Journal of Oral Health and Oral Epidemiology
Volume:11 Issue: 2, Spring 2022

The growing consumption of bottled water has raised concerns about its quality. The optimal concentration of trace elements such as fluoride in drinking water is of significance for public health. Water with the optimal fluoride concentration is considered one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent dental caries in communities. The aim of the present study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on fluoride content of bottled water.

In this study, medical and non-medical databases were searched using a comprehensive and sensitive search strategy. Retrieved citations were imported into an Endnote library. The quality of the studies was checked using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist. The data extracted from the studies included country, reported fluoride concentration level in bottled and tap water, the region of sampling, fluoride determination method, number of assessed brands, and study year. The data were analyzed using random-fixed effects and meta-regression methods in Stata software.

A total of 32 papers from 16 countries were included in the review. Half of the studies compared the laboratory-determined content to the label-claimed fluoride content. The results of the meta-analysis showed high heterogeneity in the investigated papers.

The fluoride content of bottled water had significant discrepancies with the optimal level. The contradiction between the label-claimed fluoride content and that determined after accurate testing was a prevalent finding. The existing legislation does not effectively guarantee the accurate labeling of fluoride content and more rigorous supervision is required.

Physician-patient communication is the most prominent part of medical art. The ability of the healthcare professional team to communicate appropriately can influence the patient's experience as well as the patient's overall health. The objective of the present study was to examine the communication skills and self-efficacy levels in general and postgraduate dentistry students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran. The present cross-sectional study was conducted on general students (4th year to 6th year) and postgraduate dentistry students at School of Dentistry, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences from 9.9.2020 to 9.23.2020 in the academic year 2020/2021. A pilot-tested, communication skill and self-efficacy assessment questionnaire was distributed to the participants. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were verified and confirmed. Moreover, a demographic questionnaire with questions on basic demographic information was included at the beginning of the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, and Spearman correlation coefficient via SPSS software. The overall response rate on the survey was 57%. In total, 85.4% of the participants were general dentistry students, 38.2% of whom were fourth-year students. The grade point average (GPA) was 16.09 ± 1.61. Most of the students scored above average in various areas of communication skills. No significant difference was found between general and postgraduate students except in the field of closure. A positive correlation was found between self-efficacy and all fields of communication skills including introduction and reception (r = 0.486), medical history (r = 0.591), clinical checkup (r = 0.673), closure (r = 0.423), and patient (r = 0.507). The results showed a significant correlation between self-efficacy and all field s of communication skills among general and postgraduate students. Well-designed training courses addressing communication skills are recommended in both general and postgraduate dentistry practice. Since self-efficacy and communication skills are inter-correlated, enhancing students' self-efficacy can improve the dentist-patient communication.

In a dental office, infections can be transmitted through several routes such as direct or indirect contact with blood, oral fluids, droplet spatter, aerosols, etc. Despite the introduction of various programs and strategies, misconceptions about the transmission of hepatitis B, prophylaxis, and vaccination remain widespread. Such lack of knowledge may create fear or discrimination toward dental management of hepatitis B positive patients; hence, it is essential to assess dental interns’ understanding of the hepatitis B disease. This study was undertaken to evaluate the awareness regarding hepatitis B virus infection amongst the interns of Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College and Hospital, Pimpri, Pune, India. A cross-sectional survey was carried out on 84 interns using a self- administered questionnaire with questions regarding the knowledge, infection control measures, and post exposure protocols of hepatitis B infection. The collected data were analyzed using IBM SPSS software version 21. The mean age of the respondents was 22.42 years. About 17.86% of the respondents were male and 82.14% were female. The results showed that 71.4% of the interns had moderate knowledge regarding hepatitis B. Only 44.04% of the interns were aware of the correct incubation period of the disease, whereas 57.14% of the interns were aware of the correct vaccination dosing schedule. About 17.86% of the interns were unaware that post-exposure prophylaxis is available for hepatitis B. Although majority of the interns displayed moderate knowledge and good clinical practice behavior, vast improvements still need to be made with regard to the awareness of the disease itself as well as the responsibility of all dentists to prevent cross-contamination and to do no harm.

Dental caries is considered the most common chronic disease in childhood and decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index is regarded as a valuable prognostic factor for oral and dental health in adulthood. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of DMFT and self-care behavior among 7-10-year-old students in Quchan, a city in northeast Iran. A total of 528 students aged 7-10 years old, selected through cluster random sampling, participated in this descriptive cross-sectional study. Demographic information including age, gender, parental educational level, and frequency of tooth brushing was obtained from the participants; DMFT index was recorded after careful oral examination. Data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent samples t-test, and chi-square test. In this study, the ratio of girls to boys was 1:1. The overall mean of DMFT was 4.70 ± 3.16, with no significant difference regarding the gender. However, different age ranges presented significant fluctuation in the mean of DMFT value with the significantly highest value observed in 9-year-old and the lowest in 10-year-old students. Moreover, 8.92% of the participants were caries-free (CF), with a significant dominance of girls. The significantly higher CF index was observed in 7-year-old students as compared to the other ages. However, daily tooth brushing or parental educational level showed no significant correlation with DMFT or CF indices. Due to the high prevalence of DMFT reported in this study, a comprehensive plan should be developed to promote children’s oral health. This issue reinforces the need for preventive programs in general policies of the county.

