Oral health-related interdisciplinary practices among healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia: Does integrated care exist?

Background There is a bidirectional relation between oral and general health, therefore collaboration between healthcare providers is needed. This study investigated current interdisciplinary practices (IDP) and the associated factors among healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Eastern Saudi Arabia recruiting four groups of health professionals (nurses, physicians, pediatricians and Ear-Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists). A validated, self-administered questionnaire was distributed online and shared through social media platforms. The questionnaire explored predisposing factors (demographics) and facilitating factors (knowledge, attitudes, attendance of oral health training and source of knowledge) associated with IDP. Results A total of 1398 health professionals were recruited. Participants showed fair oral health knowledge (7.1 ± 2.1) and attitudes (22.2 ± 3). Three-fourths (74.6%) reported always providing oral health education (OHE) to their patients, more than half (59.6%) reported always conducting an oral health screening (OHS), two-thirds (66.7%) reported responding to patients’ questions about oral health or conditions and 58.7% reported referring patients to dentists. Pediatricians and physicians had greater odds of IDP compared to other health professionals. Source of oral health knowledge (Ministry of Health (MOH) and formal education) was significantly associated with increased odds of IDP. Participants with good oral health knowledge had greater odds of responding to patients’ oral health question as well as have more referral practices. Conclusion The results reveal a discrepancy between participants' IDP, knowledge, and attitudes. Incorporating dental component to medical curricula, continuous education and training programs targeting health professionals through Ministry of Health should be considered.publishedVersio

Oral health-related interdisciplinary practices among healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia: Does integrated care exist?

Background: There is a bidirectional relation between oral and general health, therefore collaboration between healthcare providers is needed. This study investigated current interdisciplinary practices (IDP) and the associated factors among healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Eastern Saudi Arabia recruiting four groups of health professionals (nurses, physicians, pediatricians and Ear-Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists). A validated, self-administered questionnaire was distributed online and shared through social media platforms. The questionnaire explored predisposing factors (demographics) and facilitating factors (knowledge, attitudes, attendance of oral health training and source of knowledge) associated with IDP.Results: A total of 1398 health professionals were recruited. Participants showed fair oral health knowledge (7.1 ± 2.1) and attitudes (22.2 ± 3). Three-fourths (74.6%) reported always providing oral health education (OHE) to their patients, more than half (59.6%) reported always conducting an oral health screening (OHS), two-thirds (66.7%) reported responding to patients' questions about oral health or conditions and 58.7% reported referring patients to dentists. Pediatricians and physicians had greater odds of IDP compared to other health professionals. Source of oral health knowledge (Ministry of Health (MOH) and formal education) was significantly associated with increased odds of IDP. Participants with good oral health knowledge had greater odds of responding to patients' oral health question as well as have more referral practices.Conclusion: The results reveal a discrepancy between participants' IDP, knowledge, and attitudes. Incorporating dental component to medical curricula, continuous education and training programs targeting health professionals through Ministry of Health should be considered.</p

Exploring factors influencing nurses’ attitudes towards their role in dental care

Background The burden of oral disease requires collaboration between health care professionals. Nurses are frequently exposed to patients and can play a vital role in prevention of oral diseases. This study aimed to investigate nurses’ attitudes towards their role in dental care and its associated factors. Methods This cross-sectional, survey-based study recruited a total of 525 nurses in Eastern Saudi Arabia, using a snow-ball sampling technique. Data was collected using an online, pre-validated 40-item questionnaire with four domains (attitudes, knowledge, practices, and demographic data). Results Nurses showed satisfactory attitudes (52.8 ± 8.2) and average knowledge (13.4 ±3.9). More than two thirds (70.3%) reported responding to patients’ questions about oral health conditions, 47.1% and 19.7% conducted oral health screening and education respectively. Referral practices were reported by 266 (50.7%) of the participants with pain being the main reason for referrals. Attending lectures/ trainings on oral health and having a formal education about oral health were significantly associated with nurses’ positive attitudes towards their role in dental care (P<0.001). Conducting oral health screening or education were also significantly associated with positive attitudes (P = 0.001). Conclusion Positive attitudes were observed among those with undergraduate oral health backgrounds, in continuous education, and those who were involved in oral health screenings. There is a need for under and postgraduate inclusion of oral health training in nurses’ education.publishedVersio

