Assessing the status of oral health integration in South East Asian Regional Office countries' Universal Health Coverage-A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Oral diseases affect close to 3.5 billion people worldwide and there has been a call by the World Health Organization (WHO) to integrate oral health into the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda. OBJECTIVES: To collate and synthesise information regarding the status of integration of oral health into the health systems covered by UHC across the 11 countries in the South East Asian Regional Office. METHODS: Drawing on the framework of the six building blocks of health systems as devised by WHO, we compared the public dental care coverage models, with a focus on outpatient dental care in these countries. We gathered this information from publicly available resources, databases and peer-reviewed publications to populate the template guided by the WHO Health System Building Blocks. RESULTS: We found a poor access to oral health care, lopsided distribution of manpower, rickety health information systems, and private sector domination and inadequate or absent financing mechanisms for outpatient procedures. The private sector was dominant in all countries except Thailand and Srilanka. Financing was absent in most countries and deficient in Thailand and Indonesia. Dental workforce was deficient in most countries except India, Srilanka, and Thailand. Health information systems were weak with no dental items under price control. Better UHC indicators did not guarantee a lower oral disease burden. CONCLUSIONS: Our review highlighted the close connection between service quality and human resources, governance, and finance. There is a need to establish standardised dental treatment guidelines that are uniformly adopted across countries, integrate oral health into national health and development programs, push for functional oral health research through collecting robust surveillance, economic, and social impact data and the development of cost-effective strategies tailored to each country's unique needs.

Assessment of usefulness and reliability of YouTube™ videos on denture care.

INTRODUCTION: The world's population is in a demographic transition with a rising ageing population. Tooth loss is frequent among older people resulting in the replacement of natural teeth using complete or partial dentures. YouTube™ is the second most popular website in the world and is being increasingly used to access health care information. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness and reliability of the information in YouTube™ videos regarding denture care. METHODS: The YouTube™ website was used to systematically search for videos using the keyword 'denture care'. Videos meeting the eligibility criteria were assessed separately by two independent researchers. The usefulness of the videos was assessed using the Global Quality Assessment Scale and a customized usefulness scoring scheme. Based on these scores, the usefulness of the videos was categorized as low, medium and high. A modified DISCERN tool (mDISCERN) was used for assessing reliability with scores ranging from 0 to 5. Other video characteristics like source/ownership of the videos, duration, views, likes, dislikes, number of days posted, like ratio, view ratio, interaction index and Video Power Index were also obtained. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman correlation test and multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 120 videos were included. Based on the usefulness score, the usefulness of 65.8% of videos were classified as low, 32.5% were medium and 1.6% had high usefulness. The mDISCERN score for 74.2% of videos was 2 or below 2 indicating that the majority of videos had low reliability. Video characteristics did not differ significantly according to the usefulness of videos. Videos uploaded by dentists or dental hygienists had significantly higher usefulness scores (p < 0.001) in comparison to videos uploaded by other sources. However, reliability scores did not differ based on the sources of the videos. Video reliability was found to have a significant (B = 2.08, p < 0.001) positive association with video usefulness. CONCLUSION: YouTube™ cannot be recommended as the only source of information for denture care as most videos received low usefulness and reliability ratings in our study. Dentists and dental health professionals could take an active part in enhancing denture care-related content on YouTube™ and enable patients to have adequate and reliable knowledge of denture hygiene practices.

Oral and Maxillofacial Injuries Associated With E-Cigarette Explosions: A Systematic Review and Management Guidelines Proposal.