This study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the knowledge and practice of internal medicine postgraduate students and patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). To measure the knowledge and practice of internal medicine postgraduate students and patients with CKD, 2 validated and reliable questionnaires were used. Each questionnaire included the 3 sections of demographic characteristics form, knowledge measurement, and performance assessment. The questionnaires were distributed among 50 internal medicine postgraduate students of Alzahra Hospital and 150 patients with CKD at Alzahra and Hojatieh Hospitals who were selected randomly. The mean scores of knowledge and practice were extracted from the responses provided in the questionnaires. Based on the mean scores obtained, the knowledge and performance of the participants were measured . Data analysis was carried out in SPSS software using the Pearson correlation coefficient, Spearman’s correlation coefficient, and independent t-test. The mean score of knowledge and practice of the postgraduate students were 65.1 ± 16.02 and 39.8 ± 16.9, respectively. Furthermore, of the 150 patients with CKD with a mean age of 52.7 ± 16.8 years, 56.2% were men and 45.3% had primary education. The patients’ mean score of knowledge regarding the association of CKD and oral health was 45.1 ± 18.8 and that of their practice was 44.04 ± 20.8 out of 100. The findings of this study indicated that internal medicine postgraduate students and patients with CKD had moderate level of knowledge and performance with regard to the association of oral health with CKD. Moreover, the results showed no significant relationship between the internal medicine postgraduate students’ knowledge and age, year of residency, and clinical experience, but there was a significant reverse association between the postgraduate students’ knowledge and the number of patients with CKD they visited during a week.

Hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet (HELLP) syndrome is a pregnancy-specific disease that affects many systems of the body. Its etiopathogenesis has not been fully elucidated. HELLP syndrome is characterized by hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet counts. It has a prevalence of 0.2%-0.8% in pregnant women. This study aimed to compare periodontal status as well as interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-37 levels in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with HELLP syndrome. This study included 20 patients with HELLP and 20 healthy pregnant women. The clinical periodontal parameters [plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL)] were recorded and GCF samples were collected. IL-6 and IL-37 levels were measured in GCF samples using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. The data collected from healthy pregnant women and patients with HELLP were compared with statistical analysis. There was no statistically significant difference between healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with HELLP in terms of periodontal clinical parameters. There was a statistically significant difference in terms of IL-6 levels (P < 0.05); however, no statistically significant difference was determined in terms of IL-37 levels in GCF. This is the first study to evaluate periodontal status as well as IL-6 and IL-37 levels in GCF in pregnant women with HELLP syndrome. The results of the study showed that IL-6 levels were significantly higher in pregnant women with HELLP syndrome, but there was no significant difference in terms of other parameters. Further research is needed to evaluate the relationship between HELLP syndrome and periodontal disease.

Dental specialists have a fundamental role in the dental care system. In some countries, the number of dental specialists fulfills their workforce needs, whereas in developing countries, it does not. It is essential to plan for training professional workforce regarding the purpose of using specializations in developing programs of health sector. Although previous reports of Iran’s dental human resources are accessible, there are no published data on the prediction of this important issue in the future. This study aimed to estimate the country's need for dental specialists by 2025 and provide the possibility of appropriate planning to complete and administrate the specialized human workforce for senior managers.

This study was done based on an explanatory mixed-methods design at three steps. Supply analysis phase, collecting the status quo data and the process of variations in the admission and supply of dental residents, was done. Need assessment phase, the demand for dental specialties, in both treatment and educational sectors in Iran by 2025, was conducted. Gap analysis phase, the estimated gap between supply and demand of specialized workforce, was calculated by 2025, and the shortage or surplus was obtained.

In the fields of orthodontics, pediatrics, maxillofacial surgery, prosthetics, and restorative dentistry, we will need 279, 292, 335, 216, and 229 specialists, respectively, by 2025. In endodontics, periodontics, and oral diseases specialists, we will reach almost the desired situation. In oral pathology and radiology, we will have 87 and 59 specialists more than the defined standards, respectively.

Using the results of estimating the required number of dental specialists by 2025, and considering the admission capacity of the country's universities, the national division of labor concerning training of specialized dentists needed for the coming years can be done.

Dentists are often the first to encounter patients with oral cancer and the detection of lesions plays a major role in early diagnosis of the cancer and improving the prognosis. Undergraduate dentistry students are also future practitioners. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, awareness, and attitudes of dental students about oral cancer.

The questionnaire form prepared in digital environment was sent via e-mail to third, fourth, and fifth-year dentistry students registered with the Turkish Dental Association (TDA). The knowledge, awareness, and attitudes of dental students about oral cancer were evaluated with 49 questions in the questionnaire. The data were analyzed with SPSS software.

This study included 1041 dentistry students. The actual risk factors for oral cancer were known to most dental students who participated in the study. However, a significant portion of the students marked the situations that are not real risk factors for oral cancer as risk factors. In general, it was determined that the students did not have sufficient knowledge about the diagnostic procedures and symptoms of oral cancer.

Dental students lacked the adequate level of knowledge and awareness about the prevention and early diagnosis of oral cancer. In undergraduate education, an educational strategy should be developed to provide up-to-date information on risk factors that facilitate early diagnosis, diagnostic procedures, oral examination, and auxiliary diagnostic tools.