Amalgam controversy : current practice, perception, attitudes, and factors associated with clinical decision making among US dentists

Dissertation (DScD) --Boston University, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, 2015.Includes bibliography: leaves 137-148.Objectives: As part of the United Nations Envirornment Programme (UNEP) effbrts to minimize mercury pollution, a binding agreement on global phase-down of dental analgam use was reached in 2013. While each country may take different approaches to comply with the binding agreement, it is unknown what would be the best strategy for the US. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate dentists’perception, attitude and opinions about amalgam, and the relative importance of different patient-related factors on the restorative decision. Methods: A total of 45,557 general dentists and 5,101 pediatric dentists were invited to participate in a pre-tested electronic survey. The survey was sent out using the Qualtrics[TM] software, followed by three reminders. The survey investigated dentists’ perception, attitude and opinions regarding amalgam. It also included hypothetical Clinical scenarios to measure the relative importance of two factors: (type of dental insurance and caries risk) on their restorative preference. Data analysis was conducted using SAS 9.3. Multiple and multinomial logistic regressions were used to investigate the participants’ perception, attitude and opinions about future direction for amalgam. Choice-based conjoint analysis was used to determine the trade-offs affecting the decision-making about amalgam. Results: Of45,557 general dentists and 5,101 pediatric dentists, 1,538 and 850 responses were analyzed. Sixty-two percent of general dentists and 56% of pediatric dentists reported using amalgam. The majority of general dentists (65%) and pediatric dentists (68%) disagreed with banning amalgam, while 53% of general dentists and 60% of pediatric dentists agreed with installing amalgam separators. Multinomial logistic regression showed that respondents’ opinion about banning amalgam and installing amalgam separators varied by their environmental consciousness. Conjoint analysis revealed that caries risk and type of dental insurance affected respondents’ decision about amalgam use, with caries risk more influential for choosing amalgam, than insurance status. Conclusion: The majority of US dentists value amalgam as a useful restorative material, especially for higher caries risk patients. This finding supports the Minamata treaty recommendations for focusing on caries prevention to reduce amalgam use. Policies, including insurance reimbursement, and mitigating mercury pollution while supporting appropriate clinical practice for underserved populations should be implemented

Fluoride concentration of water supply in Eastern Saudi Arabia: A preliminary study

Background: Community water fluoridation is known to play a significant role in enhancing oral health by reducing the incidence of dental caries. However, the level of fluoride in the supplied public water in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is unknown. Objective: To determine water fluoride levels at the main sources supplying water to households and schools in two major cities (Dammam and Al-Khobar) of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Methods: From the Directorate of Water Agency and Directorate of Education, the following were identified as the main sources of public water supply in Dammam and Al-Khobar: the water agency, public water tanks and four contracted companies. Two samples were collected from each of these six identified water sources at two different time points (in January and July 2016; 2 samples/site/time point; N = 24) using 500 mL polythene bottles. Each sample was analyzed using an ion chromatography system at different detection limits (including the lowest detection limit of 0.065 ppm) to determine the fluoride level. Results: There was no fluoride detected in any sample even at the lowest detection limit, indicating that fluoride levels in the studied water samples were <0.065 ppm. Conclusion: This study found that in the cities studied, fluoride levels, if any, are considerably below the optimum recommended level for the prevention of dental caries (i.e., 0.7 ppm)

Does the Behavior of Pediatric Patients towards Dental Treatment Influence the Pattern of Adjacent (Sound, Decayed, and Filled) Proximal Surfaces in Primary Molars?