PURPOSE: E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular devices used to consume nicotine in recent years. There is a growing body of evidence regarding the risk of spontaneous explosion of these devices causing burn and projectile injuries. The primary purpose of this review was to summarize all injuries to the oral and maxillofacial region secondary to explosion of e-cigarettes. The secondary purpose was to propose an initial management algorithm for such injuries based on the findings in the literature. This review also aims to test the hypothesis that e-cigarette explosive injuries to the oral region were associated with an increased risk of intubation and surgery and examine whether any other injury pattern was associated with an increased risk of intubation or surgery. METHODS: A cohort study based on identifying cases in the literature was conducted to summarize injuries to the oral and maxillofacial region and examine the associations between injury types and location and management. A literature search of the major biomedical databases was conducted in September 2022 using terms such as e-cigarette, explosion, blast, trauma, and burn, among others, which yielded 922 studies. Nonclinical studies, review articles, and studies without injuries to the facial region were excluded. Study subjects were recorded for demographics, device characteristics, injury mechanism, injury location, management, and complications. Chi-squared analysis was used to determine if the predictor variables of type of injury (burn or projectile) and its associated location (ocular, facial, or intraoral for burns and facial thirds for projectile) were associated with the outcomes of intubation and surgical management. The collected data were then used as a guide to propose an initial management algorithm for these injuries. RESULTS: Twenty eight studies, including 20 case reports and 8 case series met the inclusion criteria. A total of 32 explosions of e-cigarettes to 32 patients caused 105 recorded injuries to the facial region. Projectile injuries made up 73.3% (n = 77) of all facial injuries, while burn injuries made up of 26.7% (n = 28). There were 14 (43.8%) patients who suffered both projectile and burn injuries. Burn injuries mostly involved the face (64.3%, n = 18), oral cavity (25%, n = 7), and eye (10.7%, n = 7). The majority (81.8%, n = 63) of projectile injuries occurred in the lower facial third. There were 20 (62.5%) patients who suffered a bone or tooth fracture. Management of injuries involved surgery in 62.5% (n = 20) of patients, which included open reduction and internal fixation of fractures, dental extraction, bone and skin grafts, and ocular surgery. A complication rate of 44.4% (n = 8) was observed across studies that reported on follow-up. There was no statistically significant association between explosive injury to the oral region and intubation or surgical management. There was also no other statistically significant association between any other injury type and location with intubation or surgical management. CONCLUSIONS: E-cigarettes are at risk for spontaneous combustion that can cause serious oral and maxillofacial injuries, particularly to the lower facial third and commonly requiring surgical management. Safety of these devices should be improved through increased user education and regulation.

A meta-analysis to evaluate the prevalence of maxillofacial trauma caused by various etiologies among children and adolescents.

AIMS: Children and adolescents who are affected by trauma may have complications that are more serious and dangerous. Herein, a meta-analysis to evaluate the prevalence of maxillofacial trauma caused by various etiologies according to the geographic regions of the world among children and adolescents was conducted. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comprehensive search was performed in four databases of PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus from January 1, 2006 until July 7, 2021. To evaluate the quality of included articles, an adapted version of the Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used. The prevalence of maxillofacial trauma was estimated by event rates and 95% confidence intervals in relation to etiology and geographic region of study population. RESULTS: Through search in the databases and the electronic sources, 3071 records were identified, and 58 studies were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. A total of 264,433 maxillofacial trauma cases were reported by all included studies. Globally, the overall prevalence of maxillofacial trauma was highest due to Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) (33.8%) followed by falls (20.7%), violence (9.9%), and sports (8.1%) in children/adolescents. The highest prevalence of maxillofacial trauma were observed in African population (48.3%) while trauma due to falls was most prevalent in Asian population (44.1%). Maxillofacial trauma due to violence (27.6%) and sports (13.3%) were highest in North Americans. CONCLUSION: The findings demonstrate that RTC was the most prevalent etiology of maxillofacial trauma in the world. The prevalent causes of maxillofacial trauma differed between the regions of study population.

Legal age determined by a new threshold value of third molar maturity index in subjects with impacted mandibular third molars: An orthopantomographic study in south Indian adolescents.

Third molars are one of the few biological markers available for age estimation in juveniles, especially for the estimation of the 18-year-age threshold. Literature has indicated that impaction has an influence on the development of third molars, which could possibly result in age misclassifications. The present study is intended to identify an alternative cut-off value of the third molar maturity index (I3M) in impacted mandibular third molars and also to evaluate its applicability in estimating the major (≥ 18 years)/minor (< 18 years) status. A total of 1330 digital orthopantomograms (OPGs) of 665 male and 665 female south Indian adolescents aged from 15 to 22 years were collected and assessed. Eight hundred forty OPGs (63.1%) represented test sample, and 490 OPGs (36.9%) represented validation sample. I3M was measured for the total sample. Logistic regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, and Youden's index were used to test the performance of the method in the test sample. An alternative cut-off value of I3M < 0.17 was established for the highest value of the Youden's index of 0.598 for both sexes. When tested in validation sample, it has resulted in sensitivity and specificity values of 0.91 (95% CI; 0.86-0.95) and 0.90 (95% CI; 0.78-0.91) in males and 0.86 (95% CI; 0.80-0.92) and 0.90 (95% CI; 0.83-0.95) in females. In conclusion, cut-off value of I3M < 0.17 could accurately discriminate adults from minors with impacted mandibular third molars. However, more work is needed to be done among a more diverse sample to confirm these findings.

