bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GEO-MAPPING OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARIES RISK – AN APPROACH FOR RESOURCE ALLOCATION
Authors: Kshetrimayum N.
Published: February 2025

Aim: The distribution of dental caries in children within the population is uneven. So, convenient approaches to population-based monitoring are needed to allocate resources and establish evidence-based programs that meet the needs of those at risk. The aim of this pilot study was to introduce the geo-map concept in oral healthcare and to demonstrate the novel approach by analysing epidemiological data from preschool children in the Manipur, India.

Methods: This pilot study comprised of randomly selected 384 children aged 6 years and below visiting the outpatient department of the Dental College, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal, Manipur, India, between June and September 2015. The number of individual children with a dmfs/DMFS>0 (no obvious caries) was recorded and each child was geo-coded with respect to his/her residence district. A relative risk (RR) was calculated as the observed-to-expected ratio, where the expected number of individuals with dmfs/DMFS>0 was obtained from the age- and sex-specific caries (dmfs /DMFS>0) rates for the total study population. Caries risk geo- maps, along with corresponding statistical certainty geo-maps, were produced by using geo-mapping software. Ethical approval for the study was given by the ethics committee of the RIMS.

Results: The overall mean number of teeth with obvious caries was 5.6 (+ 2.4). The mean dmfs/DMFT by district ranged for 4.6 (+ 2.7) to 6.4 (+ 2.8). The relative risk by district varied from 0.24 to 2.09. The geomaps of preschool children displayed obvious geographical variations in caries risk. With increasing age, the difference seemed to reduce although the gross geographical risk pattern persisted with respect to the socio economic status.

Conclusion: Geo-maps based on caries risk may provide a novel option to allocate resources and tailor supportive and preventive measures within regions with sections of the population with relatively high caries rates.
ORAL HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG THE PARENTS OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN
Authors: Andruskiene J. , Barseviciene S.
Published: February 2025

Aim of the study was to assess the prevalence, frequency and severity of oral impacts on health-related quality of life among the parents of pre-school children in Klaipeda city, located on the Baltic Sea coast. Klaipeda is an untypical city, because it is a member of Healthy City Network, actively implementing different health promoting activities.

Methods: Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) self-administered questionnaire was used. The individual OIDP score was obtained when the sum of the eleven scores was divided by the possible maximum performance scores. Percent of persons affected, mean frequency, severity, individual OIDP scores and standard deviation were calculated. The study was approved by the local Bioethics Commission in Klaipeda State University of Applied Sciences. Only Lithuanian language speaking kindergartens were included, because the questionnaire was validated in Lithuanian language. So there were 35 in total Lithuanian speaking kindergartens, but only 23 of the participated, that was 65.7%. 12 kindergartens refused to participate in the survey. In total there were 42 kindergartens in Klaipeda. It was convenience sample, consisting of the 375 parents of pre-school children. Only one of the parents of each child participated in the survey. The parents have signed an agreement with the kindergartens, that they are giving a consent for their children to participate in the surveys.

Results: 327 (87.4%) of mothers and 330 (88.0%) of fathers were 25-44 years old. The highest prevalence of oral impacts was in the item Eating and enjoying food n=66 (17.6%), the lowest one in Performing light physical activity n=11 (2.9%). The greatest means of frequency of those affected were in Speaking and pronouncing clearly (3.0; SD 1.37) and Smiling and laughing (3.0; SD 1.44) items. The most severe effect was observed in Enjoying contact with people (3.08; SD 1.38).

Conclusions: The most prevalent (17.6%) reported impact was on Eating and enjoying food, nevertheless the impact was significant in physical, emotional and social dimensions.
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MOTHERS AND FATHERS ORAL HEALTH-RELATED AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE
Authors: Tolvanen M. , Lahti S. , Karlsson L. , Karlsson H.
Published: February 2025

Aim: To evaluate associations within the family between mothers and fathers quality of life (QoL) and oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) during pregnancy.

Methods: This study used data from the FinnBrain Cohort study. The Intermunicipal Hospital District of Southwest Finland has given an ethical clearance for the FinnBrain Cohort study in 14.6.2011. Recruitment took place at maternal welfare clinics in 2011–2015 in the South-Western Hospital District and the Åland Islands in Finland. Of those informed about the study, a total of 66% (3,808/5,790) mothers and 2,624 fathers decided to participate. The data for this study were collected at pregnancy week H34 when 2,609 mothers and 1,507 fathers returned the questionnaires. For this study, only those families in which both mother and father returned the questionnaires were included (n=1,468 mother-father pairs). OHRQoL was measured with the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire and QoL with the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQoL-8) questionnaire. OHIP-14 response alternatives to perceived oral impacts varied from 0=never to 4=very often, and severity score (sum of responses, scale 0–56, 0 being the best) was calculated. WHOQoL-8 response alternatives varied from 1=very poor to 5=very good. Associations between mothers’ and fathers’ WHOQoL-8 item scores and mean score and OHIP-14 severity score were studied using Spearman correlation coefficients.

