The status of dental caries and related factors in a sample of Iranian adolescents

Objective: To describe the status of dental caries in a sample of Iranian adolescents aged 14 to 18 years in Qazvin, and to identify caries-related factors affecting this group. Study design: Qazvin was divided into three zones according to socio-economic status. The sampling procedure used was a stratified cluster sampling technique; incorporating 3 stratified zones, for each of which a cluster of school children were recruited from randomly selected high schools. The adolescents agreed to participate in the study and to complete a questionnaire. Dental caries status was assessed in terms of decayed teeth (DT), filled teeth (FT) and decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT). A multivariate regression analysis was used to determine statistically significant associations between DMFT and other variables. Results: The study sample comprised 380 adolescents, 188 (49.5%) being male. The mean age of the adolescents was 15.42 (SD= 1.1) years, and the mean DMFT was 2.61 (SD=1.89). Boys had significantly higher DMFT scores than girls (P<0.05). The multivariate regression analyses revealed a significant relation between high DMFT scores and such variables as increasing age, male gender, lower levels of parental education, higher family income, lower frequency of tooth brushing and dental flossing, having a history of no visits to the dentist, and bad perception of own oral health. Conclusions: The present study reveals that Iranian adolescents have a poor oral hygiene, as very few subjects brush and floss their teeth on a regular basis. Although the incidence of caries was found to be moderate, it was influenced by demographic factors such as age and gender in addition to socio-behavioral variables such as fami-ly income, the level of education attained by parents, the frequency of dental brushing and flossing, and both the frequency and type of visit to a dentist. © Medicina Oral S. L

Promoting inclusion oral-health:social interventions to reduce oral health inequities

The aim of this collection of papers is to provide the reader with a cogent understanding of the role of evidence in the development of social or community-based interventions to promote inclusion oral-health and reduce oral health, health, and psychosocial inequities. In addition, this material will include various methods used for their implementation and evaluation. At the outset, the reader will be offered a working definition of inclusion oral-health, which will be modelled on the work of Luchenski et al. [1]. The interventions described are theoretically underpinned by a pluralistic definition of evidence-based practice [2] and the radical discourse of health promotion as postulated by Laverack and Labonte [3] and others [4,5]. This Special Issue will consist of eight papers, including an introduction. The first three papers will examine the various sources of evidence used to transform top-down into bottom-up community-based interventions for people experiencing homelessness; people in custody and for families residing in areas of high social deprivation. The final four papers will report on the implementation and evaluation of social or community-based interventions. This collection of research papers will highlight the importance of focusing on prevention and the adoption of a common risk factor agenda to tackle oral health, health and psychosocial inequities felt by those most excluded in our societies

Hmong Adults Self-Rated Oral Health: A Pilot Study

Since 1975, the Hmong refugee population in the U.S. has increased over 200%. However, little is known about their dental needs or self-rated oral health (SROH). The study aims were to: (1) describe the SROH, self-rated general health (SRGH), and use of dental/physician services; and (2) identify the factors associated with SROH among Hmong adults. A cross-sectional study design with locating sampling methodology was used. Oral health questionnaire was administered to assess SROH and SRGH, past dental and physician visits, and language preference. One hundred twenty adults aged 18–50+ were recruited and 118 had useable information. Of these, 49% rated their oral health as poor/fair and 30% rated their general health as poor/fair. Thirty-nine percent reported that they did not have a regular source of dental care, 46% rated their access to dental care as poor/fair, 43% visited a dentist and 66% visited a physician within the past 12 months. Bivariate analyses demonstrated that access to dental care, past dental visits, age and SRGH were significantly associated with SROH (P \u3c 0.05). Multivariate analyses demonstrated a strong association between access to dental care and good/excellent SROH. About half of Hmong adults rated their oral health and access to dental care as poor. Dental insurance, access to dental care, past preventive dental/physician visits and SRGH were associated with SROH

Patterns of Oral Microbiota Diversity in Adults and Children: A Crowdsourced Population Study.

Oral microbiome dysbiosis has been associated with various local and systemic human diseases such as dental caries, periodontal disease, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Bacterial composition may be affected by age, oral health, diet, and geography, although information about the natural variation found in the general public is still lacking. In this study, citizen-scientists used a crowdsourcing model to obtain oral bacterial composition data from guests at the Denver Museum of Nature &amp; Science to determine if previously suspected oral microbiome associations with an individual's demographics, lifestyle, and/or genetics are robust and generalizable enough to be detected within a general population. Consistent with past research, we found bacterial composition to be more diverse in youth microbiomes when compared to adults. Adult oral microbiomes were predominantly impacted by oral health habits, while youth microbiomes were impacted by biological sex and weight status. The oral pathogen Treponema was detected more commonly in adults without recent dentist visits and in obese youth. Additionally, oral microbiomes from participants of the same family were more similar to each other than to oral microbiomes from non-related individuals. These results suggest that previously reported oral microbiome associations are observable in a human population containing the natural variation commonly found in the general public. Furthermore, these results support the use of crowdsourced data as a valid methodology to obtain community-based microbiome data

The Prevalence of Dental Caries in a Central Coast of California Middle School

Dental morbidity is a chronic problem that affects a child\u27s ability to attend school, to learn, and to enjoy good health. Of all childhood diseases, oral disease ranks as one of the highest and is considered one of the most common and the least treated. The prevalence of dental caries is high among children and adolescents in school populations. This study explored the prevalence of dental caries in a California Central Coast middle school during the 2002-03 school year (N=526). Findings indicated that severe dental caries existed in both boys and girls and in students of various ethnic groups. Approximately 5.7% of adolescents were shown to have visible and severe dental caries with significant ethnic variation. Twice as many Hispanic teens had visible dental caries as the white and other non-white teens. School nurses should routinely screen for dental disease in all school grades and provide resources and referrals for dental treatment

Use of Internet for General and Dental Health along Acculturation Features in a Sample of Mexican Americans

The objectives of this study were to explore self-reported Internet and electronic platforms used to search for and store medical and dental information among people of Mexican origin. A sample of adults self-identified as European American (250) and as Mexican American (255), residing in Central Indiana, answered a one-time survey that included technology use questions and measured acculturation via the Psychological-Behavioral Acculturation Scale. Overall use of information technologies was estimated through an Information and Communication Technology score. Overall, participants with higher scores searched online for general and oral health information at higher rates than those with lower scores. Younger Mexican Americans and those with higher use scores were more likely to search online for general health information, as were those more psychologically and behaviorally acculturated. Interestingly, Mexican Americans were more likely than European Americans to search online for dental health information. All participants demonstrated high interest in accessing and storing their own health information especially on paper format; storage in other places, such as personal computers, smartphones, or USB flash drives, was less endorsed. Most participants would allow spouses access to their health records; however, there were significant differences between both population groups regarding access given to physicians, dentists and other family members, with Mexican Americans reporting more restrictions. Our findings provide initial information on differential use pattern of electronic health resources among Mexican Americans and suggest that new information technologies reach population groups traditionally underserved; such features may help address disparities in general and dental health