Health-related quality of life among oral and oropharyngeal cancer patients: An exploratory study.

OBJECTIVES: To comprehensively explore the effect of several sociodemographic-, patient- and tumour-related factors on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of oral and oropharyngeal cancer patients. METHODOLOGY: Patients diagnosed with oral and oropharyngeal cancers were included in the present cross-sectional study. Information pertaining to various sociodemographic-, patient- and tumour-related factors was recorded. HRQoL was assessed using standard 12-item Short Form Health Survey version 2 (SF12V2), and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) was assessed by Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP). RESULTS: A total of 108 patients participated in the present study. Results revealed that nodal metastasis, histological differentiation and pain were significant predictors of OHRQoL, while site, size, stage, histological differentiation and pain were significant predictors of HRQoL. Pain was the single most significant negative determinant of HRQoL that was associated with worst total OHIP (B = 2.01, ß = 0.45, p < .0001), physical (B = -0.88, ß = -0.21, p = .017) and mental (B = -1.00, ß = -0.22, p = .016) component summary scores. CONCLUSIONS: Number of sociodemographic-, patient- and tumour-related factors emerged as significant predictors of HRQoL and OHRQoL. Study results might help in formulating targeted treatment plan, optimising patient care and follow-up.

Poor implementation of tobacco control measures and lack of education influences the intention to quit tobacco: a structural equation modelling approach.

BACKGROUND: Tobacco consumption remains a public health issue and is one of the major causes of death in India. This study presents a validated conceptual model to assess the interaction between education, perceived application of tobacco control measures, type of tobacco and their effects on the intention to quit tobacco. Additionally, the direct and mediating roles of tobacco use -frequency, -duration, and -dependency on the intention to quit is also investigated. METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study was carried out, and data from tobacco users of six randomly selected states in India was collected via face-to-face interviews. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed using R v 3.6.3 to test the model fit and to explore the association between tobacco control measures and the intention to quit tobacco. RESULTS: From 1962 tobacco users, 43.7% wanted to quit tobacco immediately. Tambakoo (57.7%) was the most common type of tobacco used and 68.9% said that minors could buy tobacco. Findings from SEM showed that that one standard deviation (SD) increase in the perceived application of tobacco control measures is directly associated with a 0.181 SD increase in the intention to quit tobacco (B = 0.181, P < 0.001), and this effect was partially mediated by frequency of tobacco consumption (B = 0.06, P < 0.05). Also, a better education level was associated with a higher intention to quit tobacco (B = 0.14, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: To conclude, the application of tobacco control measures and a better education level may positively affect the intention to quit tobacco. The frequency of tobacco use and the number of influencers play an essential role in deciding to quit. In future, longitudinal studies are recommended to further substantiate the evidence.

Trueness assessment of additively manufactured maxillary complete denture bases produced at different orientations.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The trueness of the intaglio surface of an additively manufactured maxillary denture base may be influenced by the build orientation and the inclusion of support struts. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the trueness of a photopolymer additively manufactured maxillary complete denture base created at different orientations with different support strut designs. Optimizing the build is critical for adopting best practice when fabricating maxillary complete dentures through additive manufacturing techniques. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Denture bases (N=70) were additively manufactured at 5 different build orientations (0-, 15-, 45-, 60-, and 90-degrees) with 10 specimens per orientation. Another 2 groups of 10 were manufactured by using the optimal printing orientation with and without support struts. The denture bases were scanned after storage in artificial saliva at 37 °C, and the scan data were analyzed with a 3D metrology software program. Statistical differences were determined with 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Kruskal-Wallis test (α=.05). Color deviation heat maps were used to determine areas of clinically significant dimensional errors. RESULTS: Significant differences were found among groups for positive mean deviation (F=44.09, P<.001), negative mean deviation (F=11.69, P<.001), and root mean square deviation (F=17.11, P<.001) for the different orientations. One-way ANOVA revealed significant differences with the use of support struts in relation to negative mean deviation (F=3.857, P<.001) and RMSE (F=11.215, P<.001) and positive mean deviation (Kruskal-Wallis H=0.070, P=.007). The color deviation maps showed that a 45- to 90-degree print orientation was truest overall and that the addition of support struts to the cameo and intaglio surfaces improved the trueness of the maxillary denture bases. CONCLUSIONS: The build orientation and inclusion of support struts influenced the accuracy of the intaglio surface of additively manufactured maxillary denture bases. A 45- to 90-degree build orientation with support struts on the cameo and intaglio surfaces resulted in the truest denture base.

