37 research outputs found
Palestinian womenâs oral health status, knowledge, practices, and access to dental care during pregnancy: a cross-sectional study
Abstract
Background No data exist about the oral health status, beliefs, and practices of women living in the occupied
Palestinian territory generally and in pregnant women in particular. The aim of this study was to investigate pregnant
womenâs oral health status, beliefs, and practices and the barriers to access to dental care.
Methods Pregnant women visiting prenatal programmes at Ministry of Health centres in Jerusalem governorates
were screened using the Decayed, Missed and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index to quantify their dental caries experience. A
structured interview was also done to assess oral health beliefs and practices, demographic characteristics, and
mothersâ stress level and social support. Ethical approval was obtained from Al-Quds University Ethics Committee.
Findings 119 pregnant women agreed to participate in this study. 103 (87%) women were housewives with mean age
26 years (SD 5). 30 (25%) women had a household monthly income less than US$380, and 54 (45%) women did not
finish their high school education. The sample had a mean DMFT index score of 14 (SD 5). 42 (35%) women had not
visited a dentist in the past 3 years, and 61 (51%) women were advised by family and friends not to visit the dentist
while pregnant. 96 (81%) women had no dental insurance, and 33 (28%) women considered cost to be a barrier to
accessing dental care. 42 (35%) women brushed their teeth sometimes, and 106 (89%) women never flossed their
teeth. 29 (24%) women perceived their oral health to be poor, and 65 (55%) women believed that a woman can lose a
tooth just because she is pregnant. 60 (50%) women did not know the connection between poor oral health and
adverse birth outcomes, and 25 (21%) women believed that cavities in baby teeth do not matter.Partially funded by a LâOrĂ©al/UNESCO âFor Women in Scienceâ 2014 Fellowship
Factors related to high dental caries experience in Palestinian pregnant women in the Jerusalem governorate: a cross-sectional study
Beliefs about oral health during pregnancy demographic factors, such as level of education and
socioeconomic status, are associated with an increased risk of oral diseases during pregnancy. The aim of this study
was to assess the oral health status of pregnant women and the relation to the womenâs oral health knowledge,
beliefs, behaviour, and access to dental care.This project was partially funded by 2016 International Dental Federation FDI SMILE Award
Dental caries experience and associated risk indicators among Palestinian pregnant women in the Jerusalem area: a crosssectional study
Background: This study described the dental caries experience of Palestinian pregnant women and examined its
relationships to their oral health knowledge, beliefs, behavior, and access to dental care.
Methods: Pregnant women receiving prenatal care at the Ministry of Health (MOH) centers in the Jerusalem
Governorate were invited to participate in this study. Structured interviews were conducted to assess pregnant
mothersâ beliefs about oral health care and their oral hygiene practices. Screening for mothersâ dental caries
experience was carried out using the Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth/Surfaces (DMFT/S) index. Univariate,
bi-variate and multi-variable analysis were conducted to explain the high level of disease in this population.
Results: A total of 152 pregnant women participated in this study. Mean DMFT in this sample was 15.5 ± 4.5 and
an average DMFS of 31.8 ± 21. According the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria, 89% of our sample were
categorized in the âExtremely Highâ dental caries experience. Fifty-eight percent of the DMFT scores among this
sample were due to untreated dental decay, while 22% of the same DMFT scores demonstrated restorative care
received by this sample. Bivariate analysis showed that mothers who completed a degree after high school had
lower DMFT scores than mothers who did not (F = 4, n = 152, p = .024). In addition, mothers who believed they
could lose a tooth just because they are pregnant had higher DMFT scores (t = â 4, n = 152, p = .037). The final
model found that age, level of education, providersâ advice on utilizing dental care during pregnancy, and the
belief that a woman can lose a tooth just because she is pregnant explained 22% of the variation in DMFT scores.
Conclusions: Women in this study had a high prevalence of dental diseases and knew little about dental care
during pregnancy. Faulty beliefs about dental care during pregnancy among women and health care providers
were major factors in the high levels of disease.Authors thank Mrs. Raghda Belebesi, the head of the nursing department in
the Jerusalem Governorate, and all nurses working in maternal and child
health care centers at the Ministry of Health public clinics for their great help and support during this study.
Funding
Data collection was funded by the 2016 FDI SMILE Award, the Zamalah
University Fellowship Program and the LâOrĂ©al-UNESCO âFor Women in
Scienceâ Fellowship
How Dentistry Survived the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic? The Palestinian Experience
Objectives: Dentists provide care in a proximity with patients and most of dental procedures
generate aerosols and droplets. Under these conditions, dentistry had unique challenges to operate
safely during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study assessed how Palestinian dentists survived the
early months of the COVID-19.
