The impact of oral health on the academic performance of disadvantaged children.

OBJECTIVES: We measured the impact of dental diseases on the academic performance of disadvantaged children by sociodemographic characteristics and access to care determinants METHODS: We performed clinical dental examinations on 1495 disadvantaged elementary and high school students from Los Angeles County public schools. We matched data with academic achievement and attendance data provided by the school district and linked these to the child's social determinants of oral health and the impact of oral health on the child's school and the parents' school or work absences. RESULTS: Students with toothaches were almost 4 times more likely to have a low grade point average. About 11% of students with inaccessible needed dental care missed school compared with 4% of those with access. Per 100 elementary and high school-aged children, 58 and 80 school hours, respectively, are missed annually. Parents averaged 2.5 absent days from work or school per year because of their children's dental problems. CONCLUSIONS: Oral health affects students' academic performance. Studies are needed that unbundle the clinical, socioeconomic, and cultural challenges associated with this epidemic of dental disease in children.

Oral health-related quality of life and perceived dental needs in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to investigate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) in the US population by sociodemographic factors, perception of dental needs, reported dental visits, and saliva indicators. METHODS: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2004 were used. NHANES measured OHRQOL by a modified version of the Oral Health Impact Profile. RESULTS: The study had 6,183 subjects who averaged an OHRQOL score of 2.8 points. About 40% had painful aching in the mouth during the last year on at least one occasion. Perceived need to relieve dental pain was the strongest risk factor for poor OHRQOL (resulting in a higher score by 5.2 points), followed by perceived need for a denture or feeling of dry mouth (each resulting in a higher score by about 2 points). CONCLUSIONS: OHRQOL is the poorest among those with perceived dental needs especially those with the perceived need to relieve dental pain.

The Children's Health and Maintenance Program (CHAMP): An innovative community outreach oral health promotion program: A randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: To describe CHAMP (Children's Oral Health Promotion Program) evaluating the impact of two motivational methods in increasing dental care access. METHODS: CHAMP is a multi-dimensional oral health promotion programme that recruited and screened underprivileged children/families from community sites in Los Angeles County between 2012 and 2018. A randomized clinical trial (RCT) enrolled children/families into one or more motivational interventions (intra-oral camera and/or social work consultation) designed to impact subsequent scheduling of dental appointments. RESULTS: CHAMP served 24 535 families. RCT had 418 families with 68.5% scheduling appointments by second follow-up (P < .001). Excluding children with scheduled appointments by first follow-up, children experiencing both interventions were 4.1 (95% CI 1.5-11.2) times more likely to schedule appointments by second follow-up than were the controls (P=<.01). When experiencing both interventions and had never previously been to the dentist, 68.3% scheduled dental appointments; this was significantly higher than the controls (46.7%) (P = .04). The best predictor for families to have scheduled appointments was a dental visit within the last six months [OR = 3.8 (95% CI 2.2-6.6), P < .001]. CONCLUSIONS: Outreach health promotion programmes are important and should consider utilizing various motivational techniques to encourage enrolment and treatment at dental homes.

Prevalence and impact of sleep disorders and sleep habits in the United States.

PURPOSE: Epidemiologic studies on sleep disorders in the USA have mostly focused on specific disorders in specific groups of individuals. Most studies on sleep habits and sleep-related difficulties have focused on children and adolescents. The authors describe the prevalence of the three common physician-diagnosed sleep disorders (insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome (RLS)) by age, gender, and race in the US population. In addition, the authors describe the sleep habits and sleep-related difficulties in carrying routine daily activities. The authors also investigate the impact of the sleep disorders on performing routine daily activities. METHODS: Data from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 6,139 individuals over the age of 16 was analyzed for sleep-related parameters. RESULTS: The prevalence was highest for sleep apnea (4.2%), followed by insomnia (1.2%) and RLS (0.4%). Hispanics and Whites reported longer sleep duration than Blacks by 24 to 30 min. The predominant sleep habits were snoring while sleeping (48%), feeling unrested during the day (26.5%), and not getting enough sleep (26%). Difficulty concentrating (25%) or remembering (18%) were the main sleep-related difficulties in our sample. Insomnia, sleep apnea, and RLS had the highest impact on concentration and memory. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the prevalence of sleep disorders in the USA is much lower than previously reported in the literature suggesting under diagnosis of sleep disorders by primary care physicians.