Child- and family-level factors associated with toothbrushing frequency in a sample of Australian children.

BACKGROUND: Identifying the factors that are conducive to good toothbrushing practices is fundamental for planning oral health promotion interventions. AIM: This study evaluated the relationships between child and family socio-demographic characteristics; children's behaviour during toothbrushing; family support for toothbrushing; parents' practices, attitudes and knowledge related to toothbrushing; general parenting practices; and children's behavioural problems, and children's toothbrushing frequency. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between February and May 2020 with parents of children aged 2-8 years, recruited through childcare centres throughout Australia. Parents completed self-administered surveys on child and family characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 606 parents completed the survey. Only half (52.5%) of the children of surveyed parents brushed their teeth twice or more/day. Children of university-educated parents [odds ratio (OR): 6.48; 95% confidence intervals (CIs): 1.21-34.71] and those concerned about their child's toothbrushing (OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.21-1.72) were more likely to brush twice or more/day. Where children were non-compliant during toothbrushing or parents reported using ineffective parenting strategies during toothbrushing, children were less likely to brush their teeth twice or more/day. Lack of concern of parent about toothbrushing was associated with brushing less than twice/day in children CONCLUSIONS: Measures of parenting and child behaviour that were specific to the toothbrushing context were associated with twice daily brushing while general measures of parenting and child behaviour were not correlated with twice daily brushing.

Clinical efficacy of a new cetylpyridinium chloride-hyaluronic acid-based mouthrinse compared to chlorhexidine and placebo mouthrinses-A 21-day randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of a novel cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC)-hyaluronic acid (HA)-based mouthrinse with chlorhexidine (CHX) and placebo mouthrinses in preventing plaque and gingivitis. The secondary outcomes were calculus, extrinsic stains, oral malodour and occurrence of adverse events. METHODS: A 21-day randomized, double-blind, three-arm parallel study with random allocation of young dental students to any of the three mouthrinse groups. Thorough prophylaxis was done at baseline followed by a baseline examination for oral malodour, extrinsic stains, calculus, gingivitis and plaque by a single examiner. All the subjects used the allocated mouthrinse twice daily for 21 days and were examined again at the end of the experimental period. They were also interviewed for adverse events. Change in the scores of clinical indices was calculated and compared between the groups. RESULTS: A total of 75 subjects were included and completed the experiment. There was a significant difference for change in plaque index scores between the groups (P = .015); subjects in the placebo group experienced higher levels of plaque accumulation than the other groups. Teeth staining increased in the CHX (P < .001) and placebo groups (P = .002), but not in CPC-HA users (P = .573). No significant differences were found between the three experimental groups for change in the gingival index (P = .08), calculus scores (P = .494), oral malodour (P = .870) and reporting of adverse events (P = .249). CONCLUSIONS: CPC-HA and CHX had similar effectiveness in preventing plaque accumulation, while no differences were observed between the mouthrinses for preventing gingivitis. Dental staining was caused by CHX and the placebo mouthrinses but not by CPC-HA mouthrinse.