Methods: A cross-sectional study targeted dentists in the West Bank area of Palestine using an on line survey during the first two weeks of May, 2020. Questions mainly asked about dentistsâ
perception of the risks of COVID-19, readiness to reopen their clinics for routine care, and the level
of confidence in dealing with suspected COVID-19 patients.
Results: 448 dentists completed the survey. Almost 60% believed that they were not ready to re open their practices. Thirteen percent had âno confidenceâ in dealing with COVID-19 patients, while
64% had âlittle to moderateâ confidence. Confidence was correlated negatively with increased fear of
getting infected (Ï=-0.317, p<0.0001) and positively with years of practice (Ï=1.7, p< 0.0001).
Dentists who received updated training on infection control or on COVID-19 reported higher levels of
confidence (X2 =53.8,p<0.0001, X2=26.8, p<0.0001 respectively). Although 88% preferred not to
treat COVID-19 patients, 40% were willing to provide care to them. Almost 75% reported that they
were already facing financial hardships and couldnât survive financially until the end of the current
month.
Conclusions: Data from this study highlights the fragility of private dental practice in emergency
situations. Ethical, health and financial challenges that emerged during COVID-19 require dentists to
adapt and be better prepared to face future crises
Oral health status among convenient sample of palestinian adults
The Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) is the term used by the UN for those parts of
historical Palestine occupied by Israel after the ArabâIsraeli war of 1967. (1) Because of the
political situation and its consequences, most of the areas in the West Bank has little
infrastructure in health, education and social services.(2) Ramallah, a city located in the middle
of the West Bank, is considered the commercial and governmental capital of the Palestinian
Territories. Palestinians from all over the West Bank seek jobs and business in Ramallah which
makes its people very diverse
Infection Control Knowledge, Attitude and Behavior among Undergraduate Dental Students at Al-Quds University
Infection control is one of the most crucial challenges in healthcare settings worldwide and is considered one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality associated with clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. At the dental field, the dentists deal with an infective environment while treating patients. Hence strict cross infection protocols are usually taught at dental schools to build the correct habits in dealing with patients and instruments and minimize the risk of cross infection. Al-Quds university dental school applies those strict rules in their out patients dental clinics; however, we donât know how much of infection control protocols are practiced among students and how much of what they learned, will be practiced in their future clinics. Thus, this study came to evaluate the cross infection knowledge, attitude and practice among undergraduate dental students at Al-Quds University. A cross sectional study based on a self-administered questionnaire consisting of seventeen questions regarding the studentsâ knowledge of cross infection and blood borne pathogens transmission in dental settings, six questions on attitude and thirteen questions about their practice and behavior. In addition, some demographic questions such as the gender and the academic average were asked. Questions of this survey were modeled after validated published surveys. This questionnaire was administered to 5th year dental students at the mid of their final semester in the DDS program at Al-Quds university Abu-Dis. We will generalize a descriptive study of knowledge and attitude then weâll do some association using a correlational test to compare the frequencies of knowledge, attitude and practice with a p-value 0.05. Data will be analyzed using SPSS software. Ethical approval will be submitted to AQU Research Ethics Committee
Risk perception and readiness of dental students to treat patients amid COVID-19: Implication for dental education
Dental settings have one of the highest risks of infection transmission
(Jamal et al., 2020; Mohebati, Davis, & Fry, 2010). Therefore,
the COVID-19 pandemic has presented significant challenge for dental
students and infection control measures. Data presented here
were extracted from a survey conducted among Palestinian dental
students in their clinical study years to evaluate their readiness to
return to dental care provision during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A total of 305 dental students from Al-Quds University (AQU)
and Arab American University (AAU) completed the questionnaire in
mid-May 2020. Thirty-four percent of the current sample (n = 103)
perceived COVID-19 as very dangerous, and 84.3% (n = 257)
believed that COVID-19 is a serious public health issue. Fifty-five
percent (n = 168) did not consider themselves prepared for this
outbreak, and 66.2% (n = 202) did not think that their outpatient
clinics' infection control measures prior to COVID-19 are adequate
to receive patients during this pandemic. Eighty-eight percent of
the students (n = 269) admitted to fear of transmitting the virus to
family and friends. This fear was mainly related to their perception
that standard precautions used in dental settings are inadequate and
make it unsafe to deal with patients during the current pandemic
(Ï2 = 50.45, p < .001). Thus, 82% of students (n = 250) preferred to
avoid working with COVID-19 suspected patients. This perceptionThe authors would like to thank each anonymously participating
dental student of Al-Quds University (Palestine) and Arab American
University (Palestine) who contributed to making this work possible
Factors influencing dentistsâ willingness to treat Medicaid-enrolled adolescents
Objectives: To identify factors influencing dentistsâ willingness to treat
Medicaid-enrolled adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities in
Washington state.
