Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in Patients Wearing Fixed Partial Dentures

The objective of this longitudinal study was to find out patients self-perception about their oral health condition before treatment, one week and one year after the prosthodontics treatment with fixed partial dentures (FPD) as well as to compare the outcomes with healthy patients, by identifying the changes in relevant aspects of quality of life. A total of 70 subjects - 35 with necessity of fixed partial dentures (FPD) and 35 healthy individuals without any need for prosthetic treatment as a control group (CG) participated on a voluntarily base by responding the OHIP – MAC49 questionnaire for determining the oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL). The FPD group responded in three time intervals – before the FPD intervention, one week after and finally, one year after it. In order to examine the extent in the improvement of the self-rated quality of life, these three measures taken over different periods of time were compared. This set of three assessments from the FPD group was also compared with the average scores of the CG. The results have shown very fast improvement in almost all domains of OHRQoL defined by the instrument after applying FPD. The overall mean of experienced or perceived difficulties after the FPD intervention dropped from M=57.1 (SD=22.4) to M=40.3 (SD=17.2) only one week after the treatment, whereas one year later it was reduced to M=6.5 (SD=4.4). Exceptions of the quick recovery were only two domains, mainly connected with the difficulties caused by dental pain. One year after the treatment, the scores of each of the domains of OHRQoL of the FPD patients were the same with those of the healthy individuals. The results indicated very satisfactory impact of this kind of dental appliance on oral health related to quality of life of FPD wearers

Prevalence of Work-related Musculoskeletal Symptoms among Dental Students at Ss. Cyril and Methodius University Dental School in Skopje

AIM: The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal problems in 3rd, 4th, and final year of study in Ss. Cyril and Methodius University Dental School. METHODS: All 3rd, 4th, and final year regular dental students were invited to take part in the study, which involved completing the extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. This questionnaire facilitates an assessment of troubles (ache, pain, or discomfort) with neck, shoulders, upper back, elbows, wrists/hands, low back, hips/thighs, knees, and ankles/feet. RESULTS: Out of a maximum possible number of 146 students, 116 agreed to participate and completed the questionnaire (33 males and 83 females). The response rate was 79.5%. The mean age of students was 22.6 years (SD = 1.52), ranging from 20 to 26 years. During the past 12 months, students have problems mostly with neck 48 (41.4%), upper back 43 (37.1%), and low back 43 (37.1%). Working hours/week was 12 h for 3rd year, 20 h for 4th, and 30 h for 5th-year students. There is a significant difference between the students from third study year with these from 4th and 6th study year regarding the neck (χ2 (2)= 6.46, p < 0.05), upper back (χ2 (2) = 7.38, p < 0.05), and low back (χ2 (2)= 13.79, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study reported high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among the dental students. Preventive measures and more ergonomic recommendations are indicated

Правна регулација на здравствените специјализации и супспецијализации од областа на стоматологијата во Република Северна Македонија