Reliability and validity of Arabic Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (AREALD-30) in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the reliability and validity of Arabic Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (AREALD-30) in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A convenience sample of 200 subjects was approached, of which 177 agreed to participate giving a response rate of 88.5%. Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (REALD-99), was translated into Arabic to prepare the longer and shorter versions of Arabic Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (AREALD-99 and AREALD-30). Each participant was provided with AREALD-99 which also includes words from AREALD-30. A questionnaire containing socio-behavioral information and Arabic Oral Health Impact Profile (A-OHIP-14) was also administered. Reliability of the AREALD-30 was assessed by re-administering it to 20 subjects after two weeks. Convergent and predictive validity of AREALD-30 was evaluated by its correlations with AREALD-99 and self-perceived oral health status, dental visiting habits and A-OHIP-14 respectively. Discriminant validity was assessed in relation to the educational level while construct validity was evaluated by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). RESULTS: Reliability of AREALD-30 was excellent with intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.99. It exhibited good convergent and discriminant validity but poor predictive validity. CFA showed presence of two factors and infit mean-square statistics for AREALD-30 were all within the desired range of 0.50 - 2.0 in Rasch analysis. CONCLUSIONS: AREALD-30 showed excellent reliability, good convergent and concurrent validity, but failed to predict the differences between the subjects categorized based on their oral health outcomes.

Do dental anxiety and satisfaction with dental professionals modify the association between affordability and dental service use? A population-based longitudinal study of Australian adults.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the association between affordability in terms of difficulty paying dental bills in Australian dollars and dental service use in the presence of sociodemographic confounders, and to assess the role of dental anxiety and satisfaction with dental professionals as mediators. The second aim was to investigate how dental anxiety and satisfaction with dental professionals modify the association between affordability and use of dental services in Australian adults. METHODS: Longitudinal data from the Australian National Study of Adult Oral Health (2004-06 and 2017-18) was used. Poisson regression and path analysis were conducted to determine the association between affordability and frequency of use of dental services. Effect measure modification (EMM) analysis was performed by stratification of dental anxiety and satisfaction with dental professionals. RESULTS: The study included 1698 Australian adults and identified that the prevalence of low frequency of dental visits was 20% more for those who had difficulty paying dental bills. Adults with dental anxiety (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.14) and those who were dissatisfied with dental professionals (PR = 1.17) had a higher prevalence of low frequency of dental visits in the presence of difficulty paying dental bills. This indicated that dental anxiety and dissatisfaction with dental professionals were effect modifiers on this pathway. CONCLUSIONS: Adults who experience dental anxiety and dissatisfaction with dental professionals are more likely to avoid dental visits when faced with difficulty paying dental bills. However, it is important to note that these associations do not necessarily imply a causal relationship.

Theories, Models, Frameworks, Guidelines, and Recommendations for Trauma-Informed Oral Healthcare Services: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic life experiences (TLE) are common and can affect a person's physical being and health-related behaviors, including those related to oral health. This scoping review aimed to identify evidence exploring the implementation and provision of trauma-informed care (TIC) in oral health services delivery. METHODS: Arksey and O'Malley's framework with enhancements proposed by Levac et al. and Peters et al. was used. Studies were selected based on a preset inclusion and exclusion criteria and the population/concept/context framework. Primary charting of descriptive data was conducted, followed by thematic analysis to identify ideas common within the included literature. Searches were conducted in Medline (via Ovid), APA PsycINFO (via Ovid), Embase (Elsevier), Scopus, CINAHL (via EBSCO), and Cochrane databases. Google Scholar and ProQuest were used to identify grey literature. RESULTS: The search identified 251 records, with fifteen records meeting the inclusion criteria. Limited models, frameworks, and recommendations for trauma-informed practices in oral health services were identified. Recommendations for TIC practices were identified, and clinical practice adjustments for dental practitioners were described to improve service delivery for patients who may have experienced trauma. Avenues for future research were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Limited evidence exists to guide trauma-informed practice in oral health service delivery. This scoping review highlights the need for further research into approaches and practices of TIC for oral health services delivery to assess their efficacy and the need to develop evidence-based TIC frameworks to meet the unique needs of oral health service providers and populations.