Data sources: Primary data were collected by a survey instrument administered
in 2017 to general and pediatric dentists who were Medicaid providers (N = 512).
Methods: We administered a 40-item survey, which included 20 hypothetical scenarios
involving a 12-year-old Medicaid-enrolled adolescent. Based on the characteristics
of the potential patient, dentists were asked to rate their willingness to
treat (1 = very likely; 5 = very unlikely). We used conjoint analytic techniques to
examine the relative importance of six adolescent- and family-level factors
(e.g., severity of intellectual and/or developmental disability [IDD], sugar intake,
toothbrushing, caregiver beliefs about fluoride, restorative needs, appointment
keeping) and state Medicaid reimbursement level (35 percent, 55 percent, 85 percent
of usual, customary, and reasonable amount). Analyses focused on data from
178 dentists with complete and varied responses to the scenarios.
Results: The mean age of participants was 53.8 ± 10.5 years and 10.7 percent
were pediatric dentists. The holdouts correlation statistics indicated excellent fit
for the conjoint model (Pearsonâs R = 0.99, P < 0.0001; Kendallâs tau = 0.89,
P < 0.0001). Reimbursement level and appointment keeping were the most
important factors in dentistsâ willingness to treat Medicaid-enrolled adolescents
(importance scores of 26.7 and 25.7, respectively). Restorative needs, caregiver
beliefs about fluoride, and IDD severity were the next most important (importance
scores of 15.4, 10.6, and 8.1, respectively). Sugar intake and toothbrushing
behaviors were the least important.
Conclusions: Reimbursement and appointment keeping were the most important
determinants of dentistsâ willingness to treat Medicaid-enrolled adolescents
with IDD
Factors related to the willingness of Palestinian dentists to treat patients with blood-borne diseases
This study aimed to explore, using groups of simulated patients, the willingness of Palestinian dentists to treat patients
with blood-borne diseases. Simulated patients conducted a telephone survey of a random sample of dentists registered
with the Palestinian Dental Association. A random system was used to assign dentists to one of two groups, in which
simulated patients randomly identified themselves with either human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or hepatitis B virus
(HBV) and asked for a dental appointment. Three-hundred and four dentists (76%) responded to our telephone survey.
Sixty-six per cent accepted requests for appointments and 34% declined the appointment requests. Sixty-eight per cent
of the dentists declined appointment requests from patients with HIV and 32% declined appointments from patients
with HBV. Dentistâs gender, âblood-borne disease typeâ, âplace of private practiceâ, âcountry of graduationâ and âyears
since graduationâ were all significant predictors in the final logistic model. More than one-third of our respondents
declined appointment requests from patients with blood-borne disease, two-thirds of which were for patients who identified
themselves as having HIV. Education and training programmes are needed to improve attitudes of dentists â especially
female dentists, older dentists and dentists practising in northern governorates â towards patients with bloodborne
diseases.The authors wish to thank Dr. Hussein Al-Rimawi for
his statistical advice and Al Quds University dental
class of 2008 for their participation in the study as
simulated patients
The transition from amalgam to other restorative materials in the U.S. predoctoral pediatric dentistry clinics
Increased concerns about the safety of amalgam restorations in children have
resulted in many dental schools emphasizing the teaching of alternative dental materials.
This study investigated the current teaching of different dental materials for use
in posterior teeth in the United States predoctoral pediatric dentistry programs. In
2011, the authors invited the chairs of the predoctoral pediatric dentistry departments
in all accredited dental schools at that time (N = 57) to participate in an
internetâbased survey. Descriptive statistics were calculated to describe the frequency
of using different restorative materials. Regression models were developed
to explore the factors related to the use of dental restorations in predoctoral pediatric
clinics. Among the 44 dental schools that responded (77% response rate), 74% used
amalgam, and 93% used composite in primary posterior teeth. Glass ionomer was
used by 61% of the schools in primary posterior teeth. Placing amalgam in primary
posterior teeth was associated with programs that treated more 3â5âyearâold
patients (ÎČ = .302, p < .043), whereas the use of glass ionomer was associated with
having students serving at offâsite satellite dental clinics (ÎČ = .015, p < .012). In general,
having departments with chairs who had positive attitudes towards Minimal
Invasive Dentistry (MID) used composite (ÎČ = .091, p < .0001) and glass ionomer
(ÎČ = 103, p < .0001) more frequently and were less likely to use amalgam
(ÎČ = â.077, p < .005) in primary posterior teeth. Although teaching MID concepts in
predoctoral pediatric clinics in dental schools is increasing, the use of amalgam in posterior
primary and permanent teeth is still widely practiced.This project was funded by NIH/NIDC R T32 Grant DEO 14678â06