Journal of Oral Health and Oral Epidemiology
Volume:12 Issue: 1, Winter 2023

The ageing of the population and the importance of aesthetics has put pressure on the delivery of dental care. Bacterial infection in intra-oral cavities can develop into a pathogenic biofilm, which then induces inflammatory processes. One of the necessary dental treatment steps is the disinfection of the infected area, whether it is in the root canal, or in the periodontal, periapical, or peri-implant regions. The objective of this review was to assess the actual situation and trends in the treatments for three of the most important areas of dental health: peri-implantitis, periodontitis, and endodontics.

Results from clinical studies, reports from dental associations, national health insurance records, and market reports were used to quantify the number of treatment needs. For peri-implantitis, the number of inserted implants and the prevalence of peri-implantitis build the basis for the computation. For periodontitis and root canal treatments (RCTs), health insurance figures, and reports on dental instrument orders are the data sources for the estimations.

The data show that the number of performed periodontitis and RCTs increase linearly over the year, mainly driven by demographic changes, i.e., increase in size and age of populations. The computed values show that the treatment need for peri-implantitis follows an exponential growth and may surpass that of periodontitis by 2023 in Europe and in the USA.

Where dental implantology is growing, the rapid development of peri-implant diseases will burden the health systems. This should be addressed at different levels. At the practitioners’ level, this includes continuous training of staff and (re)investment in adequate material and infrastructures. At the governmental level, it includes policy development and reimbursement strategies as well as information dissemination in health insurance and dental associations. Last, but not least, R&D efforts in the public and private sectors should be implemented/boosted.

Competitive swimming leads to changes in salivary immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) and cortisol levels. The intensity and duration of exercise cause changes in the immune system. S-IgA and cortisol play a key role in maintaining the body’s immunity. This study was performed to investigate the effect of swimming exercise on the immune and hormonal systems of male children with the same caries index in Zanjan, Iran.

In this cross-sectional study, 86 boys 6–12 years old were selected. Based on their duration of training, the children were divided into two groups of 43: The competitive group and the non-competitive group. The group matching method in terms of dental caries, anxiety, and age was performed in the two groups. Stimulated saliva samples were collected to measure S-IgA and cortisol levels by ELISA before and after the swimming test. Independent t test, paired t test, and chi-square test were used for statistical analysis of data, with the significance level set at P < 0.05.

The amount of S-IgA was higher in the competitive than in the non-competitive group. After swimming training, S-IgA increased in both age groups (28 children aged 6–9 and 58 aged 9–12 years old). In the 6–9 age group, the amount of cortisol in non-competitive boys increased significantly (P = 0.048). In the 9–12 age group, the amount of cortisol in the competitive boys decreased.

Based on the findings of this study it seems that swimming can increase the amount of cortisol in the 6-9 age group. However, short-term physical activity (swimming test in this study) could not make a significant difference in the immune and hormonal systems of either of the age groups. Further studies are suggested to provide information on changes in the caries index.

Oral cancer is one of the most prevailing neoplasms globally, and human papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the risk factors for this condition. Knowledge and awareness about HPV-related oral cancer can lead to a better diagnosis and prognosis of this disease. This systematic review aimed to evaluate knowledge and awareness about HPV-related oral cancer among dentists and dental students.

We searched Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and ProQuest databases with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and non-MeSH keywords to find related articles. Our eligibility criteria were: 1) cross-sectional studies including knowledge and awareness about HPV-related oral cancers, 2) publication date up to August 18, 2021, 3) studies containing dentists or dental students as the main participants, or as part of the participants. The Joanne Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist was used for quality assessment.

A total of 10 studies were included in this systematic review. Five studies have shown that over 80 percent of dental students know HPV can cause oropharyngeal cancer (OPC). More than three-quarters of dentists reported HPV as a cause of oral cancer. Less than half of patients in two studies mentioned biopsy for adequate diagnosis.

HPV-related oral cancer knowledge and awareness need to be improved through focusing on academic and public education. For dental students, it is necessary to identify HPV as a risk factor for oral cancer. Moreover, the significance of routine checkups should not be ignored.

Lactobacillus acidophilus is involved in plaque formation and progression of caries, and studies show that it can be transmitted through the toothbrush. Thus, decontamination the toothbrush is necessary for oral health. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of different immersion times in chlorhexidine (CHX) for reducing the L. acidophilus contamination of the toothbrush. This experimental study was conducted on 84 dental students. Primary saliva samples were obtained from the students, and the salivary count of L. acidophilus was measured. The students were assigned to four groups, and the groups were standardized in terms of primary salivary L. acidophilus count: (I) simple rinse of toothbrush with water, (II) simple rinse of toothbrush with CHX, (III) immersion of toothbrush in CHX for 10 minutes, and (IV) immersion of toothbrush in CHX for 24 hours after use. Saliva samples were collected again from the dental students after 3 weeks of practice. The mean L. acidophilus colony counts of primary and secondary saliva samples were calculated. Also, the mean L. acidophilus colony counts of toothbrushes were compared among the four groups. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey’s tests. The level of significance was set at 0.05. The mean L. acidophilus colony count of toothbrushes was significantly different between the four groups (P < 0.05). Groups 3 (P = 0.040) and 4 (P = 0.012) showed significantly lower toothbrush microbial count compared with Group 1. No significant difference was noted in the salivary colony count of the four groups after the intervention (P > 0.05). Immersion of toothbrush in CHX for 24 hours and 10 minutes was more effective than other methods for the reduction of L. acidophilus count of the toothbrush. In order to prevent corrosion of bristles, 10 minutes of immersion is recommended.

