Determining the Short-term Effects of Smoking Cessation Using Nicotine Gum on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life: A Pilot Study.

Background: Nowadays, the adverse effects of smoking on general, oral, and dental health are reported time and again worldwide. However, evidence to quantify the effects of tobacco smoking and smoking cessation on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and oral health-related quality of life (OHQoL) is inadequate. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess the effects of nicotine gum on HRQoL and OHQoL of cigarette smokers. Methods: This pilot study was conducted on 40 smokers, half of whom received nicotine gum. HRQoL and OHQoL were measured twice at the beginning of the study and after three months using standard versions of Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-5) questionnaires. T-test, Fischer's exact test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used to compare the participants' scores on the questionnaires. Findings: The mean age of the participants was 43.39±12.32 years. Using nicotine gum significantly increased the scores of general health (P=0.046) and physical functioning (P=0.021) domains of HRQoL in comparison with the cigarette smoking group. Moreover, using nicotine gum significantly increased the scores of the two questions about the reduced sense of taste (P<0.001) and difficulty doing usual jobs (P=0.071). Conclusion: Using nicotine gum was associated with the improvement of HRQoL and OHQoL to some extent. To better understand the relationship between smoking cessation and improved OHQoL, it is necessary to conduct further studies in this field.

Side effects and short effects of using three common mouthwashes on oral health and quality of life: A quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: Antiseptic mouthwashes are useful adjuncts to daily brushing and flossing for the control of dental plaque and gingivitis. The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of three mouthwashes: chlorhexidine, essential oils and cetylpyridinium chloride on oral health-related quality of life, gingival health, tongue coating and also to compare their potential side effects after 2-week consumption. METHODS: Sixty participants were enrolled in this study and were divided into four groups (three mouthwash groups plus no mouthwash group). At the beginning, scaling and cleaning were performed and the following parameters were recorded: oral health impact profile (OHIP-5) questionnaire, tongue coating index, modified gingival index, calculus surface index, modified Lobene stain index and a questionnaire for side effects. Each group has followed up in 2 weeks. Data were analysed using paired t-test, ANOVA, Fisher's exact test and Pearson chi-square. RESULTS: At the end of second week, all three mouthwashes significantly improved OHIP-5 score and reduced modified gingival index whereas essential oils and cetylpyridinium chloride significantly reduced tongue coating index when compared to control group (p < 0.05). The differences between four groups were significant for calculus formation, dental staining and reported burning sensation and changes of taste sensation and perception (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The use of all three mouthwashes has been effective in controlling and reducing gingivitis and tongue coating; however, it appeared that essential oils has the minimum and Chlorhexidine has the maximum side effects. Moreover, the use of all three mouthwashes has been examined to improve the quality of life. Overall, essential oils mouthwash has the best performance among these three mouthwashes.

Frequency tongue coating in patients referred to Kerman Dental School and its relationship with relative factors.

OBJECTIVE: There has been shown a relationship between "tongue coating" and "Simplified Oral Health Index, periodontal status, modified mallampati classification (MMC) of the oropharynx and oral malodor". The purpose of this study is to assess the frequency of tongue coating and relative factors (sex, age, smoking, systemic disease and oral health indices) among patients referred to Dental School of Kerman University. METHODS: In this cross sectional study 250 patients referred to dental school of Kerman university of medical sciences were examined. The data collection form was included demographic data (gender, age, history of systemic disease and smoking) and Oral health indices such as TCI (Tongue coating index), OHI-S (Simplified Oral Hygiene Index), MGI (Modified Gingival Index), MMC and lost teeth. The analysis have been done using SPSS21, T-test, Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis (significance level was set at less than 0.05). RESULTS: Tongue coating has been shown in 96% of patients with the mean percent of 45.83 ± 19.16%. Men had higher percent of TCI though it was not statistically significant. Smoking was the strongest determinant factor in people with higher TCI scores (P = 0.013). There was a positive significant correlation between OHI-S and TCI [(Pearson's coefficient(r) = 0.134, P = 0.034)]. CONCLUSION: TCI appears to be related to smoking and Simplified Oral Health Index. The evaluation of tongue coating is necessary to assess its impact on oral health status and also to motivate patients to clean their tongue as a part of their oral health care routine.

Solitary Plasmacytoma of the Mandible: A Case Report.