Results: Overall, the participants had good OHRQoL, mean severity score being 1.62 among mothers and 2.07 among fathers. Correlation between mothers and fathers OHRQoL was very weak (r=0.087, p=0.001). Moderate correlations between parents were found in QoL total sum (r=0.318) and items “ability to perform daily activities” (r=0.377) and “satisfaction for living place” (r=0.306), and weak correlations in items “quality of life” (r=0.210), and “satisfaction for financial situation” (r=0.266) (p<0.001 for all).

Conclusion: Mothers and fathers show moderate associations on quality of life but weaker correlations on oral health related quality of life.

Supported by Finnish Academy, Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation and the Finnish Dental Society Apollonia.
LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN AND ACCESS TO DENTAL SERVICES AND ORAL HEALTH
Authors: Mcmahon A.D. , Macpherson L. , Wood R. , Elliott L. , Conway D.I.
Published: February 2025

Children that are “looked after” include those that are accommodated in foster, kinship and residential care placements, as well as those at home on compulsory supervision. They have poorer physical and mental health than their peers and there are concerns about the relatively high levels of untreated morbidity. Oral health and access to dental services among Looked After Children (LAC) has received limited attention to date. The objective of this study was to compare the oral health and access to dental services of children who are looked after by the state, with comparable children in the general population.

Methods: School and Social Work datasets were able to be linked using the Scottish Exchange of Data (ScotXed) Unit. This in turn was linked with health data making use of the Scottish national recordlinkage system provided by the NHS eDRIS team for the FARR Institute Scotland. All of the following datasets used in this study are complete national datasets for the time periods noted. School Pupil Census 2012: a census of children in local authority primary and secondary schools that provides each childs age, sex and socioeconomic status as measured by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD). The other datasets cover the period 2008-2012: LAC- all children with social work referrals for various types of placement; attendance at dentists; hospital discharge data for all episodes of tooth extraction; National Dental Inspection Programme (NDIP) data from Primary 1 and Primary 7 school years (dental decay). The LAC group were compared to their peers by logistic regression adjusted by age, sex and SIMD; using remote access to the National Safe Haven. Ethics and information governance approvals were obtained from the University of Glasgow Ethics Committee and the NHS National Services Scotland Privacy Advisory Committee.

Results: There were 633,204 subjects in the study group (10,927 LAC, 622,280 nonLAC). Ages ranged from four to 17 years (mean 12 LAC and 10 nonLAC); with n=5,815 (53%) male for LAC and n=316,719 (51%) nonLAC; and n=4,548 (42%) in the most deprived SIMD level for LAC and n=129,741 (21%) for non-LAC. The subjects in the LAC group were more likely to have dental decay at Primary 1, odds-ratio (OR) 2.65 (2.30, 3.05), and Primary 7, OR 1.79 (1.70, 1.92). LAC subjects were less likely to regularly attend a dentist, OR 0.55 (0.53, 0.58), and more likely to have teeth extracted, OR 1.91 (1.78, 2.04). All tests p<0.001.

Conclusions: Looked after children are more likely to have dental problems and less likely to access dental services than their peers, after adjustment for age, sex and socioeconomic status.
COMPARISON OF RESULTS USING ICDAS AND DMFS IN MOSCOW ADULTS
Authors: Urzov S. , Kuzmina I. , Abdusalamova B. , Pazdnikova N.
Published: February 2025

During the 3rd National Oral Health Survey in Russia, questions have been raised whether a more advanced method of caries detection (used in conjunction with the standard method) is more suitable and realistic in domestic conditions. The aim of this study was to compare differences in caries diagnosis results and measurement duration between DMFS and ICDAS.

Methods: Fifty volunteers aged 35-44 years old comprised a convenience sample in a pilot study and were examined by one dentist in Moscow. Evaluation of dental caries was performed using DMFS. Additionally, the mean number of non-cavitated caries lesions (codes 1-2) and cavitated (codes 3-6) were evaluated by ICDAS criteria. The mean scores of DMFS and ICDAS were compared using T-test. Measurement duration of both ICDAS and DMFS was recorded. Intra- examiner reliability was measured by Kappa. The study was approved by Ethical Committee of Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry.

Results: The mean number of decayed tooth surfaces (D-component of DMFS) was 3.35±0.71: occlusal surfaces– 1.96±0.52; smooth surfaces – 0.28±0.11; approximal surfaces – 1.11±0.27. During examination using ICDAS criteria, the mean number of carious tooth surfaces was 10.88±1.07, of which 6.88±0.77 (63.2%) were non-cavitated. Specifically, 2.60±0.34 non-cavitated lesions were detected on occlusal surfaces, 3.40±0.42 on smooth surfaces, and 0.88±0.18 on approximal surfaces. The mean number of cavitated lesions was 4.00±0.52 (yielding a non- significant difference of 16.3% compared with DMFS D-component 3.35±0.71, p>0.05). The number of decayed occlusal surfaces was 2.05±0.41, smooth surfaces – 0.36±0.13, and approximal surfaces – 1.59±0.42, showing a difference of 4.4% (1.96±0.52), 22.2% (0.28±0.11), and 30.2% (1.11±0.27), respectively, compared with the DMFS D-component, which was not significant (p>0.05). However, the difference between mean scores of DMFS and ICDAS was significant (3.35±0.71 versus 10.88±1.07, p<0.01); the same tendency was observed on occlusal, smooth and proximal surfaces (1.96±0.52 and 4.65±0.84, p<0.01; 0.28±0.11 and 3.76±0.72, p<0.001; 1.11±0.27 and 2.47±0.65, p<0.05). Intra-examiner reliability for caries diagnosis by ICDAS was good (Kappa=0.76). Measurement duration for DMFS and ICDAS was 4.5±0.7 and 12.3±3.4 minutes, correspondingly, but did not include time duration required for professional teeth cleaning before ICDAS diagnosis.

