Helicobacter pylori coinfection is a confounder, modulating mucosal inflammation in oral submucous fibrosis

The oral cavity has been considered a potential reservoir for Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) , from where the organism causes recurrent gastric infections. Aim: With this case-control study we tried to evaluate the role of H pylori in the etiology of mucosal inflammation, a condition that compounds the morbid state associated with oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). Materials and Methods: Subjects ( n = 150) were selected following institutional regulations on sample collection and grouped into test cases and positive and negative controls based on the presence of mucosal fibrosis and inflammation. The negative controls had none of the clinical signs. All patients underwent an oral examination as well as tests to assess oral hygiene/periodontal disease status; a rapid urease test (RUT) of plaque samples was also done to estimate the H pylori bacterial load. We used univariate and mutivariate logistic regression for statistical analysis of the data and calculated the odds ratios to assess the risk posed by the different variables. Results: The RUT results differed significantly between the groups, reflecting the variations in the bacterial loads in each category. The test was positive in 52% in the positive controls (where nonspecific inflammation of oral mucosa was seen unassociated with fibrosis), in 46% of the test cases, and in 18% of the negative controls (healthy volunteers) (χ2 = 13.887; P < 0.01). A positive correlation was seen between the oral hygiene/periodontal disease indices and RUT reactivity in all the three groups. Conclusions: The contribution of the H pylori in dental plaque to mucosal inflammation and periodontal disease was significant. Logistic regression analysis showed gastrointestinal disease and poor oral hygiene as being the greatest risk factors for bacterial colonization, irrespective of the subject groups. A positive correlation exists between RUT reactivity and the frequency of mucosal inflammation.The oral cavity has been considered a potential reservoir for Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) , from where the organism causes recurrent gastric infections. Aim: With this case-control study we tried to evaluate the role of H pylori in the etiology of mucosal inflammation, a condition that compounds the morbid state associated with oral submucous fibrosis (OSF). Materials and Methods: Subjects ( n = 150) were selected following institutional regulations on sample collection and grouped into test cases and positive and negative controls based on the presence of mucosal fibrosis and inflammation. The negative controls had none of the clinical signs. All patients underwent an oral examination as well as tests to assess oral hygiene/periodontal disease status; a rapid urease test (RUT) of plaque samples was also done to estimate the H pylori bacterial load. We used univariate and mutivariate logistic regression for statistical analysis of the data and calculated the odds ratios to assess the risk posed by the different variables. Results: The RUT results differed significantly between the groups, reflecting the variations in the bacterial loads in each category. The test was positive in 52% in the positive controls (where nonspecific inflammation of oral mucosa was seen unassociated with fibrosis), in 46% of the test cases, and in 18% of the negative controls (healthy volunteers) (χ2 = 13.887; P < 0.01). A positive correlation was seen between the oral hygiene/periodontal disease indices and RUT reactivity in all the three groups. Conclusions: The contribution of the H pylori in dental plaque to mucosal inflammation and periodontal disease was significant. Logistic regression analysis showed gastrointestinal disease and poor oral hygiene as being the greatest risk factors for bacterial colonization, irrespective of the subject groups. A positive correlation exists between RUT reactivity and the frequency of mucosal inflammation

Knowledge of General Dental Practitioners and Specialists about Emergency Management of Traumatic Dental Injuries in Qassim, Saudi Arabia

Context. Studies about knowledge of emergency management of traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) which affect children by general dental practitioners (GDPs) and specialists in Saudi Arabia are lacking. Aim. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the knowledge level of GDPs and specialists about TDI emergency management and its relation with demographic variables in Qassim region, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods. A random sample of 239 GDPs and specialists was given a two-part questionnaire; the first part included demographic questions and the second part included questions related to knowledge of emergency management of luxation (intrusion and extrusion), complicated crown fracture, and avulsion injuries. Data was statistically analyzed using chi-square and ordinal logistic regression tests. The significance was set at P<0.05. Results. The mean knowledge score was 5.57 for GDPs and 6.69 for specialists (out of 12). A significant difference was observed between both groups in the management of avulsion injury. Three factors significantly improved the dentists’ knowledge: gender (female), practice type (specialist), and previous experience of encountered TDIs (P<0.05). Conclusions. GDPs and specialists in Qassim region had moderate knowledge of emergency management of TDIs. Specialists were significantly more knowledgeable than GDPs in the management of avulsion injury when compared to the rest of the injuries

E-Cigarette Use among Male Smokers in Al-Ahsa, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

E-cigarette use is increasing globally. Recent evidence suggests that e-cigarettes contain harmful substances that could cause adverse health outcomes. This study investigated the prevalence and associated factors of e-cigarette use among male current smokers in Saudi Arabia. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adult male current smokers in the Al-Ahsa province of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. We performed logistic regression analyses to investigate the factors associated with e-cigarette use among adult male current smokers. 325 current smokers participated in the study. A third of them (33.5%) were e-cigarette users. Almost all the study participants (97.0%) had heard about e-cigarettes. Participants who were occasional smokers (Odds Ratio (OR): 2.28; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.17&ndash;4.41) and had good knowledge perception of e-cigarettes (OR 3.49; 95% CI: 2.07&ndash;5.90) had higher odds of using e-cigarettes when compared to regular smokers of conventional cigarettes and current smokers with poor knowledge perception of e-cigarettes, respectively. In contrast, private employees (OR: 0.25, 95% CI: 0.07&ndash;0.85), and business owners (OR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.01&ndash;0.63) had lower odds of using e-cigarettes compared to unemployed individuals. Compared with non-e-cigarette users, the rate of conventional cigarette smoking per day was significantly lower among e-cigarette users. Use of e-cigarette (OR: 3.57, 95% CI: 2.14&ndash;5.98), believing that e-cigarette quitting is hard (OR: 2.02, 95% CI: 1.17&ndash;3.49) and trying to quit e-cigarettes (OR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.1&ndash;4.25) were found to be significant predictors of good knowledge perception of e-cigarettes among the current smokers. The use and knowledge perception of e-cigarettes were higher among occasional conventional male cigarette smokers than regular male smokers in Al-Ahsa province. The use of e-cigarettes as smoking cessation aids should be examined further in the Saudi Arabian setting