The role of inflammation in age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex, chronic, and progressive disease which affects the macular area, being one of the leading causes of irreversible vision loss worldwide. Specific alterations of retinal structure occur at the macular level, which regarding its severity can range from the presence of drusen to the development of geographic atrophy or choroidal neovascularization. AMD has long been considered a degenerative disease, but new studies highlight the role of inflammation present both in the atrophic form and in the exudative form. The present review is based on comprehensive research on PubMed and Web of Science databases, and it aims to describe the inflammatory pathways involved in AMD onset and progression. Understanding the molecules involved in AMD pathogenesis, and their mechanism of action, is crucial because they can be both biomarkers with a predictive role in disease management, as well as potential therapeutic targets

Exposure to fluoride through daily oral home-care and professionally procedures in the dental office for a group of Romanian children

Objectives. The aim of this study was the assessment of the exposure to fluoride through oral homecare products as well as professional applications for a group of children from Bucharest, Romania. Materials and methods. The cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021 on a sample of 207 subjects from Bucharest, Romania, including parents with children between 1 and 12 years distributed in three age groups: 1-2 years, 3-5 years and 6-12 years. The assessment used a 10 items questionnaire, on-line and self-administered and completed by the parents most involved in child’s oral health. Results. The correct concentration of fluoride in child’s toothpaste was used as it follows 3.7% of 1-2 year-olds, 4.24% of 3-5 year-olds, 8.06% 6-12 year-olds. The age-adapted recommended quantity of toothpaste was used for 37.4% of children of 1-2 years, 61.86% of children of 3-5 years and 24.19% of children of 6-12 years. Twice-daily tooth brushing was performed by 40.74% 1-2 year-olds, 44.92% 3-5 year-olds, 62.90% 6-12 year-olds. In-office professional fluoridation was low, 88.89% of 1-2 years old children, 92.37% of 3-5 years old children and 77.42% 6-12 years old children were never exposed to such preventive procedures. Conclusions. Children from the present study had a suboptimal exposure to fluoride through oral home care products as well as to topical in-office professionally application of high concentration fluoride product

Gender Differences in Oral Health: Self-Reported Attitudes, Values, Behaviours and Literacy among Romanian Adults

A topic that has been less researched on, especially in Romania, is the identification of gender differences in oral health. The present scientific research used an online survey to assess the attitudes (dental beliefs survey-R/R-DBS), the values (oral health values scale/OHVS), the behaviours (dental neglect scale/DNS), and the literacy (oral health literacy scale/OHLS) related to oral health and to dental professional services in the case of a sample of 600 Romanian adults (Meanage = 30.84). The relation between the level of knowledge as a predictor of attitudes and values related to oral health was analysed by the means of a structural equation based on the partial least square method (PLS-SEM). The results show that women have more positive attitudes towards dental medical services, higher oral health values, better self-care behaviours, and higher oral health literacy than men. In the case of men, attitudes and behaviours related to self-care are influenced by their oral health literacy and level of education; in the case of women, the latter are influenced only by their level of oral health literacy. The impact that knowledge in oral health has on attitudes, values, and behaviours was highlighted. The differences in attitudes and values related to oral health between the two genders can be accounted for by the differences in formal and informal education (studies and oral health literacy, respectively)

The impact of asthma in the school environment and the use of telemedicine

Asthma is a common chronic disease in children, especially children from certain ethnic minority groups and those living in poverty. Asthma is also a burden on the health care system, requiring numerous doctor visits, hospitalizations, and urgent interventions, all of which are added to the costs of the treatments. In addition to the burden of symptoms and the high impact due to continuous exacerbations, children with asthma also experience schooling problems. The current therapeutic trend for children with persistent asthma symptoms is to recommend daily preventive anti-inflammatory drugs. In this review, we want to illustrate the impact of asthma in the school environment and the possibility of using interventions for a better quality of life in children with asthma

Romanian Version of the Oral Health Values Scale: Adaptation and Validation

Background and Objectives: Oral health values are an indicator of how people decide their priorities for oral health—an integral part of general health. The purpose of the study was the validation of the Oral Health Values Scale (OHVS), which measures the extent to which individuals invest in their oral health and which includes four factors: Professional dental care, Appearance, Flossing, and Retention of teeth. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of adults (n = 869; Mean age = 32.98) who completed the online questionnaire set. The OHVS was translated into Romanian through the forward-backward translation procedure. The construct validity was assessed through a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) based on the maximum likelihood estimation method. The convergent validity was assessed by associating the OHVS with scales that evaluate the oral health quality of life (OHIP-14), the attitude towards one’s dentist (R-DBS), oral self-care (DNS), and general health literacy (GHL). The internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s ω. Results: The CFA supports the four-factor model of the scale. The OHVS total score and its subscales are negatively associated with the impact of oral health on the quality of life (except for the Appearance subscale) and with a distrust in the dentist’s treatments; they are positively associated with oral self-care and general health literacy. The gender difference shows females have higher scores on all four subscales. The internal consistency is good for Appearance, Flossing, and the OHVS total score, but weak for Professional dental care and Retention. Conclusions: OHVS is a valid instrument in the Romanian context that can enrich the set of tools that contribute to oral health research, especially in epidemiological studies