Early dental visit affects dental treatment in Korean preschool children born preterm: a nationwide population-based study.

This study investigated the effect of early dental visit on subsequent dental treatments in preterm infants and whether there was a significant difference in dental treatment between children born preterm and full-term (FT). National data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service in Korea were analyzed. Prescription codes related to dental treatments were collected. This study included 3,354,662 patients under age 6 years, who were categorized by gestational age: extremely preterm (EPT), very preterm (VPT), and late preterm (LPT). In the preterm group, the percentage of children with no dental visits was 63.87% although the preterm group visited the dentist earlier than the FT group (EPT = 2.84, VPT = 2.78, LPT = 2.52, FT = 3.9 years old). Glass ionomer and 1-visit pulpectomy were significantly higher in the preterm group than in the FT group (p < 0.001). Preschool children who had their first dental visit after age 2 years received any dental treatment earlier than those who visited the dentist before age 1 year (p < 0.001). Early dental visits in infants may delay the timing of dental treatments and reduce their severity, suggesting the importance of early dental screenings for efficient dental management in preterm infants.

Aptidão e conduta dos estudantes de odontologia sobre atendimento de pacientes com deficiência visual e auditiva / Aptitude and conduct of dental students on the care of patients with visual and hearing impairments

Avaliar a aptidão e conduta de estudantes de Odontologia sobre atendimento de pacientes com de deficiência visual e auditiva. Trata-se de um estudo observacional, do tipo transversal. A coleta de dados foi realizada a partir de um questionário estruturado e a amostra foi constituída por 88 estudantes do 5º, 7º e 9º período, matriculados em alguma disciplina clínica, do curso de Odontologia de uma instituição privada do estado de Pernambuco. Os dados coletados foram tabulados e analisados através de estatística descritiva e inferencial com um nível de significância de 5%. Menos da metade dos estudantes se sente aptos para atender pacientes com essas necessidades, independente do período avaliado. Uma pequena parcela tem algum tipo de contato social/familiar com deficientes visuais e auditivos, mas o fato de possuírem contato, não alterou significativamente a aptidão deste para realizar a consulta. Da mesma forma, possuir informação prévia sobre o tema não influenciou significativamente na aptidão dos estudantes durante o atendimento odontológico. A maioria dos estudantes não se sentem aptos e seguros ao atendimento de pacientes com deficiências visuais e auditivas e que o fato de possuir familiar e/ou parente com esse tipo de deficiência e ter recebido informação prévia sobre o tema não aumenta a segurança dos estudantes.

To evaluate the aptitude and conduct of dentistry students regarding the care of patients with visual and hearing impairments. This is an observational, cross-sectional study. Data collection was carried out using a structured questionnaire and the sample consisted of 88 students from the 5th, 7th and 9th period, enrolled in some clinical discipline, of the Dentistry course at a private institution in the state of Pernambuco. The collected data were tabulated and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with a significance level of 5%. Less than half of the students feel able to care for patients with these needs, regardless of the period evaluated. A small portion has some kind of social/family contact with the visually and hearing impaired, but the fact that they have contact did not significantly change their ability to carry out the consultation. Likewise, having prior information on the subject did not significantly influence the students' aptitude during dental care. Most students do not feel able and safe to care for patients with visual and hearing impairments and that the fact of having a family member and/or relative with this type of disability and having received prior information on the subject does not increase the safety of the students. students.

Minimum intervention oral care: staging and grading dental carious lesions in clinical practice.

Developmental staging of carious lesions is pivotal for appropriate ethical clinical decision-making in contemporary caries management. Accurate assessment of lesion extent/severity (staging) and activity (grading) allows practitioners to provide the most appropriate preventive advice and suitable interventions, enabling the implementation of evidence-based, person-focused, prevention-based, team-delivered and susceptibility-related phased minimum intervention oral care. Minimally invasive dentistry remains an important operative interventive option for cavitated lesions, but intervening at the right stage ensures patients are not started on an irreversible, destructive restorative cycle unnecessarily. This article provides an update on recommended practical methods for staging the extent/severity and grading the activity of dental carious lesions, especially for those clinical teams delivering primary care and needing to navigate remuneration systems.

Evaluation of dental emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Social Rehabilitation Centre of San Francisco Kobén (Campeche, Mexico).