Evaluation of Beta-Defensin 1 and Mannose-Binding Lectin 2 Polymorphisms in Children with Dental Caries Compared to Caries-Free Controls: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background and objective: Some variants in defensin beta 1 (DEFB1) and mannose-binding lectin 2 (MBL2) genes can be associated with oral diseases. Herein, we designed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association of DEFB1 (rs11362, rs1799946, and rs1800972) and MBL2 (rs7096206 and rs1800450) polymorphisms with the susceptibility to dental caries (DC) in children. Materials and methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in the PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases until 3 December 2022, without any restrictions. The odds ratio (OR), along with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of the effect sizes, are reported. Analyses including a subgroup analysis, a sensitivity analysis, and funnel plot analyses were conducted. Results: A total of 416 records were identified among the databases, and nine articles were entered into the meta-analysis. A significant relationship was found between the T allele of DEFB1 rs11362 polymorphism and DC susceptibility, and the T allele was related to an elevated risk of DC in children (OR = 1.225; 95%CI: 1.022, 1.469; p = 0.028; I2 = 0%). No other polymorphisms were associated with DC. All articles were of moderate quality. Egger's test in homozygous and dominant models demonstrated a significant publication bias for the association of DEFB1 rs1799946 polymorphism with DC risk. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that the T allele of DEFB1 rs11362 polymorphism had an elevated risk for DC in children. However, there were only few studies that evaluated this association.

Prevalence of Dental Anomalies and Its Role in Sex Estimation among Children of Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence of dental anomalies and their ability to estimate sex status. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This cross-sectional radiographic study was based on the evaluation of dental anomalies of Saudi children aged between 5 and 17 years. A total of 1940 orthopantomograms (OPG) were screened, of which 1442 were included. All the OPGs were digitally evaluated with ImageJ software. The demographic variables and dental anomaly findings were subjected to descriptive and comparative statistical analysis. Discriminant function analysis was conducted for sex estimation. p value < 0.05 was considered as significant. RESULTS: The mean age of the children in this study was 11.35 ± 0.28 years. At least one dental anomaly was detected in 161 children (11.17%), including 71 males and 90 females. Only 13 children (8.07%) presented with more than one anomaly. The most common dental anomaly detected was root dilaceration (47.83%) followed by hypodontia (31.68%). The least common dental anomaly was infraocclusion (1.86%). The sex prediction accuracy using discriminant function analysis was 62.9% (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of dental anomalies was 11.17% with root dilaceration and hypodontia being the most common. The role of dental anomalies in sex estimation was found to be ineffective.

Evaluation of the Expression Levels of miR-21-5p and miR-429 Genes in Biopsy Samples from Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: MicroRNAs (miRs) are a group of endogenous, non-coding, 18-24 nucleotide length single-strand RNAs that mediate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level through mRNA degradation or translational repression. They are involved in regulating diverse cellular biological processes such as cell cycle, differentiation, and apoptosis. The deregulation of miRs affects normal biological processes, leading to malignancies, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study evaluates the expression level of miR-21-5p and miR-429 genes in biopsy samples from patients with OSCC and performs a comparison with controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, tissue samples were obtained from 40 individuals (20 OSCC patients and 20 healthy controls) to determine miR-21-5p and miR-429 expression using the ΔCT method and analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: The mean age of subjects in the control and patient groups was 47.15 and 53.8 years, respectively. According to the Mann-Whitney test, significant differences were observed in miR-21-5p (p < 0.0001) and miR-429 (p = 0.0191) expression levels between the two groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The expression of miR-21-5p, miR-429, and combined miRNAs in the OSCC group was significantly higher compared to the control group. As a result, changes in the expression of these biomarkers in cancerous tissues could potentially be considered as a marker for the early diagnosis of OSCC.

Photodynamic therapy for oral potentially malignant disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) in the treatment of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMDs) patients. METHODOLOGY: An electronic search was conducted to retrieve articles published until September 2021. Meta-analyses were conducted for the outcomes of complete response (CR) and any response (AR) after treatment with PDT using data from single-arm studies, case series and non-randomised controlled trials (NRCTs). RESULTS: In total, 49 articles were included. RCTs revealed insignificant mean difference (MD) in efficacy index between PDT and comparison groups (MD: 1.32; 95% CI:-28.10-30.72, p=0.930). The likelihood of CR (OR:0.84; 95% CI: 0.42-1.71, p=0.637) or AR (OR:2.10; 95% CI: 0.31-14.25, p=0.448) was not different in PDT group when compared with any comparison treatments in NRCTs. CR/AR among single arm studies was 60.6% (95% CI: 50.5-70.7, P<0.001) and 93.7% (95% CI:91.5-95.8, P<0.001) respectively. Higher prevalence of CR and AR was observed for dysplasia or carcinoma insitu (CIS) (CR: 81%, 95% CI: 70.8-91.3, P<0.001; AR: 94.3%; 95% CI: 89-99.6, P<0.001) and actinic cheilitis (AC) (CR: 73.9%, 95% CI: 65.9-81.9, P<0.001; AR:97%; 95% CI:94.9-99, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the patients receiving PDT showed CR, with more than 90% responding to the treatment. PDT was most effective on oral dysplasias, followed by AC.