Recognizing the dynamic nature of changes in legal regulations governing health specializations and subspecializations in dentistry, the purpose of this paper was to present the current legal framework governing health specializations and subspecializations in dentistry in the Republic of North Macedonia. Materials and Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of legal regulations accessible at the database of regulations and publications on the website of the Official Gazette of the Republic of North Macedonia, utilizing specific keywords, including "specializations," "subspecializations," and "dentistry." Additionally, we analyzed regulations available on the websites of higher education institutions offering specializations and subspecializations in dentistry. From the pool of regulations scrutinized, we selected those marked as valid or partially valid and relevant. Our study employed the legal-dogmatic method, content analysis, and the descriptive method. Results: The legal framework includes laws, regulations, decisions of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia, decisions of higher education institutions, and government programs. Health workers in dentistry, regardless of their employment status, have the right to engage in specialization or subspecialization. The Ministry of Health can approve specialization or subspecialization for foreign citizens with completed dental faculty education. However, approval procedures vary depending on the employment status. Health workers with higher education in dentistry can specialize in 8 branches of specialization and 2 branches of subspecialization, conducted in accredited institutions. During the specialization and subspecialization, health workers are guided by a mentor and educators. In conclusion, frequent revisions in the legal framework governing health specializations and subspecializations in dentistry in the Republic of North Macedonia imply a recurrent re-norming process, potentially affecting healthcare workers' understanding of the legal framework surrounding specializations and subspecializations. Given the rapid scientific evolution, we advocate for reduced norming and alignment of higher education programs with emerging scientific insights.Препознавајќи ја динамичната природа на промените во законските прописи кои ги регулираат здравствените специјализации и супспецијализации во стоматологијата, целта на овој труд беше да ја претстави актуелната правна рамка што ги регулира здравствените специјализации и супспецијализации по стоматологија во Република Северна Македонија. Материјали и методи: Спроведовме сеопфатно пребарување на правните прописи достапни преку базата на прописи и изданија на веб-страницата на ЈП „Службен весник на Република Северна Македонија“, користејќи специфични клучни зборови, вклучувајќи: „специјализации“, „супспецијализации“ и „стоматологија”. Дополнително, ги анализиравме прописите достапни на веб-страниците на високообразовните институции кои спроведуваат специјализации и супспецијализации во стоматологијата. Од сите прописи што беа разгледани, ги избравме оние кои беа означени како важечки или делумно важечки и релевантни. Нашето истражување го користеше правно-догматскиот метод, анализа на содржината и дескриптивниот метод. Резултати: Правната рамка вклучува закони, прописи, одлуки на Владата на Република Северна Македонија, одлуки на високообразовни институции и владини програми. Здравствените работници во стоматологијата, без разлика на работниот статус, имаат право да започнат со специјализација или супспецијализација. Министерството за здравство може да одобри специјализација или супспецијализација за странски државјани со завршен стоматолошки факултет. Сепак, процедурите за одобрување се разликуваат во зависност од работниот статус. Здравствените работници со високо образование од стоматологија можат да специјализираат во 8 гранки на специјализација и 2 гранки на супспецијализација, спроведени во акредитирани институции. За време на специјализацијата и супспецијализацијата, здравствените работници се раководени од ментор и едукатори. Како заклучок, честите ревизии во правната рамка што ги регулира здравствените специјализации и супспецијализации во стоматологијата во Република Северна Македонија подразбираат повторлив процес на ренормирање, што потенцијално може да влијае на разбирањето на здравствените работници на правната рамка за специјализациите и супспецијализациите. Со оглед на брзата научна еволуција, ние се залагаме за намалено нормирање и усогласување на програмите за високо образование со новите научни сознанија.

Psihometrijska svojstva upitnika Oral Health Impact Profile od 14 stavki prevedenoga na makedonski jezik

Objective: Due to the consideration that oral/dental health is an important part of general health, well-being, and an individual’s quality of life, the need for appropriate instruments assessing oral health-related quality of life is emphasized. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Oral health-related quality of life questionnaire consisting of 14 questions among the Macedonian language-speaking adults (OHIP-MAC 14). Material and methods: A total of 270 adults participated in the study. The reliability of the questionnaire was examined by testing the internal consistency and reproducibility (test-retest). The responsiveness of the instrument was tested by computing the pre-intervention and post-intervention OHIP-14 scores using the paired t-test followed by the determination of the effect-size. The two aspects of the construct validity were evaluated: concurrent validity and discriminative validity. Results: A concurrent validity analysis confirmed that the instrument performed well. Discriminative validity also confirmed good psychometric properties (P<0.01). The ICC statistics and the Cronbach alpha coefficients indicated the appropriate reliability of the instrument for the included groups of participants. The responsiveness of the questionnaire was also acceptable (P<0.01) demonstrating the large effect-size of 1.43. Conclusion: The OHIP 14 MAC showed acceptable psychometric properties and can be recommended as a valuable instrument in assessments of the Oral health-related quality of life in the Republic of North Macedonia.Svrha istraživanja: S obzirom na to da je oralno/dentalno zdravlje važan dio općega zdravlja te dobrobiti i kvalitete života pojedinca, ističe se potreba za odgovarajućim instrumentima za procjenu kvalitete života povezane s oralnim zdravljem. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je procijeniti psihometrijska svojstva upitnika o kvaliteti života povezanog s oralnim zdravljem koji se sastoji od 14 pitanja među odraslim osobama koje govore makedonskim jezikom (OHIP-MAC 14). Materijali i metode: U istraživanju je sudjelovalo ukupno 270 odraslih osoba. Pouzdanost upitnika analizirana je ispitivanjem unutarnje konzistentnosti i ponovljivosti (test-retest). Responzivnost instrumenta testirana je izračunavanjem rezultata OHIPa-14 prije intervencije i poslije nje korištenjem uparenoga t-testa nakon čega je slijedilo određivanje veličine učinka. Procijenjena su dva aspekta valjanosti konstrukta – konkurentna valjanost i diskriminirajuća valjanost.Rezultati: Konkurentna analiza valjanosti potvrdila je da je instrument dobro funkcionirao. Diskriminacijska valjanost također je potvrdila dobra psihome-trijska svojstva (P < 0,01). ICC statistika i Cronbachovi alfa koeficijenti upućivali su na odgovarajuću pouzdanost instrumenta za uključene skupine sudionika. Pokazujući veliku veličinu učinka od 1,43, responzivnost upitnika također je bila prihvatljiva (P < 0,01). Zaključak: OHIP 14 MAC pokazao je pri-hvatljiva psihometrijska svojstva i može se preporučiti kao vrijedan instrument u procjeni kvalitete života povezane s oralnim zdravljem u Republici Sjevernoj Makedoniji