INTRODUCTION: During the COVID-19 pandemic, access to dental treatment by persons deprived of their liberty (PPL) was affected due to dentist-patient proximity and the risk of generation of aerosols in dental procedures and treatments. The risks of infection for oral health personnel are considered high, mainly from cross-infection between patients. OBJECTIVES: Differentiate between a true and false dental consultation emergency during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak for a better and effective screening of inmates of the Social Rehabilitation Center (CERESO) of San Francisco Kobén (Campeche, Mexico). MATERIAL AND METHOD: An observational, cross-sectional, descriptive, and prospective study was designed for a sample of 100 inmates of the CERESO San Francisco Kobén, the data was collected in the prison's dental office, the participants signed a letter of informed consent to be voluntarily included in the study during the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. The questionnaire "Assessment of a true Dental Emergency" previously validated for the Mexican population was applied, the personnel was standardized and an intra- examiner and inter-examiner reliability of k = 0.98 was obtained. To prepare the database and the analysis of the information collected, the Statistical Package for Social Science v. 21 (SPSS v.21) was used. RESULTS: When evaluating emergencies at the dental clinic, 84% were determined according to the instrument as a false emergency and 16% were a true emergency. DISCUSSION: In the population of CERESO of San Francisco Kobén, the figures for medical-dental care show that inmates face a proportionally low dental morbidity-mortality.

Oral health care among children in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Oral health is crucial for caries prevention. Research reported variations in oral health practices among countries and individuals. Therefore, this study aims to examine and compare oral hygiene practices among children aged 3 to 11 years old across five areas of Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study includes healthy children aged 3 to 11 from five areas/regions of Saudi Arabia. A self-administered, validated parental questionnaire was constructed according to the WHO Oral Health Questionnaire for children, which inquires about the child's socio-demographic factors, oral health evaluation, and oral hygiene practice. RESULTS: Out of the 1516 parents who participated, 21.2% reported their children brushing twice a day. Regression analysis found that the first-born children and those who visited a dentist displayed a significantly higher adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for parents reporting that their child practices oral health care compared to only children (AOR: 2.837; P = 0.016) and to those who did not visit a dentist in the last 12 months (AOR: 2.989; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study highlights that only 21.2% of parents reported their children practicing excellent oral hygiene by brushing twice a day. This underscores the importance of early dental visits, customized interventions, and prevention programs that account for regional and demographic factors, such as birth order, to effectively promote oral health.

[Series: Sustainability. Making oral care more sustainable; where do we stand and where are we going? An overview of the situation in and around the Netherlands]. / Serie: Duurzaamheid. De verduurzaming in de mondzorg; waar staan we en waar gaan we heen?

With the Paris climate goals in prospect and the latest IPCC reports in mind, it is urgent and necessary that the healthcare sector also looks at how to limit global warming. Healthcare is a major producer of greenhouse gasses, air pollution and waste. In addition, it uses a lot of raw materials and energy. Both the World Health Organization, the World Dental Federation and national parties are trying to draw up an agenda based on goals to make the healthcare sector more sustainable. English research shows that the largest emissions in oral care are caused by travel, purchasing and use of materials and energy use in practice. Based on these topics, steps can be taken to become more sustainable. The e-book 'Sustainable oral healthcare practice' provides a good starting point for this.

A cross sectional study on levels of dental anxiety, its influencing factors, and the preferred management techniques among patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Dental anxiety is marked by intense and irrational fear of dental procedures affecting millions of individuals worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between dental anxiety, its influencing factors, and the preferred management techniques among adults seeking dental care in Riyadh. METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was carried out among 1734 patients who visited dental clinics in Riyadh. A self-administered questionnaire was developed and validated, comprising 28 closed-ended questions; it demonstrated good reliability and internal consistency (Cohen's kappa coefficient = 0.90, Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.86), it contained pre-validated Modified Dental Anxiety Scale to quantitatively assess the level of dental anxiety. Data analysis involved descriptive analysis, Chi-square test, Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Majority (59.2%) of participants reported moderate anxiety, while 10.9% experienced high anxiety which was significantly linked to factors such as fear of pain (37.8%) and anaesthetic needles (25.8%). Topical anaesthetic gel (64.5%), pre-treatment explanations (78.9%), and conducive clinic environment (79.4%) were perceived as effective anxiety alleviators. A negative correlation existed between dental anxiety and preferred management techniques. Dental anxiety had significant association between gender (ß = 0.910) and age (ß = 0.263). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that majority of participants had moderate dental anxiety, linked significantly to influencing factors like frequency and purpose of dental visits and past dental experiences. The study also found the preferred anxiety management methods among participants which included topical anaesthetic gel, pre-treatment explanations, and a comfortable clinic environment.