Plasmacytoma is an abnormal proliferation of monoclonal B-cells, and it can occur in several forms including multiple myeloma, solitary plasmacytoma of the bone, and extramedullary plasmacytoma primary. The solitary plasmacytoma of the bone accounts for about 3-10% of all plasma cell neoplasms, and occurs most often in the vertebrae, whereas the solitary plasmacytoma of the mandible is an extremely rare occurrence. This case report presents a 61-year-old woman with various underlying diseases diagnosed with solitary plasmacytoma of the mandible. This case is very well documented with radiographic imagery, clinical, and histopathological findings.

A Comparison of the Prevalence Rate of Oral Candida Colonization between Opium Users and Cigarette Smokers in Kerman, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Candidiasis is the most common opportunistic oral infection and smoking is considered as one of its well-known risk factors. However, it remains unknown whether opium users are susceptible to increased oral candida colonization. The aim of the present study is to compare the prevalence rate of oral candida colonization between opium users and cigarette smokers in Kerman, Iran. METHODS: This case-control study included 75 healthy male respondents divided into three groups (25 in each group): cigarette smokers, cigarette and opium users, and non-smokers as control group. The samples were obtained from oral mucosa by scraping the mucosa with a sterile cotton swab then inoculated into Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) and CHROMagar plates and also examined with the light microscope. FINDINGS: Candida was identified in 38.70% of respondents. The most frequently isolated species was Candida albicans (90.66%). The highest prevalence of candida carriage was found in cigarette smokers (52.00%). The difference of candida carriage between the two groups of cigarette smokers and cigarette plus opium users and the control group was statistically significant (P = 0.007 and P = 0.015, respectively). CONCLUSION: In the present study, it was revealed that the prevalence of oral candida carriage was significantly higher among cigarette and opium users in comparison to the non-users.

Evaluation of Self-medication for Management of Odontogenic Pain in Iranian Patients.

PURPOSE: Analgesics (painkillers) are one of the most widely used medications to reduce and control pain. The objective of this study was to investigate the self-medication with analgesics (narcotic or non-narcotic) in controlling odontogenic pain in patients visiting dental offices, dental clinics, and the dental school of Kerman. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a descriptive-analytic study, conducted in 2018. The study sample included patients referring to dental offices, dental clinics and the dental school of Kerman. After obtaining informed consent, a questionnaire consisting of demographic data and questions regarding the consumption of different types of analgesics for relieving and controlling odontogenic pain and their impact on patients was given by the researcher to the respondents. The patients were asked to complete and return the forms. The questionnaire consisted of three categories of questions, including demographic data, pain characteristics (severity, aggravating factors, relieving factors, etc) and the drug used to relieve the pain. Pain severity was measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Mann-Whitney and chi-squared tests were used for statistical analysis in SPSS. RESULTS: This study included 230 males and 351 females (male:female ratio = 0.66) in the age range of 18 to 71 years old (38.21 ± 7.45). 2.6% of respondents were illiterate and 11.3% of respondents were unemployed. The mean value of pain intensity was 6.21 ± 1.11 on a scale of 1 to 10. The types of drugs used for pain relief included 71.8% analgesics, 12.1% complementary medicines and 16.1% antibiotics. The most commonly used medication was NSAIDS, followed by acetaminophen codeine. In this study, the fourth most common medication consumed by patients as an analgesic was amoxicillin. Moreover, it showed that 44.3% (257 individuals) of study participants had used analgesics as self-medication to relieve odontogenic pain, of which 46.08% were males (N = 107) and 42.68% were females (N = 150). The gender of respondents, level of education, and occupation were significantly associated with the consumption of opioid drugs (p = 0.023, p = 0.041, p = 0.011, respectively). Consumption of opioid medications was not statistically significantly correlated with pain intensity (p = 0.115). CONCLUSION: The factors affecting the appropriate use of medications are social, economic, cultural, and flaws in the health-care system of a society. This study showed that the medications used to reduce pain included analgesics, traditional drugs, and antibiotics. The rate of self-medication was higher among men and among those having a higher level of education.

Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Oral Mucosal Conditions: A Qualitative Research

ABSTRACT Objective: To use qualitative research methods to evaluate the experiences of patients with chronic oral diseases. Material and Methods: Purposive sampling was used to recruit patients from the Oral Medicine Unit of Kerman University Dental School. An experienced independent facilitator convened the focus groups and conducted individual interviews in a non-clinical setting. Focus groups were mixed regarding their gender, age, chronic oral mucosal condition, time since diagnosis, and severity. A total of 39 patients participated in the study, including patients with oral lichen planus, pemphigus, recurrent aphthous stomatitis and leukoplakia. Results: Analysis of the interviews revealed that patient views could be divided into the following themes: biopsychosocial issues, treatment limitations and side effects, unpredictability of the conditions and the potential for malignant transformation. Chronic oral mucosal conditions affected patients' daily lives in various areas, from physical health and functioning to concerns about their future. Conclusion: The oral medicine practitioner's role in treating patients with chronic oral mucosal diseases extended beyond active management and symptomatic relief to the management of all aspects of these conditions that affected their daily lives.

Does Smoking Cessation Improve Oral Health-related Quality of Life? A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Smoking tobacco is a significant health problem for humankind. Cigarettes could affect people's life from socioeconomic and psychosomatic aspects. The oral cavity is the first orifice through which cigarette smoke enters the body. Thus, it is directly exposed to cigarettes and their harmful ingredients. This study aimed to determine the effects of smoking cessation on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). METHODS: The subjects in the present observational study consisted of individuals visiting a specialized smoking cessation clinic in Tehran, Iran, to give up their smoking habit. After documentation of the subjects' demographic data, the questionnaire [Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14)] was completed twice in three months (before giving up smoking and three months after initiating the program to quit smoking). Data analysis was performed using Sig. (2-tailed), paired t-test, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. FINDINGS: Thirty-one subjects (29 men, 2 women) participated in this study. The mean age of the subjects was 37.03 ± 11.30 years. Although OHRQoL scores were increasing as to some parameters, including food tastes, anxiety, and a feeling of shame in the subjects after giving up smoking, it was not statistically significant (P > 0.050). On the other hand, the relationship between the quality of life (QoL) (before and after stopping smoking) and age was significant (P = 0.001 before quitting and P = 0.050 after quitting). CONCLUSION: For a better understanding of the relationship between quitting smoking and an improvement in OHRQoL, it is necessary to perform more extensive studies in this field. The present study was a pilot study, which shed some light on the relationships between these parameters.

Quality of life in Iranian patients with head-and-neck cancer.

BACKGROUND: The goal of treating cancer patients is to cure the patients and improve their quality of life (QoL) during their illness. The aim of this research was to assess the QoL in Iranian patients with head-and-neck cancer by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Head and Neck 35 (EORTC QLQ-H&N35) and University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QoL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, Iranian variation of EORTC QLQ-H&N35 and UW-QoL questionnaires was administered to 210 patients with head-and-neck cancer. Patients who visited the Department of Oncology at Omid Hospital in Isfahan, Shafa Hospital in Kerman, and Emam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran were selected. Kruskal-Wallis test, general linear model multivariate of variance, multiple regression models, and SPSS version 21 were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: In the present research work, 210 patients with cancer in head and neck were under investigation, such that 128 patients (61%) were male and 82 patients (39%) were female. Only the patients with laryngeal cancer scored worse for dyspnea according to the scores from UW-QoL questionnaires. There were statistically significant differences for pain, swallowing, social eating, social contact, speech, taste/smell, and trismus based on the QLQ-H&N35. Lower QoL was observed in patients with advanced (Stage III + IV) tumors and treated with radiotherapy plus surgical method. CONCLUSION: The study showed that quality of life differs due to location of tumor, stage of cancer, and treatment type.

Validation of an Ultrashort Persian Version of Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-5) Questionnaire

Abstract Objective: To validate the ultrashort (5-item) Persian version of OHIP by investigating its psychometric properties. Material and Methods: Construct validity was assessed by examining the correlation between OHIP-5 scores and self-reported oral health status, judgment for dental treatment needs and the number of natural teeth. Reliability was calculated using Cronbach's alpha and corrected item-total correlation. Effect size (ES) and Standardized Response Mean (SRM) were calculated for the responsiveness of the scale and factor analysis was done by measuring Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO), Bartlett's sphericity test and scree plot. Results: In 430 subjects (mean age 41.56+/-11.35 years, 56% female) the correlations between OHIP-5 scores and mentioned items were significant (p<0.01) indicating sufficient construct validity. The reliability coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) of the OHIP-5 was above the recommended 0.7 thresholds (0.809) and considered well. For evaluation of responsiveness, the ES was measured to be 5.604 and the SRM was 1.5. Moreover, in the confirmatory factor analysis, the unidimensional model for OHIP5 approved by indices (KMO=0.81, p<0.001 for Bartlett sphericity). Conclusion: The Persian version of OHIP-5 is a precise, valid, reliable and unidimensional instrument for assessing oral health-related quality of life among the general adult population.