Conclusions: Evaluation of dental caries in adults is improved using ICDAS, compared to assessment by DMFS; however, a longer time commitment should be taken into consideration by researchers while planning objectives of epidemiological studies using ICDAS. Additionally, ICDAS is a suitable and realistic (additional) tool for dental research in Russia.
ORAL HEALTH STATUS AMONG ADULTS IN MAKHACHKALA IN 1999 AND 2015
Authors: Abdulakhova P. , Kuzmina E. , Lapatina A. , Kuznetsov P.
Published: February 2025

Previous studies such as the National Oral Heath Survey (1999) have indicated that the prevalence of oral diseases among adults in Dagestan Republic and its capital Makhachkala was high.

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal diseases among 35-44- year-olds living in Makhachkala over a 16-year period.

Methods: Fifty 35-44-year-olds living in Makhachkala were randomly selected and examined for oral health status in 2015. The individuals all gave informed consent and the study was approved by the Ethics Committee of th Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry. An oral health examination was performed by calibrated dentists according to WHO criteria (2013). Dental caries prevalence was scored using DMFT. Periodontal status was evaluated using CPI. All teeth present in the mouth were examined for absence or presence of gingival bleeding, dental calculus and periodontal pockets. The prevalence of dental caries and periodontal diseases were compared to results from the year 1999. The survey was cross-sectional. The t-test was used to compare differences in mean scores. Results: The prevalence of caries was 100% in 1999 and 98% in 2015. Mean DMFT values decreased from 14.9±0.98 in 1999 to 12.1±0.84 in 2015 (p<0.05). The mean number of decayed teeth decreased from 6.73±0.66 in 1999 to 4.80±0.57 in 2015 (p<0.05); an even more significant decrease was observed in mean numbers of missing teeth from 4.81±0.45 in 1999 to 2.56±0.28 in 2015 (p<0.001). The mean number of filled teeth increased from 3.35±0.44 to 4.74±0.50 (p<0.05). The prevalence of periodontal diseases CPI score > 1 was 100% in 1999 and 98% in 2015. The number of adults with gingival bleeding (CPI = 1) and dental calculus (CPI = 2) increased over a 16-year period from 4% to 30% and from 52% to 58%, respectively. At the same time, prevalence of periodontal pockets (CPI = 3 or 4) decreased from 44% in 1999 to 12% in 2015. The number of sextants with CPI scores > 1 decreased from 5.61±0.53 in 1999 to 4.68±0.42 in 2015 (p>0.05).

Conclusions: Results of the study showed a significant decrease in dental caries and periodontal diseases prevalence among a group of 50, 35-44- year-olds in Makhachkala from 1999 to 2015. The analysis of data can be used as a baseline for planning strategy of oral diseases prevention for adults in this region as well as serving as a database for further monitoring of oral health status in this region.
DENTAL TREATMENTS REDUCE RISK FOR DEVELOPING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES IN HYPERLIPIDAEMIC PATIENTS
Authors: Martos R. , Harangi M. , Paragh G. , Kiss C. , MÁrton I.
Published: February 2025

Patients with hyperlipidaemia are important because of the possible interplay between oral infectious lesions, odontogenic infection-related systemic microinflammation and hyperlipidaemia resulting in an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in the serum C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels and lipid parameters of patients with hyperlipidaemia in parallel with the improvements in oral health due to comprehensive dental treatment.

Methods: All forty four patients (age range 32 to 71) who attended the Internal Medicine Department of the Medical and Science Centre, University of Debrecen (MHSC UD), between March 2005 and April 2007 and who met the inclusion criteria were invited to take part in the study. Of these, twentyeight patients with Fredrickson type IIa and IIb hyperlipidaemia, receiving lipid lowering therapy for at least 6 months, who consented to take part, underwent comprehensive dental and laboratory examinations. Serum hsCRP, lipid and lipoprotein concentrations were determined and sub- and supragingival microflora were characterised. Patients received comprehensive dental treatment at the beginning of the study. Oral health parameters and microflora were checked 3-months after completing dental treatment. Serum high sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) and lipid parameters were re-assessed 1-week and 3-months after treatment. Normal distribution was assessed by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Changes in the variables during follow-up were evaluated by one-way ANOVA and mean values were compared by paired t-test. If parametric approaches could not be applied, the Friedman test, Wilcoxon test and/or Mann-Whitney test were used. To evaluate the effects of confounding variables stepwise linear regression analysis was applied. Ethics approval was given by the ethics committee of the MHSC UD.