The Effect of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Other Emerging Infections on Dentistry.

The appearance of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other emerging infections has significantly impacted the field of dentistry, leading to widespread changes in practices and protocols. This has included the implementation of strict infection control measures, such as meticulous use of personal protective equipment, minimizing aerosol-generating procedures, and the adoption of teledentistry to reduce in-person contact. To date, the complete impact of delays in dental care caused by lockdowns has yet to be determined. The challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic have propelled innovation, shaping a new era of dentistry focused on safety against novel and re-emerging infections.

Sleep Disorders Affecting Prognosis of Dental Treatment.

This study provided an overview of the knowledge on the main sleep-related disorders and conditions affecting the prognosis of dental treatment: sleep bruxism (SB), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Current scientific evidence seems to suggest that these phenomena (ie, SB, OSA, GERD) belong to a circle of mutually relating sleep disorders and conditions where dental practitioners can play a key role in diagnosis and treatment.

Systemic Factors Affecting Pain Management in Dentistry.

There are several factors that affect a patient's experience of pain. These include both local and systemic factors. The systemic factors that affect patients' dental and orofacial pain experience include, but not limited to, hormonal, nutritional, systemic infections, neurodegenerative, and autoimmune, among others. Comprehensive medical history is essential to delineate any possible systemic factors affecting pain experience. A thorough review of systems should form the foundation, since multiple factors can affect the prognosis of pain management. This would facilitate early recognition and trigger prompt referrals to the appropriate medical professionals. This helps to reduce the health care burden.

Stress and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis: Effect on Prognosis of Dental Treatment.

Stress is a process that activates neuronal, metabolic, and neuroendocrine mechanisms. The individual's response may be determined by variables such as genetic factors, environmental conditions, sex, and age, among others. These responses are critical for survival, and the involvement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is necessary for adaptation, which through counter-regulatory mechanisms seeks to restore homeostasis. Dentists are aware that there are variations in people's response to treatment, and there are many patients in whom dental treatment generates an important source of stress, which in many cases leads to treatment avoidance behavior.

Psychological Factors Determining Prognosis of Dental Treatments.

Many psychological factors may have a significant bearing on an individual's oral health and success of dental treatments. Overall, these factors may result in the avoidance of dental visits, emergency-based dental appointments, noncompliant dental behavior, the utilization of multiple oral health care providers, and poor oral health. These factors may affect the quality of life of individuals and may lead to patient dissatisfaction, poor prognosis, and failure of dental treatment. Multiple psychological factors may affect the dentist and the patient. Those factors may alter the prognosis for successful dental treatment. Physician empathy is fundamental in developing long-term physician-patient trust.

Healthcare accessibility in the prison environment: oral health.

This article aims to assess the importance of caring for oral health among prisoners, as an often-overlooked aspect of general health well-being in prisons. The incidence of oral disease among prisoners compared to the general population is much higher due to many factors such as limited access to dental care, unhealthy lifestyles and overcrowded cells. The research review confirms the need to increase access to dental care and promote hygiene awareness among inmates. Differences between genders and the impact of the length of the sentence on oral health are also pointed out.

Barriers and Facilitators to Dental Care Services Utilization Among Children With Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review investigates barriers and enablers to dental care utilization by disabled children. Given the high global prevalence of disabilities in children, coupled with poor oral hygiene and a 45% rate of dental caries in this group, developing inclusive oral health strategies is critical. The review aims to synthesize literature on factors affecting oral healthcare improvement for disabled children, identifying barriers, facilitators and knowledge gaps. METHODS: The review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute's methods and reported according to PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search spanned multiple databases, considering perspectives from carers, parents, dentists and health professionals. The focus was on studies involving children up to age 17 with disabilities, as defined by WHO, using dental care services. Exclusions included non-qualitative studies, populations over 18 and nondisabled children. There were no restrictions on publication date or language. Thematic synthesis of the studies extracted themes related to barriers and enablers in oral healthcare for disabled children. RESULTS: Thematic synthesis identified five overarching themes: stigma, communication issues, professional development, oral health education and medical-dental collaboration. Facilitators included enhancing accessibility and availability of dental care through a holistic approach, improving dental care facility environments and ensuring skilled dental care providers. DISCUSSION: The review underscores the importance of interprofessional collaboration, improved parent/caregiver education and specialized dental facilities to support children with disabilities. It identifies key barriers and facilitators in dental care, including challenging stereotypes, improving communication between providers and parents, enhancing holistic training and addressing gaps in oral health education and integrated healthcare systems. CONCLUSION: Addressing the complex dynamics of dental care for disabled children is essential for developing inclusive and effective preventive and therapeutic strategies. This review highlights the need for tailored approaches and enhanced support systems to improve oral health outcomes in this vulnerable population. PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The members of the family support department, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Organization for Rare Disease and Disability who provided the disability voice and contributed to providing input to the review protocol.