Prosthodontics Status and Treatment Needs among the Elderly in the Republic of Macedonia

BACKGROUND: Oral health care management among the elderly differs from the rest of the population, due to some specific physiological changes and general health status related to age. We know very little about the oral health in elderly in the Republic of Macedonia, because there are only a few articles published about dental health status and edentulism of this population.AIM: The study aimed to evaluate the prosthodontic status of older adults over 65 years in the Republic of Macedonia, about their socio-economic status and individual factors.MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 8 regions, in rural and urban areas of Macedonia and a representative sample of 432 people (age &gt; 65 years) was examined. Statistical analyses of the data were made by chi-square tests and the corresponding C-coefficient.RESULTS: Only 6% of all participants had not any prosthetic appliance, 9.5% had more than one bridge, 28.7% of examinees had partial dentures, both bridge(s) and partial denture(s) had 10.7% participants, and 45.1% of examinees were toothless. There was a significant difference between patients who visited the dentist more than once a year and those who did not (c2 = 14.2; df = 4, p &lt; 0.01). From all of the participants, 40.3% used public dental care organisations.CONCLUSIONS: We found a high prevalence of edentulousness among older adults over 65 years in Macedonia. The study confirmed the necessity for establishing healthcare educational programs for the dental treatment of elderly in Macedonia

Motivation to Follow a Career in Dentistry of Students in Three South-East European Countries

Uvod: Željelo se istražiti i usporediti čimbenike koji su potaknuli studente na studij stomatologije uzemljama sličnog okružja (Albanija, Hrvatska i Republika Sjeverna Makedonija) i procijeniti je li se njihova motivacija tijekom godina promijenila ili ne.Materijal i metode: U 2014./2015. Godini provedenasu poprečno-presječna istraživanja (cross-sectional) na državnim stomatološkim fakultetima u Tirani(Albanija), Zagrebu (Hrvatska) i Skoplju (Makedonija) kako bi se procijenilo stajalište studenata o njihovoj motivaciji za karijeru. Dobrovoljno i anonimno sudjelovali su studenti stomatologije s prve, trećei završne godine. Upitnik s pet stavki preveden je na jezike zemalja sudionica. Etičko odobrenje daloje Etičko povjerenstvo Sveučilišta sveti Ćiril i Metod iz Skoplja. Chi kvadrat testom ispitano je postojeli statistički značajne razlike u odgovorima između studenata u trima državama i između godina studija.Rezultati: Ukupno je bilo uključeno 739 ispitanika (319 u Tirani, 211 u Zagrebu i 208 u Skoplju).Razlike u odgovorima studenata prve godine u svim trima zemljama bile su statistički značajne (χ2 = 82,65; p < 0,01). Najintrigantnije je bilo pitanje o pritisku roditelja da studiraju stomatologiju nakoje je najviše pozitivnih odgovora bilo u Tirani (čak 27,7 %). Pozitivna slika bio je najčešći odgovorzagrebačkih studenata (do 79,7 %), ali se smanjuje od prve do posljednje godine u Skoplju. Takođersu postojale značajne razlike između fakulteta unutar trećih i posljednjih godina studija.Zaključci: Pozitivna slika stomatološke profesije bila je glavni razlog za upis na svim trima fakultetima – tako jeodgovorilo čak 97 % studenata na završnoj godini u Hrvatskoj, članici Europske unije (EU). U dvjemadržavama koje nisu članice EU-a (Albanija, Sjeverna Makedonija) činilo se da stomatološka profesi-ja nema tako dobar status, a očekivanja studenata se ne ispunjavaju, posebno u Skoplju (čak 33,9 %spremno je promijeniti zvanje i njih do 64,5 % izgubilo je motivaciju za studij). Jedna od strategija zapoboljšanje stanja mogla bi biti uključivanje više kliničke prakse i bolja organizacija pojedinih studijaObjective: To investigate and compare the factors that motivated students to study dentistry in countries with similar background (Albania, Croatia and the Republic of Northern Macedonia) and to as-sess whether or not their motivation changed during time. Material and methods: In 2014/2015,cross-sectional studies were conducted in state funded dental schools in Tirana (Albania), Zagreb(Croatia) and Skopje (North Macedonia) to assess student views on their career motivation. All den-tal students from the first, third and final years of study were invited to participate. The participationwas voluntary and anonymous. A five-item questionnaire was translated into languages of the par-ticipating countries. Ethics approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the University of SaintsCyril and Methodius, Skopje. The Chi square test was used to test if there were statistically significantdifferences in answers between students in 3 countries, furthermore between years of the study.Re-sults: The total number of respondents was 739 (319 in Tirana, 211 in Zagreb and 208 in Skopje) Thedifferences in the answers between the first-year students from all three countries were statistical-ly significant (χ2=82.65; p<.01). The most striking answer was to the question on parents’ pressureto study dentistry, which was far more frequent in Tirana (up to 27.7%). A “positive image” was themost frequent response from students from Zagreb (up to 79.7%), but it declined from the first to thefinal year in Skopje. There were also significant differences the schools within the 3rdand final years of study. Conclusions: A positive image of dental profession was the main reason for students studying dentistry at all three schools; as many as 97% of the students of the final year in Croa-tia, a member of the European Union (EU). In the two non-EU countries (Albania, North Macedonia) itseemed that dental profession does not have such good status and student expectations are not be-ing fulfilled, especially in Skopje (up to 33.9% willing to change their vocation and up to 64.5% losttheir motivation to study) One of the strategies to improve the situation could be to include more clinical practice and to better organize the study