Patients Attitudes Toward Chairside Medical Screening in a Dental Setting

Abstract Objective: To assess patient's attitudes toward chairside medical screening in a dental setting. Material and Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, subjects referring to the dental school, dental offices, and clinics of Kerman were evaluated. Each subject filled a questionnaire containing demographic data, patient's attitude towards the performance of examination and the medical status of the subjects. The questionnaire consisted of seven main questions and the subjects were asked to rate them from very important (score 5) to not important at all (score 1). Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests and t-test were used. Friedman's nonparametric analysis of variance was used to compare response items within each question. Results: Screening for medical conditions by dentists was important for most of the participants, and it was important for them to be monitored for their medical condition by the dentists. The majority of patients had the will to be screened for each medical condition by the dentists. Male subjects stated skillfulness and professionality (88.4%) as the most important characteristics of the dentist and compassion as the least important one (56.2%). Female subjects stated knowledge of the dentists (96.3%) as the most essential characteristic and compassion as the least important one (85.8%). The will to undertake screening tests was higher in elder subjects. Conclusion: Dental patients have a positive attitude for medical conditions screening. Screening for medical conditions in a dental setting is a new approach, which might be an important contributor to disease control in the general population.

Can Internet Anxiety Affect Electronic Journals Usage? A Cross- Sectional Study with Iranian Postgraduate Dental Students

Objective: To investigate internet anxiety among the dentistry students at Kerman University of Medical Sciences and its relationship with electronic journals use. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all 72 postgraduate dental assistants at Dentistry School of Kerman University of Medical Sciences were considered. Internet anxiety questionnaire included demographic questions and questions measuring online journals use and the barriers of using. The data then analyzed using independent t-test and linear regression, with significance level set at 5%. Results: The use of printed books was reported by 78.2% of the sample while the use of electronic books was 45.8%. The use of atlas was 28.9%, while the use of indexes and abstracts was 57.2. The participants used online journals mostly for research (30.8%) and education (27.7%). The most important advantages of online journals were fast access (25.1%) and easy use (19.9%). To get informed about online journals contents, they mostly used search engines and online databases (79%). The most important criterion was indexing in Web of Science (20.8%). A significant relationship between Internet anxiety and academic year was detected (p<0.05) also increase in internet use significantly increased Internet anxiety (p=0.001). We suggested increasing the knowledge and skill of dental students with online resources toward decreasing the level of their Internet anxiety. Conclusion: A reverse relationship was observed between the academic year and internet anxiety, in other words, senior students were more anxious than the junior ones. This study did not ask about computer literacy, other studies have reported a negative relationship between computer literacy, Internet literacy and internet anxiety, so it is suggested to increase the knowledge and skill of students with computer, internet and online resources.

Pattern of Logical Drug Prescription Among Iranian General Dental Practitioners

Objective: To determine the prescribing patterns of the general dental practitioners in Kerman province in Iran. Material and Methods: In this cross sectional study 1200 prescriptions, which were prescribed by general dentists in Kerman province during one-year period, were evaluated. Each prescription was assessed for the number of drugs per prescription, drug (category, name, route of administration, frequency) and duration of treatment. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the absolute and relative frequencies, mean and standard deviation. The Chi-square test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-test were used. The statistical tests were performed at the significance level of 0.05. Results: The mean number of drugs per prescription was 2.59. Antibiotics, Analgesics, corticosteroids and antiseptics were the most common drug category prescribed drugs by general dentists. Oral route was the commonest route of drug prescription (84.1%). Amoxicillin capsule (60.5%) was the commonest drug prescribed by general practitioners followed by ibuprofen derivatives (55.4%). Spelling errors was found in 62.7% of prescriptions. The mean score of prescriptions for logical prescription pattern was 7.36 ± 1.32 out of 9. Conclusion: Dental prescribing patterns should be considered as a potential area for improvement in the treatment process and patient safety. It is suggested to emphasis more on principles of prescription at university and retraining courses for dentists.

Relationship Between Declarations of Conflict of Interests and Reporting Positive Outcomes in Iranian Dental Journals.

