arabica-containing toothpaste may help inhibit gingivitis. It can be recommended for daily oral hygiene procedures.

Assessment of Stress Level among Dental School Students: An Indian Outlook.

BACKGROUND: Evaluating the factors influence student perception, might allow programmatic changes designed to enhance students' psychosocial well-being and academic performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate perceived sources of stress on dental students and the role of parents in their career choice decisions. METHODS: In a cross-sectional design, a modified dental environmental stress questionnaire was administered to all dental students. The responses to the questionnaire were based on a four-point Lickert scale, not stressful to severely stressful. Means and standard deviations were determined for stress scores of individuals for each item and were used to compare the classes, genders, and choices. Student's t, one way ANOVA, and Newman Keuls multiple comparison post hoc tests were used to analysed the data at the significant level of P ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 304 undergraduate students constituted the study population. Of the respondent, 60% were men and 40% were women. The final year students presented with higher stress scores. In gender comparison, men suffered more stress (62.9%) than women (60.1%). According to the career choice decision, students forced by parents had more perception of stress (69.0%) and the students staying in the hostel (62.7%) showed more perception of stress than day scholars (56.3%). CONCLUSION: The study indicates that the congenial environment needs to be created for dental education and the parents also need to be counselled against forcing their children to join an educational programme i.e. not of their choice.

Knowledge, attitude and practice of dental caries and periodontal disease prevention among primary school teachers in Belgaum City, India

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice of dental caries and periodontal disease prevention among primary school teachers in Belgaum city and to identify teacher's level of knowledge of health Information and utilization of the services of the school teachers in promotion of dental health and prevention of dental diseases. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire based survey was conducted among 150 primary school teacher from 175 primary school of Belgaum city, Karnataka, India. The questionnaire comprised six questions on knowledge, six questions on practice, and three questions on attitude regarding dental caries and periodontal disease prevention. Each question was followed by four choices. Chi square test was applied by using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) software (version 11.0). Results: The female subjects had better knowledge and practices as compared to their male counterparts. Also the younger subjects had better knowledge and practices as compared to the older subjects. The teachers were more aware and they knew that tooth decay was due to chocolate and carbohydrate sticky food and also they knew the tooth loss in adults was due to decayed teeth and periodontal diseases. Conclusion: They had good knowledge and preventive attitude towards prevention of dental diseases but a few but important deficiencies in the of knowledge, attitude and practice about prevention of dental diseases have been identified for which recommendations are suggested.

Objetivo: Avaliar o conhecimento, atitudes e práticas frente à cárie dentária e prevenção da doença periodontal entre professores da escola primária na cidade Belgaum e identificar o nível de conhecimento desse profissional sobre as informações de saúde e utilização dos serviços da escola na promoção de saúde bucal e prevenção de doenças dentárias. Método: Um inquérito transversal utilizando como instrumento um questionário foi realizada entre os 150 professores do ensino básico de 175 escolas primárias da cidade Belgaum, Karnataka, na Índia. O questionário foi composto por seis questões sobre o conhecimento, seis perguntas sobre a prática, e três perguntas sobre a atitude em relação a cárie dentária e prevenção da doença periodontal. Cada pergunta continha quatro opções. O teste do Qui-quadrado foi aplicado usando o software SPSS (versão 11.0). Resultados: As professoras tinham um melhor conhecimento e práticas, em comparação com os professores. Também os sujeitos mais jovens tiveram um melhor conhecimento e práticas, em comparação com os indivíduos mais velhos. Os professores eram mais conscientes e sabiam que a cárie dentária devia-se à ingestão de chocolate e carboidratos de consistência pegajosa e também sabiam que a perda dentária em adultos devia-se a dentes cariados e doença periodontal. Conclusão: Os professores possuíam bom conhecimento e atitudes preventivas em relação à prevenção das doenças bucais, porém poucas mas importantes deficiências no domínio do conhecimento, atitude e prática sobre a prevenção de doenças dentárias foram identificadas sendo sugeridas recomendações.

Cárie Dentária em Pré-Escolares: um Estudo em Áreas Cobertas pela Estratégia Saúde da Família do Recife, PE, Brasil / Dental Caries in Preschoolers: A Study in Areas Assisted by the Family Health Strategy of the city of Recife, PE, Brazil

Objeti vo: Analisar o padrão de distribuição da cárie dentáriaem pré-escolares residentes em áreas assisti das pela EstratégiaSaúde da Família do Recife, Pernambuco, em dois distritossanitários e, estabelecer comparações.Método: Um inquérito epidemiológico de cárie dentária foiconduzido no ano de 2006 em 2020 crianças de 18-36 meses e5 anos de idade cadastradas nas unidades de saúde da famílianos Distritos Sanitários II e IV, Recife/PE. Uti lizou-se o índiceceo-d, segundo padronizações da Organização Mundial deSaúde e do Ministério da Saúde. A amostra foi probabilísti capor conglomerados (famílias) em um estágio. Calculou-sedistribuição de freqüência, testes de comparação de médias(t-Student e ANOVA), de proporções (Qui-quadrado) comnível de signifi cância de 5,0% e fatores de ponderação pararepresentati vidade da amostra. As análises foram produzidaspor distrito e microrregiões.Resultados: Nos dois Distritos as prevalências e médias ceo-dforam elevadas, sendo de 29,7% no total de crianças de 18-36meses e 63,8% aos 5 anos. Entre os Distritos o ceo-d variou de0,99 a 1,15 (18-36 meses) e 3,01 a 3,65 (5 anos). Contudo, asrazões de prevalência não apresentaram diferenças signifi cantesentre distritos e idades. Entre microrregiões, as diferençasna prevalência e severidade ocorreram apenas na idade de 5anos.Conclusão: Os indicadores de cárie uti lizados informama existência de nichos infanti s com piores situações desaúde bucal em áreas pobres de aparente homogeneidadesocioeconômica devendo-se assim reorientar as intervençõescoleti vas e individuais em áreas/microáreas, onde esses índicessão mais elevados...

Objecti ve: To analyze comparati vely the distributi on patt ernof dental caries in preschoolers living in areas assisted by theFamily Health Strategy of the city of Recife, PE, in two sanitarydistricts.Method: An epidemiological survey of dental caries wasconducted in 2006 in 2,020 children aged 18-36 months and5 years enrolled in the Family Health Centers of the SanitaryDistricts II and IV of the city of Recife, PE. The dmft index wasused as recommended by the World Health Organizati onand the Brazilian Ministry of Health. A probabilisti c sampleby conglomerates (families) was used in one stage. It wascalculated frequency distributi on, tests for comparison of themeans (Student’s t-test and ANOVA) and proporti ons (chisquare)with 5.0% signifi cance level, and ponderati on factorsfor sample representati veness. The analyses were produced bydistrict and by microregions.Results: In both districts, the prevalence and dmft means werehigh, being 29.7% among children aged 18-36 months and63.8% among those aged 5 years. Comparing the districts, thedmft ranged from 0.99 to 1.15 (18-36 months) and from 3.01to 3.65 (5 years). However, the prevalence rati os did not showsignifi cant diff erences between districts or ages. Comparing themicroregions, the diff erences in caries prevalence and severityoccurred only at the age of 5.Conclusion: The caries indicators used in this study revealedthe existence of niches of children with worse oral healthconditi ons in poor areas with apparent socioeconomichomogeneity, suggesti ng a reorientati on of collecti ve andindividual interventi ons in areas/microareas in which higherindices are observed...