Results: No clinically relevant changes were observed at 1-week follow-up. At 3-months, periodontal indicators , including plaque indices, gingival indices and periodontal probing depths, improved significantly. There was a significant shift from a predominantly Gram-negative microflora detected on admission to a Gram-positive microflora following therapy, accompanied by a significant reduction in serum hsCRP and total cholesterol concentrations. Male patients and patients receiving non-surgical dental treatments experienced a significant high density lipoprotein C (HDL-C) increase.

Conclusions: Results of this study suggest that, in the group studied, improvements in oral health by comprehensive dental treatment were associated with decreases in serum hsCRP and improvements in lipid profile, exposing patients with hyperlipidaemia to a decreased CVD risk, representing an effective adjunct to lipid lowering therapy and preventive cardiology and hence an effective public health intervention.
HOPE IN BREAKING BAD NEWS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW
Authors: Pasztrai F.
Published: February 2025

This systematic review aimed to understanding existing knowledge of hope in disclosing bad news in advanced cancer care. What conceptual and empirical research has been conducted? Does preserving hope matter to doctors and patients? Are there optimal forms of communication?

Method: The systematic review used Cochrane, Pubmed, Scopus, SocIndex and Web of Science in August, 2015. A second reviewer independently screened 20% of the sample. Disagreement over inclusion was solved through discussion. Studies were divided into three groups. 1) Hope and factors relevant to the process of preserving hope. 2) Problems encountered by doctors and patients in the communication of bad news in relation to hope. 3) Problems during breaking bad news.

Results: Exploring patient’s goals and perceptions of disease is necessary for doctors to shape their communication. Opportunity to decide how much information they want enables them to practice autonomy while relieving the doctor’s sense of responsibly for making decisions. How patient can be expected to practice autonomy and have realistic expectations and hope if not fully aware of the nature of the disease. The discontinuation of anti-cancer treatment or referral to palliative care can cause confusion for advanced cancer care patients, as it has been traditionally associated with death, and thus with a complete loss of hope.

Conclusion: Numerous tools that doctors should use in order to foster hope: 1) Softening, sweetening information and giving hopeful information, 2) Showing care was important especially when no further treatment was available. 3) Acknowledge fear enables patients to feel more able to talk about their concerns. 4) Being open to alternative treatments was valued as it demonstrated that their care provider did not give up on them. 5) Tools for demonstration such as diagrams, pictures, and credible websites was identified as helpful in order to understand information regarding the disease. Supportive relationships such as family were another key factor that played a vital role in preserving hope. Lack of time is frequently mentioned as an obstacle to effective doctor patient communications. Reducing the workload was suggested by doctors as a way of spending more time with and giving more support to patients.
ACCEPTABILITY OF TELEDENTISTRY BY DENTISTS IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE
Authors: Giraudeau N. , Formont V. , Inquimbert C. , Ologeanu-Taddei R. , Valcarcel J.
Published: February 2025

Teledentistry is developing globally but it is essential to study the acceptability by all who are involved. The university hospital of Montpellier started an innovation of oral teleconsultation and we studied the acceptability of “e-DENT” by dentists. How the dentists perceive the “e-DENT” project? What influenced acceptability? Which clinical conditions would dentists use for the oral teleconsultation?

Methods: In January 2015, we used a qualitative study with 20 semi-directed interviews by phone to dentists in the Montpellier area. Consent was given to participate and to be recorded. We used a snowball technique of dentists who still practice. At the end of the interview each dentist was asked to give two contacts for the next stage. 12 dentists refused. Orthodontics, retired and hospital dentists were excluded. 4 hours, 42 minutes and 10 seconds were recorded and analysed with NVivo® software.

Results: The sample was composed by 40% (8) of female and 60% (12) of male. They work for 85% (17) in a big or medium city and 15% (3) in a rural area. 50% (10) were between 30 and 39 years old. Teleconsultation advantages: better organization for appointment for the dentists (decrease and hierarchical), less stress for the patient, more patients could be seen, economic aspect. Disadvantages: quality of the diagnosis, time-consuming, new task for dentists and nurses. The relationship between patient and dentist could change: better acceptability by patient, faster than a classical consultation but no more physical contact between patient and professional.

Conclusion: the oral teleconsultation seems to be accepted by French dentists. The more important fears about this new concept are the quality of the diagnosis and the payment for the telediagnostic system. The responsibility is also a question. The dentists think that it’s a good tool for equality of access in dental care and it could be very useful for specific populations such as elderly people or disabled people.
THE DIAGNOSTIC ROLE OF OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY (OCT) IN THE CHRONIC DISEASES OF THE SOFT AND HARD TISSUES OF THE ORAL CAVITY
Authors: TÓth E. , Vajas A. , MÁrton I. , TÓth L.
Published: February 2025

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a novel, non-invasive imaging modality, applied in everyday practice in opthalmology. It enables cross-sectional real-time imaging of different tissue microstructures in situ. The optical biopsy, provided by OCT gives further microstructural information about oral soft and hard tissues and different deposits adhered to these surfaces. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of OCT for chronic diseases of soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Microfractures of dental tissues and biofilm developed on soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity were examined.