This study aimed to evaluate the level of theoretical and practical knowledge of the fourth- and fifth-year dental students in the examination of maxillofacial trauma patients. A questionnaire consisting of 20 questions measured on a Likert scale, was designed to evaluate the knowledge level of the students about maxillofacial trauma. The survey questions were transferred to Google Forms. The questionnaire was delivered to the students electronically through the Turkish Dental Association. Survey responses submitted between September 1, 2020 and November 1, 2020 were included. The study included 660 dentistry students, among whom 420 were in the fifth and 240 were in the fourth year. Participants were asked 13 questions under the heading “Which of the following is/are appropriate for emergency assessment of a conscious patient presenting with maxillofacial trauma?” While 10 questions were answered correctly by the majority of the students, 3 questions were answered incorrectly. Additionally, negative responses were found to be higher for the seven subjective questions asked to evaluate students’ clinical experience. This study found that the dentistry students had an acceptable degree of theoretical knowledge about maxillofacial trauma, but they lacked clinical experience. Therefore, in undergraduate dental education, theoretical training should be coupled with proper practical training in patient examination, diagnostics, and treatment.

Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is the main aspect of children’s oral health. In this study, it was intended to explore OHRQoL and its pertinent factors in pre-school children. This cross-sectional study was directed on 352 mothers with children (aged 3–5 years) based on stratified random sampling in health centers in Tabriz, Iran. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire completed by the caregiver, which includes socio-demographic data, OHRQoL (13 items), caregiver-reported children’s oral health status, and tooth brushing. The one-way ANOVA, independent samples t test, and linear regression were applied to define the predicators of OHRQoL using SPSS 16 at 95% significance level. Mothers’ mean age was 31.5 (SD = 4.9). It was 4.1 (SD = 0.82) for children. According to the results, the majority of the mothers (88%) were homemakers and 25% had higher education. The mean (SD) of OHRQoL was 18.8 (7.9) out of 65. The items most related to OHRQoL were feeling guilty (25%), dental pain (35%), and difficulty eating (14.8%). According to the results of multiple regression, OHRQoL had significant relationship with economic status (P = 0.046), caregiver-reported children’s oral health status (P = 0.0001), children’s frequency of tooth-brushing (P = 0.001), and their age (P = 0.0001). In total, these factors described 0.22% of the variance in children’s OHRQoL. OHRQoL did not have a statistically significant relationship with mothers’ education level or children’s gender. According to the findings, the key predictor of OHRQoL was children’s oral health status, tooth brushing, and age. Effective educational interventions could be designed based on these predictors to improve the OHRQoL of children.

No factor alone has been defined as the cause of oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Identification of biochemical markers involved in SCC metabolic reactions is important in SCC diagnosis. Homocysteine is an amino acid whose altered levels have been observed in various malignancies. This study aimed to assess the serum and salivary levels of homocysteine in patients with SCC and compare these data with those of healthy individuals. In this case-control analytical study, 21 patients with oral SCC and 21 healthy subjects were studied. Salivary and serum samples were obtained, and homocysteine levels were evaluated with an HCY ELISA Kit. Independent t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient were used, and statistical analysis was done using SPSS 17. A P value < 0. 05 was considered significant. The level of serum homocysteine was 3.71 ± 2.5 in the patient group and 2.01 ± 2.11 in the control group (P = 0.008). The salivary homocysteine levels were 3.12 ± 1.66 in the case group and 2.93 ± 1.71 in control group (P = 0.782). Homocysteine levels in the serum might be a good marker for diagnosis of oral SCC; however, more research is needed on using salivary homocysteine levels as a diagnostic indicator.

Pulp stones are calcified masses with unknown etiology in the dental pulp complicating access to the pulp and root canals during root canal therapy. Aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of pulp stones in patients referring to Kerman University School of Dentistry. This cross-sectional study was undertaken on 4413 teeth in 852 patients and 1052 bitewing and periapical radiographs. The patients were 3–60 years old and had been referred to the Kerman School of Dentistry for various reasons. Data were collected by radiographic evaluations and the use of a checklist and were then analyzed using SPSS version 19 and the chi-square test with the significance level set at 0.05. The prevalence of pulp stones was estimated at 13.4% in the patients, significantly increasing with age (P = 0.001). Most pulp stones were 12.2% in the maxilla and 10.4% in the mandible, indicating a significant difference between the two jaws (P = 0.001). The highest prevalence of pulp stones was related to the permanent first molars. Most pulp stones were significantly higher in female subjects than in males (P = 0.004), with no major difference between the left and right sides (P = 0.07). No significant relationship was found between the prevalence of pulp stones with tooth restoration and dental caries (P = 0.130). The prevalence of pulp stones increased significantly with age. In this study, the youngest participant was a 4-year-old male, and the oldest was a 60-year-old female.