Online Parenting Intervention for Children's Eating and Mealtime Behaviors: Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity and overweight are significant health problems among Australian children. Parents play a vital role in establishing healthy eating behaviors in their children. However, parents often experience difficulties in implementing effective parenting practices and lack confidence in their ability to help children adopt these behaviors. This trial will evaluate the efficacy of an online program, Healthy Habits Triple P, in improving children's snacking and mealtime behaviors and related parenting practices. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This is a single-blinded, randomized controlled trial for parents of young Australian children aged 2-6 years. Participants will be recruited through childcare centers, social media, online parent forums and existing networks. The participants in the intervention arm will receive access to a web-based parenting intervention in addition to nutrition-related information for parents published by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia; those in the control arm will receive nutrition-related information only. After the completion of the study, the parenting intervention will be offered to the control arm. The primary outcome will be improvement in children's eating habits. The secondary outcomes include parents' self-efficacy, confidence, children's mealtime behaviors and mealtime parenting strategies. Both primary and secondary outcomes will be evaluated through online-administered, validated parent-reported questionnaires. We will also undertake a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the practicality and acceptability of the intervention.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of a novel mouth rinse containing hyaluronic acid and hydrogen peroxide on gingivitis: A randomized pilot controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of a mouth rinse with hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) and hyaluronic acid (HA) versus a placebo mouth rinse on gingivitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a 21-day, double blind, randomized, two-arm parallel allocation placebo-controlled trial of 50 study participants with a diagnosis of plaque-induced gingivitis. Patients were randomly allocated to the test group or the placebo group and were assessed at three time points over the course of the study by the same operator, at baseline (T0), 7 days (T1), and 21 days follow-up (T2). Primary outcomes of the trial were improvement in gingivitis and plaque accumulation. RESULTS: In both groups there was a decrease in gingival and plaque indices but the combination of the two actives (H2 O2 /HA) proved to be more effective against gingivitis (p = 0.001). Regarding plaque index, the differences between the test product and placebo were not statistically significant (p = 0.084). Besides, the new mouthwash was considered palatable, no adverse events were registered over the 21-day period. CONCLUSIONS: The H2 O2 + HA product was more effective in reducing gingivitis when compared to a placebo while no differences were observed for plaque accumulation.

The Role of Parenting Practices on the Parent Perceived Impact of Child Oral Health on Family Wellbeing.

BACKGROUND: Family characteristics and parenting practices could significantly influence child oral health and the impact of child oral health on family wellbeing. AIM: To determine the association between parenting practices and parent-perceived impact of children's oral health condition on family wellbeing. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1539 school children in India. Parents answered the short form of FIS (Family Impact Scale), and PCRQ (parent-child relationship questionnaire) to assess the impact of the child's oral health on family and parenting practices, respectively. Two factors emerged on factor analysis of PCRQ: 'Positive parenting' and 'Power assertive parenting'. The intra-oral examination was conducted for children to assess their dental caries experience and gingival health status. Unadjusted linear regression and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used to determine the influence of parenting practices on FIS. RESULTS: An increase in power assertion (B = 1.16) parenting was associated with increased FIS scores indicating a higher adverse impact of the child's oral health on family wellbeing when parents used more power assertive parenting practices. On the other hand, an increase in positive parenting (B = -1.27) was associated with decreased FIS scores, indicating a lesser impact of child's oral health on family wellbeing when parents used more positive parenting practices. CONCLUSIONS: Parenting practices were associated with parents' perceptions of the effect of children's oral health on family wellbeing.