Methods: The study took place in the Departments of Restorative Dentistry and Opthalmology at the University of Debrecen between December 2015 and April 2016. It was approved by the University of Debrecen ethics committee and all patients who took part gave their written consent. Forty two examinations were performed on 14 patients, with 3 types of OCT devices on oral soft and hard tissues. OCT devices utilize the different ability of biological tissues to absorb and reflect light. Biofilm which adhered to dental surfaces and gingiva was examined with Time- Domain (TD) OCT (Zeiss Stratus OCT, Karl Zeiss Meditec). Heidelberg Spectralis Spectral- Domain (SD) OCT was used for the microstructural examination of dental hard tissues. Visante (Carl Zeiss Meditec) OCT was used for the evaluation of the presence and structure of biofilm in vivo. Four Adults with intact teeth were included as control.

Results: The presence of surface biofilm was detected in every case as being between 25μm and 55μm thickness by TD-OCT. Different structural properties were detected as irregular, thin-continous and thick biofilm layers. The near-infrared wavelength of light used in SD- OCT verified dental micro-fractures between 15 μm- 95μm in width. The presence and varying amount of biofilm were also detected with Visante (Carl Zeiss Meditec) OCT.

Conclusion: The OCT imaging technique provided excellent resolution (5μm). In the biofilm microorganisms were present in an extracellular matrix layer made of polysaccharides, proteins and nucleic acid, which was produced by microbes. In this layer bacteria can exist in a safe environment. The antibiotic resistance is thousand times higher than in planktonic form. The authors consider the technique suitable for the evaluation of microstructural properties of biofilm on oral soft and hard tissues. Using OCT it is possible to gain new information about oral pathological conditions and microstructural changes.
ANTIFUNGAL EFFECTS OF ORAL HYGIENIC PRODUCTS ON IN-VITRO BIOFILMS
Authors: Mensch K. , Pongracz J. , Nagy Á. , KristÓf K. , Nagy G.
Published: February 2025

Aim: The objective of the present study was to assess the preventive and therapeutic efficacy of Cervitec Plus against four Candida species grown on acrylic surfaces. Oral candidiasis is a common opportunistic infection due to fungal adherence to acrylic surfaces. Denture wearing patients have increased risk to candidal infection. Chlorhexidine containing antimicrobials are important for prevention and treatment of oral candidal infections.

Methods: The preventive and therapeutic antifungal effect of Cervitec Plus varnish compared with chlorohexidene mouth rinse was examined on artificial biofilm of Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida tropicalis and Candida glabrata. Nystatin was used as a positive control and Cervitec placebo varnish and sterile saline solution as negative controls. Phase one investigated the therapeutic effect and phase 2 the preventive effects of these agents. Candida biofilms were grown in Sabouraud liquid medium, after being treated by the antifungals and controls. In phase 2 the agents were applied to the wells of the plates and the artificial biofilms were then grown. To determine the metabolic activity of biofilms XTT-assay were used. The tests were performed in triplicate.

Results: In the therapeutic phase (1), Cervitec Plus varnish did not reduce the CFU of the candida species more than the generally used antimicrobials. The most effective therapeutic agent was Chlorohexidene, followed by Nystatin and Cervitec Plus. In phase 2 the most effective preventive agent against Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis was the Nystatine and Cervitec Plus, followed by Chlorohexidene. In the case of Candida tropicalis and glabrata, the Nystatin was more effective, compared to Cervitec Plus and Chlorohexidene.

Discussion: According to our findings, the therapeutic efficacy of Cervitec Plus is no greater than the other studied agents. A preventive effect of Cervitec Plus against Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis was shown. Because of side-effects of Nystatin, Cervitec Plus may be considered an alternative preventive agent against Candida species. Further study is required to investigate the long-term anticandidal effect of Cervitec.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN 12-YEAR-OLDS DENTAL STATUS IN URBAN AND RURAL EAST MACEDONIA
Authors: Getova B. , Sozovska E. , Miloshevski N. , Janevska S. , Pavlevska M. , Petanovski H.
Published: February 2025

Inequalities exist in oral health service,access,oral health knowledge, practices and prevalence of oral diseases. Rural areas are often associated with lower education levels, people are poorer, less healthliterate, have more caries, have fewer teeth and have less money to spend on dental care compared to people living in urban areas.

Aim: To identify differences in dental status and knowledge about sealants between rural and urban 12- year-olds in East Macedonia in order to evaluate the National preventive program (2007- 2014).

Method: Cross sectional surveys used cluster sampling and recorded DMFT. A total of 328 children aged 12-year- old were examined in 2007 and 313 in 2014, of both sexes from state schools across 3 regions in East Macedonia. Both urban and rural areas with contrasting socio-economic groups participated in the study. A calibrated dental team clinically examined and personally interviewed all the subjects in line with WHO recommendations. The sample was examined using standard dental diagnostic equipment (plane dental mirror, dental probe) under artificial light on dry teeth in a dental chair. Results were analysed by means of descriptive statistics. Ethical approval for the study was part of the National preventive program.

Results: In urban 12-year-olds the 2007 DMFT was 4.27, while in rural areas it was 4.41. By 2014, in urban areas DMFT was 1.89, and in rural areas 1.65. More urban children knew about fissure sealing 95 (61.8%) and the appropriate time for sealing 96 (62.3%), than their rural counterparts, 77/83 (48.4% /52.2%).