Conflict of interests is a situation when someone is in need of other people's trust on one the hand and has personal or general interests on the other hand, resulting in conflict with the given responsibility. In this research work, an attempt was made to find the relation between declarations of conflict of interests and reporting positive outcomes in the dental journals in Iran (2000-2016). In this analytical/cross-sectional study, first Health and Biomedical Information was searched and all the Persian and English dental journals published in Iran were collected. Then, all the papers published in the journals from December 2000 to December 2016 were collected and categorized in terms of the year of publication, author or authors' affiliations, Persian and English journal, type of the substance or the drug used (including the manufacturing company), declarations of conflict of interests and the positive or negative conclusion of the report. Data were analyzed with the Fisher's exact test and Chi squared test, using the program SPSS 18. In numerical analysis, the significance was set at P < 0.05. Seventeen dental journals in Persian and English were analyzed: 10 in English and 7 in Persian. Reviewing these studies showed that of 1021 articles in Persian, in 128 cases there was no mention of a declaration of conflict of interests and in 11 cases, the COI had been stated. In addition, from 1220 articles in English, in 825 cases there was no mention of declarations of conflict of interests and in 45 cases, the declarations of COI had been mentioned. There was no significant relation between the COI and 'no' COI and the reporting of positive outcomes in papers in Iranian dental journals in terms of the journal type, year of publication and the journals' guarantee form (P = 0.25, P = 0.41 and P = 0.09). A total of 83% of studies with declarations of COI had one positive outcome, with a significant relationship in this field; however, in 73% of studies with no COI, there was one positive outcome, too. In general, the society expects that doctors would not consider any incentives except the health of the patients in the efforts made by them. The severity of the consequences of COI is of higher value when the patients' health is endangered due to it. In addition, COI might change the attitude and approach of other doctors and peers.

Probability of Publication Bias in Published Articles Resulting from Dental Dissertations of Medical Sciences Universities in Iran

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the association of publication bias with obtaining positive or negative results in the Doctoral thesis of Iranian dental schools. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study firstly we collected all the abstracts of Doctoral and post-doctoral thesis belonging to electronic archives of five Iranian dental schools there after the analytic abstracts were included and in the second phase, we try to search resulting articles with searching in Google Scholar. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a Chi-squared test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, Fisher's exact test, and Logistic Regression Results: Out of 483 reviewed thesis abstracts 269 cases were included (55.7%) 153 of which were accessible as papers (56.9%). In 67.7% of the reviewed thesis, positive results were obtained. There were significant relationships between publishing and publishing in international journals with two variables: Study type and field (p<0.05). In vitro studies, clinical trials and studies in the field of oral diseases and periodontics had a higher rate of publication in the form of articles. Retrospective studies and those in the fields of endodontics and oral pathology had a higher rate of publication in journals with international indexes. Using regression logistic model showed that the probability of publishing positive data was greater (18-31%) than negative data. It was shown that the specialty field affected the relationship between the chance of publication of the article and the positive/negative results (p=0.008), increasing the chance of publication to 31% Conclusion: There was publication bias in reviewed dental articles.

Relationship between Two Panoramic Radiography Indices and Bone Mineral Density of Postmenopausal Women with Osteopenia and Osteoporosis.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Reduced bone mineral density (BMD) generally affects postmenopausal women and it is classified into moderate (osteopenia) and significant osteoporosis. Based on digital panoramic radiographs (DPRs), several quantitative and qualitative assessment methods have been proposed for the diagnosis and evaluation of bone changes and as a predictor of BMD. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare mandibular cortical width (MCW) and mandibular cortical index (MCI) derived from DPRs in evaluating the BMD in osteopenic and osteoporotic post-menopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, the BMD assessment was performed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Then, patients were divided into two groups: osteopenia and osteoporosis based on WHO criteria. Two types of T-scores including TT (trabecular) for lumbar spine, TC (cortical) for femoral neck and finally, MCW and MCI were measured based on DPRs. RESULTS: Fifty females with the average age of 57.64±6.03 years were entered into the study. MCW significantly correlated with BMD (p< 0.05). Pearson correlation coefficient test revealed that there was almost significant relationship between MCI and BMD (p= 0.079). The area under the curve (AUC) in ROC suggested that there was a close overlap between MCW (0.773) and TC (0.783), but TT had the greatest AUC (0.996). CONCLUSION: The results showed that MCW is an appropriate index of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women. Although the prediction of osteoporosis is poorer at the femoral neck than lumbar spine, MCW can serve as a screening tool for osteoporosis in this area.