Mobile dental clinic: an oral health care delivery model for underserved migrant children.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the oral health status, access, and the role of mobile dental clinics in improving the oral health of migrant children. METHODS: Parents attending University of Southern California's Mobile Dental Clinics completed a questionnaire about their children's access to dental care. RESULTS: 54 percent of children were unable to access needed care, and prevalence of untreated decay was 87.4 percent. CONCLUSION: Dental needs are high among migrant children. Mobile clinics provide a safety net for them.

The oral health conditions of the homeless in downtown Los Angeles.

The aim of this study is to evaluate a community health project serving the homeless and to assess their oral health. Clinical charts of 1,088 patients were evaluated. The prevalence of untreated caries was 58 percent among adults with a mean of 6.3 decayed teeth. Homeless individuals are in great need of restorative, surgical, and periodontal dental procedures. Community health projects are important in assessing and improving the oral health of the underserved homeless population.

Interdisciplinary approach to oral health for persons with developmental disabilities.

The aim of this interdisciplinary study was to survey the oral health among persons with developmental disabilities (PDD), and to evaluate the impact of the routine referral process at a regional center in Los Angeles, California. This study evaluated the subjects' oral health, access to care, oral health behaviors, and adherence to referrals. The study recruited 102 subjects (74% were African American or Hispanic). Among them, 24% reported brushing their teeth less than once a day, and 68% had dental insurance. The prevalence of leukoplakia was 4% and the prevalence of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) clicking and pain were 11% and 9%, respectively. Their decayed, missing, filled (DMF) equaled 14 points with 7 missing teeth. The subjects' DMF index was poorer compared to the general population. The routine referral process was not effective in improving the subjects' access to dental care. More sophisticated referral systems need to be developed for this population.

The effect of an HIV/AIDS educational program on the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of dental professionals.

The Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center (PAETC) developed and tested over time a curriculum to meet the changed HIV/AIDS-related needs of dental health professionals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the HIV-related knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and behaviors among the participants of a CE training course based on this curriculum, both before and six weeks after the completion of the course. The project recruited 106 participants who were dental health professionals over a ten and a half year period (1992-2003). The dental participants consisted of 79 percent dentists and 21 percent dental hygienists or dental assistants. The sample was 67 percent male, 33 percent female, 45 percent Caucasian, and 24 percent Asian. An adapted questionnaire was used before and after the training to assess the educational needs of the participants and evaluate the success of the program in meeting those needs. Approximately 81 percent of the participants completed both questionnaires. After the course, the participants significantly changed their knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and behaviors (65 percent, 86 percent, 55 percent respectively, all at p=.0001). Overall, the educational program was successful in increasing and promoting the HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes/beliefs of the participants and enhancing their commitment to infection control and HIV risk screening behaviors.

Baseline characteristics of participants in the oral health component of the Women's Interagency HIV Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study described baseline sociodemographic and oral health characteristics of a subset of HIV sero-positive and sero-negative women who participated in the oral health component of the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS). METHODS: In 1995-96, 584 HIV sero-positive and 151 sero-negative women from five WIHS core sites were enrolled in the oral study. Data on oral mucosa, salivary glands, dentition and periodontium, along with demographics, socioeconomics, and behavioral characteristics, were used to characterize this population. RESULTS: Mean (SD) age was 37 (8) years for HIV sero-positive and 36 (8) years for sero-negative women; 27% of sero-positive women had CD4 counts < or =200 and 34% had viral loads >50,000 copies/ml. Sero-positive and sero-negative women were similar demographically, as well as on plaque index, gingival bleeding, linear gingival banding, and numbers of DMF teeth and surfaces, but sero-positive women had more abnormal gingival papilla (P = 0.004) and fewer teeth (P = 0.01). Among sero-positive women, those with <200 CD4 counts had more DMF teeth (P = 0.007), and the number of DMF surfaces increased with decreasing CD4 counts (P = 0.04). Sero-positive women who fit the Center for Disease Control (CDC) AIDS criteria were also more likely to have more DMF teeth (P = 0.004), DMF surfaces (P = 0.003), and decayed and/or filled (DF) root surfaces (P = 0.0002) compared to sero-positive women without AIDS. CONCLUSIONS: Dental and periodontal variables showed little difference between HIV sero-positive and sero-negative women. Among sero-positive women, there were significant differences in coronal and root caries by AIDS diagnostic criteria, but no periodontal indicators by either AIDS diagnostic criteria or CD4 status, were observed.