Conclusion: There is an apparent trend of decreasing DMFT following implementation of the National prevention program. Also, there are no significant differences between DMFT among children from urban and rural areas because of equal implementation of the preventive measures from the National program throughout Macedonia. However, intensive application of preventive measures is still needed so that there is even further improvement in oral health among 12-year-olds in East Macedonia.

The authors wish to thank Coordinative Body for implementing and monitoring of National preventive program for children in The Republic of Macedonia, for assistance in determining the analytic strategy and helpful comments.
CARIES PREVALENCE AMONG PRESCHOOL AND SCHOOLCHILDREN OF INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PRISHTINA
Authors: Doberdoli D. , Begzati A. , Xhaferi B. , Avdiu E.
Published: February 2025

Aims: To investigate the prevalence of dental caries and treatment needs in preschool and school children attending the International school of Prishtina (ISP). This is private school and children who attend ISP have parents with high income.

Methods: Dental examinations based on the World Health Organization (2013) criteria were performed in October 2015 on all 408 children aged 3 to 15 years old who attended the school. Permission to examine the children was given by the school authorities. The examinations were performed at the Marigona dental clinic, which is directly opposite the school, by one of three examiners, who had calibrated and achieved a Kappa score of 0.89. The teeth were clinically examined with standard dental instruments using visualtactile method under standard dental light. The DMFT and dmft indices were recorded as well as the significant caries index (SiC).

Results: Amongst the 58 children, with deciduous teeth only, the mean dmft was 3.7. Among the 210 mixed dentition children , the mean DMFT was 1.3 and the mean dmft was 4.0. Among the 140 children who only had permanent teeth, the mean DMFT was 3.7. The mean DMFT for international students was 1.3 and mean dmft 2.1. The highest mean DMFT (4.8) was found in children aged 12-15-years-old.

Conclusion: The results show high prevalence of caries among preschool and school children of the ISP.
CLINICAL EFFICACY OF GLASS IONOMER FISSURE SEALING IN YOUNG CHILDREN WITH HIGH CARIES RISK
Authors: Klenovskaya M. , Shakavets N.
Published: February 2025

The aim of this study was to evaluate and caries preventive effect of Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC) fissure sealants in primary teeth in young Minsk children with high caries risk.

Methods: The study was conducted in the university dental school. Regional Ethics Committee approval and parental informed consents were obtained. 83 children aged 1.5-2 years with any signs of dental caries who were referred to the dental clinic were examined by a trained dentist to assess dental status by d1-4mft index and oral hygiene status by the Ribeiro index (1999). After oral examination the children were randomly divided into two groups: preventive or test (n=40) and control (n=43). In the preventive (test) group 67 primary molars were sealed with GIC. In the control group there were 77 primary molars without any sign of dental caries. In both groups children brushed with fluoride dentifrice at home. The dynamics of caries status in children and sealant retention was evaluated in a 3-year follow-up survey. The results were analyzed statistically (Mann-Whitney U-test, Odds ratio and 95% confident intervals (CI), p-value).

Results: There were no statistically significant proportional differences regarding age (19.7 and 20.6 months; p=0.81), mean number of erupted teeth (16.6 and 15.5; p=0.47), mean d1-4mft value (5.8 (2.1) and 6.0 (2.5); p=0.72) and oral hygiene status (3.6 (1.0) and 3.5 (1.1); p=0.86) between the preventive and control groups. After one year the sealants was retained in 42 (62.7%, CI 56.8-68.6) molars. The mean length of sealant retention was 12.5 (5.3) months. After 3 years carious lesions of occlusal surfaces only were included in the diagnosis. There were no differences in ages, mean number of erupted teeth or oral hygiene between groups. In the preventive (test) group carious lesions were diagnosed in 13 (19.4%, 14.6-24.2) molars. In the control group there were 32 (41.6%. 36.0-47.2) decayed teeth. Clinical efficacy of fissure sealants was 59.4%, OR=2.7 (1.3-5.8).

Conclusion: Fissure sealing with GIC is an effective preventive measure in young children with high caries risk.
DESIGNING AND VALIDATING A PUBLIC HEALTH SURVEY: A MIXED METHODS PARADIGM
Authors: Margaritis V. , Schwab M. , Alifragki P.
Published: February 2025

Public health phenomena are usually complex and multifactorial, and public health surveys often have to take account of many aspects and factors. Designing and especially validating such a survey can therefore be a very challenging process. Asking appropriate questions, that will yield useful and data specific to the research questions, is of high importance. Equally important is to validate the survey instrument to ensure the trustworthiness of the obtained data. The aim of this presentation is to describe how a public health survey is designed, validated, and eventually implemented in a specific population.

