Validation of a Persian Short-Form Version of a Standardised Questionnaire Assessing Oral Cancer Knowledge, Practice and Attitudes Among Dentists

Objectives: Oral cancer is a global health problem; however, many dentists lack the necessary skills, knowledge and capacity to diagnose oral cancers early. This study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of a Persian short-form version of a standardised questionnaire to assess dentists’ knowledge, practice and attitudes towards oral cancer. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in May 2015 in Tehran, Iran. An original 39-item English-language questionnaire developed by Yellowitz et al. was translated into Persian using forward and backward translation methods. A total of 15 dental professionals were asked to assess the questionnaire for content validity. Based on their feedback, a 20-item short-form version was prepared, including six demographic, six knowledge, four attitude and four practice items. The translated short-form questionnaire was subsequently distributed to 973 general dental practitioners attending a dental conference in Tehran. Internal consistency and reliability were assessed with Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and item-total correlation calculations. Results: A total of 13 professionals and 313 general dentists participated in the study (response rates: 86.7% and 32.2%, respectively). After the elimination of six items (two knowledge, two attitude and two practice items), the validity and reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed. Conclusion: The final Persian 14-item version of the questionnaire had acceptable validity and internal consistency. These results indicate that researchers can use this translated short-form version to evaluate oral cancer knowledge, attitudes and practices among Persian-speaking dentists; this will allow for a comparison of data between different populations

Risk Factors Associated with Denture Stomatitis in Healthy Subjects Attending a Dental School in Southeast Iran

Objectives: There is scant information regarding the multifactorial aetiology of denture stomatitis (DS) in the world and, despite its frequency, associated factors are not completely understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors that may be associated with this lesion. Methods: A total of 70 edentulous patients, all wearing removable dentures, were divided into two groups. The test group comprised 43 patients with DS and the control group comprised 27 subjects with clinically healthy palatal mucosa. A thorough history-taking and physical examination were carried out; the subjects also answered a questionnaire. The serum level of vitamin A for each subject was assayed from a blood sample taken after the examination. Results: This study showed a significant relationship between the incidence of DS and three major factors: denture age (in terms of years), the practitioner manufacturing the dentures (general dental practitioner versus dental hygienist), and the nightlong wearing of dentures. Also, the vitamin A serum level was low in 94.29% of all subjects (cases and controls). Conclusion: Although many predisposing conditions were related to this situation, the most important risk factor was the continuous use of the dentures

Occupational Stress and Coping Behaviours Among Dentists in Kerman, Iran

Objectives: Recognising causes of stress can help prevent associated adverse effects. This study aimed to investigate causes of occupational stress and coping behaviours among general dentists in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from April to December 2014. A modified version of the Occupational Stress Indicator questionnaire was used to assess causes of stress and coping behaviours among 142 general dentists in Kerman, Iran. Results: A total of 93 dentists participated in the study (response rate: 65.5%). Of these, 58.9% reported often being stressed. The mean general stress score was 63.33 ± 19.99. The most common causes of stress were maintaining high levels of concentration while working (65.6%), time pressures (64.5%), concern over their ability to deliver dental services in future (60.2%) and rising costs (59.1%). No significant relationships between stress and gender, age, workplace or working hours per week were noted (P >0.05). However, there was a significant correlation between general stress scores and years of job experience (P = 0.05) and number of patients treated daily (P = 0.03). The most common methods for coping with stress were resting (71.0%), sports (45.2%) and entertainment (43.0%). Most dentists felt that stress management courses could help to reduce stress (89.7%). Conclusion: General dentists in Kerman were subject to many sources of stress in their workplaces, with significant relationships between stress scores and years of work experience and number of patients treated daily. Dentists should be encouraged to participate in stress management courses to help alleviate stress

Knowledge and Use of Evidence-based Dentistry among Iranian Dentists

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and use of evidence-based dentistry (EBD) among Iranian dentists. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire among dentists attending the 52nd National Annual Congress of the Iranian Dental Association in Tehran in April 2012. The questions covered the participants’ level of knowledge and use of EBD. Results: The mean knowledge score of the 310 respondents was 3.66 ± 1.19 out of a maximum of 5. The majority of the dentists had little (56.1%) or no (20.7%) knowledge of EBD. The main reported barrier to the use of EBD was lack of time (44.1% of respondents) with 42.8% of dentists using the Internet less than one hour per week. Conclusion: EBD was not a familiar concept to these Iranian dentists; the majority of them preferred consultation with colleagues over seeking evidence from electronic databases

Retrospective study maxillofacial fractures epidemiology and treatment plans in Southeast of Iran

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of facial injuries varies in different countries and geographic zones. Population concentration, lifestyle, cultural background, and socioeconomic status can affect the prevalence of maxillofacial injuries. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the maxillofacial fractures epidemiology and treatment plans in hospitalized patients (2012-2014) which would be useful for better policy making strategies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this retrospective study, the medical records of 386 hospitalized patients were evaluated from the department of maxillofacial surgery at Bahonar Hospital of Kerman, Iran. The type and cause of fractures and treatment plans were recorded in a checklist. For data analysis, ANOVA, t-test, Chi-square, and Fisher's exact test were performed, using SPSS version 21. RESULTS: The majority of patients were male (76.5%). Most subjects were within the age range of 20-30 years. Fractures were mostly caused by accidents, particularly motorcycle accidents (MCAs), and the most common site of involvement was the mandible (parasymphysis). There was a significant association between the type of treatment and age. In fact, the age group of 16-59 years under went open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) more than other age groups (P=0.02). Also, a significant association was observed between gender and the occurrence of fractures (P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Considering the geographic and cultural indices of the evaluated population, it can be concluded that patients age and gender and trauma causes significantly affect the prevalence of maxillofacial traumas and fracture kinds and treatment plans

Standardization of European Medical Risk Related History questionnaire for use with Persian-speaking population

BACKGROUND: Today, the dental practitioners are finding many more medically compromised patients in their practice. AIMS: The aim of this study was standardization of the European Medical Risk Related History (EMRRH) questionnaire for use among Persian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The English original version of the EMRRH questionnaire was translated into Persian language by a forward-backward translation method. Then reliability was tested on 50 subjects. Also, the sensitivity, specificity, and validity of the questionnaire were assessed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Cohen's kappa, a measure of agreement between observers that includes an adjustment for chance agreement, was likewise calculated. RESULTS: The reliability coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) of the EMRRH was above the recommended 0.7 threshold and considered excellent (alpha 0.87). Specificity of the questions was 94% and of per EMRRH item was 93%. Sensitivity per question was 86.1% and of per EMRRH item was 94%. Cohen's kappa for the questionnaire was 0.89 and for subsequent questions was 0.82. CONCLUSIONS: The EMRRH (Persian version) has been shown to be valid in comparison with the gold standard (a medical history taken by a physician experienced) and this instrument would be an effectual method of history taking for the dentist