Prevalence of oral health problems in U.S. adults, NHANES 1999-2004: exploring differences by age, education, and race/ethnicity.

Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 1999-2004, the authors examined age patterns in oral health indicators by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status related to edentulism, presence of root caries, and periodontal disease. Our analysis included subjects who were non-Hispanic White, Mexican American, and African American over the age of 20, and who participated in the NHANES oral health examination. African Americans experienced more oral health problems at younger ages; as age increased, so did racial disparities in oral health problems. Lower educational attainment was strongly associated with more oral health problems at all ages. These results may indicate a faster progression of oral health problems with age among African Americans, thus suggesting that the "earlier aging" of members of racial/ethnic minorities which has been reported in prior research may also be found in oral health.

Dental students' attitudes toward underserved populations across four years of dental school.

The objective of this study was to assess dental students' attitudes toward underserved populations across their four years of dental school. Students at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California were invited to take part in the study. Participating students completed a questionnaire on their attitudes toward the underserved at three time points: 1) during orientation week; 2) at the end of their second year after taking part in some community dental programs; and 3) at the end of their fourth year after they had completed all their mandatory and volunteer rotations in community dental programs. Students' attitudes were measured in four categories: societal expectations, dentist/student responsibility, personal efficacy, and access to care. First-year students scored 85 out of a maximum of 115 on the questionnaire. Female students scored higher than male students (P=0.006). Age, debt, and past history of volunteer work were not related to first-year students' total attitude scores; however, students with a history of volunteer experience scored higher on the dentist/student responsibility category (P=0.04). Students' attitude scores declined across the four years of dental school (P=0.001). The same patterns were evident for all categories except societal expectations. The decline was not related to age, gender, debt, or volunteer work experience. Follow-up studies are needed to help explain the factors that may be related to this decline.

Impact of community-based oral health experiences on dental students' attitudes towards caring for the underserved.

Dental students' attitudes towards access to dental care for the underserved may be impacted by participation in community oral health promotion programs that target individuals in underserved communities. At the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, freshman dental students provide classroom oral health promotion and preventive dental care programs to underserved elementary school children. One hundred forty-four freshman dental students were surveyed three times during their freshman year-before, during, and after participation in these programs. The students' attitudes about societal expectations, health professionals' responsibility, access to care, and students' personal efficacy to positively impact the need for expanded oral health care services for segments of the population were measured. Students reported positive attitudes in all categories throughout the study period. The students' attitudes about societal expectations to care for the oral health of the underserved remained stable over the study period, but they became more uncertain of who should be responsible for fulfilling that obligation, who should receive that care, and their capability to provide this care while in dental school. These changes in attitude may reflect the students' greater understanding of the complexity of the determinants of oral health as a consequence of their community education experiences.

Parsimonious prediction model for the prevalence of dental visits.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze the prevalence of dental visits within the last year in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System or BRFSS (2003) national database by simple sociodemographic factors, and to predict prevalence in States that have not participated in BRFSS 2003. METHODS: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System is a cross-sectional telephone survey conducted by the state-level authorities in the United States and based on a standardized questionnaire to determine the distribution of risk behaviors and health practices among noninstitutionalized adults. A multivariable logistic regression model considers the complex sample design of the BRFSS was used to predict the prevalence of dental visits based on four nonclinic parsimonious variables. RESULTS: White race, high income (>or=$35 000), education above high school, and marital status were associated with an annual dental visit with odds ratios of 1.38, 2.09, 1.61, and 1.18, respectively. Utah had the highest percentage (78%) of estimated annual users, while 'Virgin Islands' had the lowest percentage (59%). The model's correct classification rate was 61.5%. CONCLUSIONS: State and local governments, health promotion organizations, insurance companies, and organizations that administer public health programs (such as Medicare and Medicaid in the U.S.) will benefit by applying this model to the available nonclinical databases, and will be able to improve planning of dental health services and required dental workforce.