Methods: For this purpose, we used a specific example of a mixed methods survey which was created and validated in 2016 to assess the knowledge and attitudes of public health professionals on the role of emotion in health and public health practice. A purposeful sample of 6 public health experts completed a survey instrument containing a new taxonomy of the emotions for use in the self-assessment of emotional status in a community and related questions to determine face validity and content validity. According to their feedback, the taxonomy and the survey were significantly revised. Then, a sample of approximately 100 participants completed the survey containing the face and content validated taxonomy, in order to test construct validity. Factor analysis was used for quantitative questions and theme analysis for qualitative questions. Further, a sample of approximately 300 participants was asked to complete the final instrument containing the validated taxonomy and related questions to determine reliability. Reliability was assessed calculating Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Demographic data were also collected to investigate potential associations between these data and ‘emotional status’.

Results: An adequately validated and reliable survey instrument was produced to address specific research questions and to explore potential solutions to the problem under study. Specific steps will be described and discussed in this presentation on designing, validating and eventually implementing this survey.

Conclusions: With this presentation, the audience can become familiar with the process of designing and validating a survey instrument for public health purposes, and be able to note how a mixed methods approach can be applied to design a public health survey.
REPORTED ACCESS TO DENTAL CARE IN SCHOOLCHILDREN FROM FAMILIES WITH LOW SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS
Authors: Maslak E. , Anistratova S. , Rodionova A. , Krivtsova D. , Yanovskaya M.
Published: February 2025

Aim: To study the access to dental care in schoolchildren from families with low socio- economic status (SES) comparing to children from families with non-low SES.

Methods: The study was approved by the Regional Ethics Committee. Informed consent from the parents of children was obtained. Per capita family income less than the minimum subsistence level in the region was defined as low SES. In 2012 in 10 out of 30 Volzhskiy schools all schoolchildren from the families with low SES (430 children aged 7-17 years, LS group) were identified according to the list of the Educational Department. In the same schools 418 schoolchildren were randomly selected from the families with non-low SES (NLS control group). The groups were identical by sex and age of the children. The children were examined by an experienced dentist. The number (mean ± standard error) of untreated decayed permanent teeth was calculated. The parents and the children were interviewed on the child access to dental care. The differences were assessed with Student’s t-test.

Results: The mean number of untreated decayed teeth in the LS group was significantly (p<0.001) higher than in NLS group: in 7-8-year-olds 1.7±0.1 vs 0.7±0.2; in 9-11-year- olds 2.0±0.2 vs 0.8±0.1; in 12-14-year-olds 3.1±0.2 vs 1.1±0.1; in 15-17 year-olds 4.0±0.2 vs 1.2±0.2. The children from LS group visited a dentist during the last 6 months less often than the children from NLS group: 172 of 430 (40.0%) vs 326 of 418 (78.0%) respectively, p<0.001. The number of children who had visited a dentist 1-2 years before or did not remember when they had visited a dentist in LS group was higher than in the NLS group: 181 of 430 (42.1%) vs 34 of 418 (8.1%) answers, p<0.001.

Conclusions: This sample of Volzhskiy schoolchildren from LS families reported more limited access to dental care than the schoolchildren from NLS families, and they had higher numbers of untreated permanent teeth.
NATIONAL URGENT AND EMERGENCY DENTAL CARE REVIEW (ENGLAND)
Authors: Basra A.S. , Shah S.
Published: February 2025

NHS Urgent and Emergency Care Services in England are experiencing rising demand. Patients with dental symptoms sometimes utilise these services when they would be better treated by a dental service. The variation in service provision needs to be better understood and was considered as part of the review of unscheduled dental services in England. To address the problemtwo stakeholder events were held, between November 2015 and February 2016, for those involved in the delivery or commissioning of Unscheduled Dental Care Services (UDCS) across England.

Aim: Their aim was to seek views on the barriers and challenges they perceived in either providing or commissioning these services and to share good practice.

Methods: Workshop themes were developed ,based on an initial audit of dental services combined with feedback from service commissioners. This information was used to formulate questions for the events. Workshop answers were analysed for key themes. These were then used to create a more detailed question guide that enabled researchers to explore these themes in more detail. After both events, all feedback from delegates was assessed, to identify factors that should be included in a review of UDCS across England.

Results: Approximately 200 stakeholders from the full spectrum of UDCS, from providers to commissioners, attended and identified a number of key barriers faced in delivering UDCS. These included: inconsistency in provision; inadequate information sharing; suboptimal communication between providers and commissioners (and across geographical areas) and insufficient time to provide good quality care in the time allocated. Many delegates felt that current provision in their areas was failing to meet the needs of vulnerable groups such as special care patients and care home residents.

Conclusions: Stakeholders strongly felt that national standards and guidance in providing/commissioning UDCS will facilitate more consistent provision across England. This should also mean that services will be more accessible to all patient groups, regardless of geography, therefore aiming to reduce inequity in access to UDCS.
ORAL HEALTH CARE HABITS, OBSERVATIONS FROM A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING HUNGARIAN VILLAGE
Authors: Filep A.E. , Segatto E. , Pinke I.
Published: February 2025

Oral health plays an important role in general health. Developing oral healthcare habits, and integrating preventive approaches into the population is essential in the 21st century. We investigated this in a south-east Hungarian village as part of research by the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, with existing ethics approval. Pusztaottlaka was choosen because previous work showed a huge recent increase in economic and social data.