This retrospective study aimed to investigate the influence of patient behavior toward dental treatment on the presence of adjacent (sound, decayed, or filled) proximal surfaces in the primary molars. The study included a records review of 2226 pediatric patients. Records were eligible if the patients were in primary or mixed dentition, and if they included a complete set of bitewings and periapical intraoral radiographs of all their primary molars. Four calibrated reviewers used intraoral radiographs to record the sound, decayed, and filled proximal distal surfaces of the first primary molars and the mesial surfaces of the second primary molars. Demographical variables were reported from patients&rsquo; medical records including gender, age, medical history, nationality, and patient behavior. Patients&rsquo; behaviors were evaluated using Frankl&rsquo;s Behavior Rating Scale. The Pearson correlation was used to test the association between the sound, decayed, and filled distal surfaces of the first primary molars and the mesial surface of the second primary molar. High correlations of &ge;0.6 were further tested in simple and multiple linear regression models to test the influence of patients&rsquo; behaviors on these correlations after adjusting for demographical factors. All tests were performed at 5% significance level A. A total of 1194 records met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. There was a high positive correlation between the sound, decayed, and filled distal surfaces of the first primary molar and similar surfaces on the mesial of the second primary molars (0.66, 0.61, and 0.60, respectively). Compared to cooperative patients, the adjusted estimate of the mean decayed mesial surface of the second primary molar increased significantly for non-cooperative patients by 0.1 (95% CI = 0.16&ndash;0.53). On the contrary, the adjusted estimate of the mean sound mesial surfaces of the second primary molars decreased significantly by 0.09 for non-cooperative patients, compared to those who were cooperative (95% CI = &minus;0.52&ndash;&minus;0.15). Patient cooperation did not significantly influence the mean of the filled mesial surfaces of the second primary molars (adjusted B = 0.01, 95% CI = &minus;0.05&ndash;0.09). Educating parents and clinicians about the influence of children&rsquo;s behaviors on oral health is highly encouraged to improve treatment outcomes and reduce the progression of dental caries. The implementation of specific behavior management techniques is also important to reduce dental fear and anxiety

The effect of social media campaign on parental knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the use of children car seats in the Gulf region

Abstract Background Motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) are the leading cause of child deaths in the Gulf Cooperation Council. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a social media educational campaign on parents' knowledge of child safety seats. Methods We conducted a pre-post interventional study as an online educational module in Arabic and English. The module link was shared on social media and was accompanied by a pre-post survey that included questions about demographics, knowledge, and practices of car seat use. Results A total of 303 participants completed the campaign, with 23.8% fathers and 76.2% mothers answered the survey. The majority of participants were from Saudi Arabia (95.7%), while 4.3% were from other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Most parents agreed on the importance of organizing awareness campaigns and having a law to enforce the use of car seats. The pre-survey mean knowledge score was 11.64, which significantly increased to 13.1 in the post-survey (p < 0.001). Conclusions The intervention of the educational campaign through social media resulted in a significant increase in parents' knowledge and awareness of the importance of using car seats correctly. This study highlights the potential effectiveness of social media campaigns in improving parents' knowledge and awareness of child safety seats

Oral health-related interdisciplinary practices among healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia: Does integrated care exist?

Background There is a bidirectional relation between oral and general health, therefore collaboration between healthcare providers is needed. This study investigated current interdisciplinary practices (IDP) and the associated factors among healthcare professionals in Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Eastern Saudi Arabia recruiting four groups of health professionals (nurses, physicians, pediatricians and Ear-Nose and Throat (ENT) specialists). A validated, self-administered questionnaire was distributed online and shared through social media platforms. The questionnaire explored predisposing factors (demographics) and facilitating factors (knowledge, attitudes, attendance of oral health training and source of knowledge) associated with IDP. Results A total of 1398 health professionals were recruited. Participants showed fair oral health knowledge (7.1 ± 2.1) and attitudes (22.2 ± 3). Three-fourths (74.6%) reported always providing oral health education (OHE) to their patients, more than half (59.6%) reported always conducting an oral health screening (OHS), two-thirds (66.7%) reported responding to patients’ questions about oral health or conditions and 58.7% reported referring patients to dentists. Pediatricians and physicians had greater odds of IDP compared to other health professionals. Source of oral health knowledge (Ministry of Health (MOH) and formal education) was significantly associated with increased odds of IDP. Participants with good oral health knowledge had greater odds of responding to patients’ oral health question as well as have more referral practices. Conclusion The results reveal a discrepancy between participants' IDP, knowledge, and attitudes. Incorporating dental component to medical curricula, continuous education and training programs targeting health professionals through Ministry of Health should be considered

Association between participants’ dental care practices and their attitudes.

Association between participants’ dental care practices and their attitudes.</p