Measurement of the levels anxiety, self-perception of preparation and expectations for success using an objective structured clinical examination, a written examination, and a preclinical preparation test in Kerman dental students.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Examinations have an important role in evaluating students' learning outcomes and their mastery of a subject. Passing or failing an examination can have far-reaching consequences for the students. Therefore, it is not surprising that international studies consistently show that dental students report examinations and grades among the highest ranking stressors in dental schools. PURPOSE: The aim of this research was to measure the levels of anxiety, self-perception of preparation and expectations for success using an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), a written examination and a preclinical preparation test, and to examine the effects of the three predictive variables on the outcomes of assessments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present research is a cross-sectional study. The population under consideration was students of Kerman Dental School in 2013. Examination anxiety was measured with Spielberger's state anxiety inventory. Preparation for the assessment (I am fully prepared = 4, I am prepared = 3, I'm not prepared = 2, I'm not fully prepared = 1) and expectation to succeed (I am quite successful = 4, I am successful = 3, I'm not successful = 2, I'm not quite successful = 1) were quantified with Likert scale. The questionnaire was completed during an OSCE, a written examination, a preclinical crown and bridge preparation test and a nonexamination situation. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 138 4th, 5th, and 6th year Kerman dental students (65 males and 73 females). The results showed that all the assessment methods induced a significant increase in state anxiety compared to baseline levels with the highest anxiety levels reported during an OSCE (62.4 ± 8.1, P = 0.04) and a written examination (48.8 ± 9.2, P = 0.04). The preparation levels in females were significantly higher than those in males in OSCE (P = 0.03) and written (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: State anxiety was high in all the three assessment methods. OSCE induced more anxiety than other assessment formats. However, anxiety was not predictive of performance outcomes in contrast to preparation and expectation to succeed, which were good predictors of the outcome scores. Also, this study showed that despite a better answer to the assessment of (I prepared myself well for the test), the students showed high levels of state anxiety.

Validation of a Persian Short-Form Version of a Standardised Questionnaire Assessing Oral Cancer Knowledge, Practice and Attitudes Among Dentists.

OBJECTIVES: Oral cancer is a global health problem; however, many dentists lack the necessary skills, knowledge and capacity to diagnose oral cancers early. This study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of a Persian short-form version of a standardised questionnaire to assess dentists' knowledge, practice and attitudes towards oral cancer. METHODS: This cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in May 2015 in Tehran, Iran. An original 39-item English-language questionnaire developed by Yellowitz et al. was translated into Persian using forward and backward translation methods. A total of 15 dental professionals were asked to assess the questionnaire for content validity. Based on their feedback, a 20-item short-form version was prepared, including six demographic, six knowledge, four attitude and four practice items. The translated short-form questionnaire was subsequently distributed to 973 general dental practitioners attending a dental conference in Tehran. Internal consistency and reliability were assessed with Cronbach's alpha coefficient and item-total correlation calculations. RESULTS: A total of 13 professionals and 313 general dentists participated in the study (response rates: 86.7% and 32.2%, respectively). After the elimination of six items (two knowledge, two attitude and two practice items), the validity and reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed. CONCLUSION: The final Persian 14-item version of the questionnaire had acceptable validity and internal consistency. These results indicate that researchers can use this translated short-form version to evaluate oral cancer knowledge, attitudes and practices among Persian-speaking dentists; this will allow for a comparison of data between different populations.

Knowledge and Use of Evidence-based Dentistry among Iranian Dentists.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and use of evidence-based dentistry (EBD) among Iranian dentists. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire among dentists attending the 52(nd) National Annual Congress of the Iranian Dental Association in Tehran in April 2012. The questions covered the participants' level of knowledge and use of EBD. RESULTS: The mean knowledge score of the 310 respondents was 3.66 ± 1.19 out of a maximum of 5. The majority of the dentists had little (56.1%) or no (20.7%) knowledge of EBD. The main reported barrier to the use of EBD was lack of time (44.1% of respondents) with 42.8% of dentists using the Internet less than one hour per week. CONCLUSION: EBD was not a familiar concept to these Iranian dentists; the majority of them preferred consultation with colleagues over seeking evidence from electronic databases.