Pediatric patients’ reasons for visiting dentists in all WHO regions

Oral Function, Orofacial Pain, Orofacial Appearance, and Psychosocial Impact are the four oral healthrelated quality of life (OHRQoL) dimensions (4D) or areas in which oral disorders impact pediatric patients. Using their dentists’ assessment, the study aimed to evaluate whether pediatric dental patients’ oral health concerns ft into the 4D of the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) construct.Dentists who treat children from 32 countries and all WHO regions were selected from a web-based survey of 1580 international dentists. Dentists were asked if their pediatric patients with current or future oral health concerns ft into the 4D of the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) construct. Proportions of all pediatric patients’ oral health problems and prevention needs were computed

Psychometric Properties of the 14 Items Oral Health Impact Profile Questionnaire Translated into the Macedonian language

Objective: Due to the consideration that oral/dental health is an important part of general health, well-being, and an individual’s quality of life, the need for appropriate instruments assessing oral health-related quality of life is emphasized. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Oral health-related quality of life questionnaire consisting of 14 questions among the Macedonian language-speaking adults (OHIP-MAC 14). Material and methods: A total of 270 adults participated in the study. The reliability of the questionnaire was examined by testing the internal consistency and reproducibility (test-retest). The responsiveness of the instrument was tested by computing the pre-intervention and post-intervention OHIP-14 scores using the paired t-test followed by the determination of the effect-size. The two aspects of the construct validity were evaluated: concurrent validity and discriminative validity. Results: A concurrent validity analysis confirmed that the instrument performed well. Discriminative validity also confirmed good psychometric properties (P<0.01). The ICC statistics and the Cronbach alpha coefficients indicated the appropriate reliability of the instrument for the included groups of participants. The responsiveness of the questionnaire was also acceptable (P<0.01) demonstrating the large effect-size of 1.43. Conclusion: The OHIP 14 MAC showed acceptable psychometric properties and can be recommended as a valuable instrument in assessments of the Oral health-related quality of life in the Republic of North Macedonia

Oral surgery treatment in the patients with combination syndrome

Introduction: Combination syndrome is periodicly associated in wearers with removable dentures, were upper is complete denture and lower is partial denture with some of the anterior natural teeth still in the mouth. Material and method: The study was provided on five patients with removable dentures at the Department of prosthodontics in the period of last three years. Three of them have weared the dentures more then ten years, and came to the clinic for new one. Another two patients have weared removable dentures between two and four years, and came because in the frontal part of the upper jaw appeared swollen. By clinical examination in all patients we noticed: hyperplastic tissue in the pre-maxillary region, reduction of the residual ridge on the frontal part of the maxilla as a result of the increasing pressure from the anterior teeth of thelower jaw.This tissue was removed by oral surgery (laser removing of hyperplastic tissue). Also we noticed periodontal changes and extrusion of natural lowerfrontal teeth and increased reduction of mandibular residual ridge. Results and conclusion: After healing period we made: new dentures in the three patients which were covered by the HIFM andin another two patients we made indirect relining on the upper denture, re-occlusion and re-articulation achieving a weak contacts between the lower natural teeth and upper teeth of the complete denture. We cautioned the patients not to bite food with anterior teeth and to avoid chewing very hard food which tends to imprint and displace dentures and of course to came to regular controls. Keywords removable dentures, combination sindrom, hyperplastic tissue, oral surgery treatment