National Trends in the Prevalence of Unmet Health Care and Dental Care Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Study in South Korea, 2009-2022.

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have investigated trends in unmet health care and dental care needs, most have focused on specific groups, such as patients with chronic conditions and older adults, and have been limited by smaller data sets. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the trends and relative risk factors for unmet health care and dental care needs, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these needs. METHODS: We assessed unmet health care and dental care needs from 2009 to 2022 using data from the Korea Community Health Survey (KCHS). Our analysis included responses from 2,750,212 individuals. Unmet health care or dental care needs were defined as instances of not receiving medical or dental services deemed necessary by experts or desired by patients. RESULTS: From 2009 to 2022, the study included 2,700,705 individuals (1,229,671 men, 45.53%; 673,780, 24.95%, aged 19-39 years). Unmet health care needs decreased before the COVID-19 pandemic; however, during the pandemic, there was a noticeable increase (ßdiff 0.10, 95% CI 0.09-0.11). Unmet dental care needs declined before the pandemic and continued to decrease during the pandemic (ßdiff 0.23, 95% CI 0.22-0.24). Overall, the prevalence of unmet dental care needs was significantly higher than that for unmet health care needs. While the prevalence of unmet health care needs generally decreased over time, the ß difference during the pandemic increased compared with prepandemic values. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to analyze national unmet health care and dental care needs in South Korea using nationally representative, long-term, and large-scale data from the KCHS. We found that while unmet health care needs decreased during COVID-19, the decline was slower compared with previous periods. This suggests a need for more targeted interventions to prevent unmet health care and dental care needs.

Dental anxiety and dental care - a comparison between Albania and Germany.

BACKGROUND: The present study is the first in Albania on dental fear and dental anxiety and also in the field of psychosocial medicine. The purpose of this study was to find out whether there are differences in dental anxiety using the Dental Anxiety Scale, their level of psychological distress using the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 and the evaluation of oral health among Albanian and German patients. METHODS: This study was conducted in the period from December 2019 to July 2020, a sample of N = 263 patients (133 Germans, 130 Albanians) using the Dental Anxiety Scale questionnaires to determine anxiety before dental treatment and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 to evaluate psychological distress. Moreover, the patients answered questions regarding their oral health and dental care. In Germany, there were four refusals to entrance in the study due to various reasons, in contrast to Albania, where there were no refusals at all For the purposes of this study, data on both populations aged 14 years and older were used. RESULTS: The questionnaires results were calculated for all participants. The current subjective health status of Albanian patients was assessed to be significantly worse than that of German patients (p < 0,000). Germans were more susceptible to signs of Anxiety (p < 0,000), Depression and Somatization and scored higher on the Dental Anxiety Scale and the Global Severity Index (p < 0,000) than Albanian patients. Additionally Albanian patients scored significantly lower on the preventive care index (p < 0,000). Despite an elevated DAS anxiety level, German patients reported going to the dentist more frequently than Albanian patients. CONCLUSION: The results showed that between both populations differences in dental anxiety, psychological distress and oral health exists. Patients from Germany report more psychological distress and described more dental anxiety compared to Albanian patients. Albanian patients reported not utilization on oral health care.The implementation of educational programs and preventive measures, would contribute to raising awareness about the importance of oral health and increased use of dental services.

Enhancing seniors' dental care access: Analyzing the impact of government insurance in Canada.

A crucial policy question for the government is whether publicly funded insurance programs effectively improve access to care. Using 2015 and 2018 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) data, we first estimated the effect of government dental insurance for seniors on promoting regular care access and lowering cost barrier. When controlling for individual heterogeneity, we found that having government coverage is associated with significantly lower probability of reporting avoidance of dental care due to cost compared to having no coverage. This effect is comparable with other types of insurance. However, the impact of the government program on regular access to dental care is modest. Secondly, using a portion of data collected in Alberta, we found that the government plan does not increase the overall coverage rate. Moreover, switching from an employer-based plan to government-provided coverage for seniors reduces the probability of regular access to care and increases the probability of experiencing cost barrier. This finding indicates that without expansion of overall coverage rate, the current government dental program may not be generous enough to offset the negative impact of leaving the employer-based plan.