Methods: In July 2015 a questionnaire was voluntarily and anonymously completed by 277 people from the population of Pusztaottlaka, whose mean age was 47 (SD: 24.1). We asked about general oral healthcare, nutrition, habits concerning oral health, frequency of dental check-ups and how people evaluate their oral health. Statistical analysis used SPSS 20.0, examining frequency, means and cross tabs in different sex and age groups. In an oral screening examination 35 people were inspected voluntarily. Data were compared with the European Health Survey.

Results: Only 37.8% (84) of the responders brushed their teeth once a day and 15.3% (34) brushed less than once a day. Only 38.6% (88) of the participants smoked, and 75% (168) visited the dentist less than once in a year. 97 (44.7%) had clear knowledge of their poor dental health. There were large variations in answers by different sex and ages groups. According to the European Health Survey at least one third of the Hungarian population has a decayed tooth. Clinical examinations in the village gave a rate of 65.7% (23). There is poor access to dental care in Pusztaottlaka. The nearest dentist’s office is 10 km away.

Conclusions: Preventive dental activity should increase in the village, and should try to motivate the population to carry out better oral hygiene. Encouraging dental check-ups would allow treatment of early dental problems and encourage improved oral hygiene.
CONTINUED EDUCATION IN PUBLIC HEALTH DENTISTRY: DISTANCE LEARNING IN BRAZIL
Authors: Frichembruder K. , dos Santos C.M. , Hilgert J.B. , Hugo F.N.
Published: February 2025

Distance Learning represents an opportunity to provide public health dentists with evidence-based information, as face-to-face approaches are more expensive and time consuming. In Brazils Public Health System, few courses target public health dentists in approximately 1000 Public Specialized Dental Care Centers (CEO).

Aim: to describe a series of distance learning continuing dental education courses targeting public health dentists working in CEO throughout Brazil and to evaluate the satisfaction of dentists who completed it.

Methods: The University developed and offered a series of 6 online courses comprising 60 hours each and addressing the following areas: 1) Oral Medicine; 2) Minor Oral Surgery; 3) Endodontics; 4) Periodontics; 5) Special Care Dentistry; 6) Dental Public Health Services Management. Pre-register took place between May and Sep/15. Courses were available on a Moodle Platform, between Oct and Dec/15 and contents were developed using problem- based learning methodology. This was an evaluation study that did not require Ethics Committee approval. However, participants consent was sought, as they were told that the information contained in the forms could be used for research purposes. Confidentiality of data was assured. Two questionnaires provided information about demographics, access to, use of and satisfaction. In addition, 130 videos were posted as open access on YouTube.

Results: 2147 dentists pre-registered, of which 409 (19%) completed the courses. 383 of those (93.6%) consented to participate. Health Services Management had 515 pre-registrations (24%), and was the most frequently completed 129 (31.5%). Most accomplishers were women (71%), the mean age was 38.5 years (± 9.8), and 214 (55.8%) worked in CEO clinic, 132 (34.4%) in Brazilian South region. 213 accomplishers (52%) completed evaluation forms, with the Moodle platform rated as good or very good by 206 (97.1%). Some 38 (17.8%) participants rated the time to accomplish the courses as short or extremely short. Open videos had 30,119 views “socioeconomic inequalities and health” with 2061 (6.8%) views was the most popular.

Conclusions: Distance learning provided access to continuing education to a large number of professional (409) and reached the target audience (214 CEO professionals). Dropouts were high and more frequent in the more deprived North and Midwest regions of Brazil. The number of open views suggests that the topics were of interest for dental care providers. These initial results lead to improvements, mainly provision of student support and increase in platform access times, in the 2016 Edition of the courses.
EVALUATION THE PREVALENCE OF LOCALIZED AGGRESSIVE PERIODONTITIS IN 15-18 YEARS OLD BOYS FROM BANDAR ABBAS CITY IN 2015
Authors: Hedayati A. , Haghi S. , Ansari Fard S.
Published: February 2025

Periodontitis is an inflammatory condition that damages gums and can destroy the jawbone. Localized aggressive periodontitis (LAP) is the disease of dental supporting tissue which differs from chronic periodontitis because of: 1) fast progression 2) low rate of plaque index and calculus 3) History of familial periodontitis. The localized form usually occurs in puberty and damage is limited to permanent first molars and incisors that can lead to loss of teeth at an early age.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of LAP in 15-18 years old male students in Bandar Abbas city.

Methods: In this cross sectional study, data were collected with observation, examination and questionnaire among Bandar Abbas male students using a multi-stage systematic cluster sampling method. An examination of students was performed in two steps, In the first stage randomly selected high schools were visited and all 15-18 year-old boys, whose parents has agreed could take part and who gave their consent were given a periodontal examination. Those students who had pockets of 4 mm or more in more than one tooth then attended the School of Dentistry and were evaluated radiographically. Patients diagnosed with localized aggressive periodontitis were thus identified. The ethics committee of the Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences approved the study.

Results: Among 949 students, after first step examinations, 11 students had probing depth of 4 mm or more, and after second stage evaluations two were diagnosed with LAP, so the prevalence was 0.2 percent.

Conclusion: There was no significant difference between prevalence of LAP in Bandar Abbas and other regions in Iran.