Oral health knowledge, attitudes and practices of people living with diabetes in South Asia : a scoping review

Diabetes increases the risk of oral health complications. This review aimed to synthesise the current evidence on the oral health knowledge, attitudes and practices of people living with diabetes in South Asian countries and provide recommendations on possible strategies for addressing the gaps in oral health care in this population, including the role of non-dental professionals. Using a scoping review framework, six electronic databases (Ovid Medline, CINAHL, ProQuest Central, Scopus, Web of Science and Embase) were searched to identify the relevant literature published between January 2000 and December 2021. The data were extracted into three main categories based on the review’s aims, and further refined into sub-categories. A total of 23 studies were included. The review identified that while people with diabetes living in South Asian countries had some level of awareness about oral health and limited care practices to maintain good oral health, there were gaps in knowledge, and there were areas where their oral health practices and attitudes could be improved. The findings suggest a need for developing targeted oral health policies as well as implementing integrated oral health care interventions involving non-dental professionals to improve the oral health outcomes of people with diabetes

Verruciform xanthoma of the oral mucosa

Verruciform xanthoma is a rather rare lesion that is mostly confined to the oral mucosa. The clinical picture may vary considerably. The diagnosis is based on the presence of numerous xanthoma cells in the connective tissue papillae. A case of verruciform xanthoma on the gingiva in relation to lower right posterior region in a 43-year-old man is presented. The findings reported in the literature are also discussed. abstract Key Words: Verruciform xanthoma, oral mucosa

Gingival Enlargement in Antihypertensive Medication

Introduction: Drug-induced gingival enlargement is a well documented side effect with the use of phenytoin, cyclosporine and calcium channel blockers. The prevalence of gingival enlargement induced by calcium channel blockers is uncertain. Several studies show confl icting results ranging from 20% to 83%. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of gingival enlargement in patients taking antihypertensive medication. Methods: All consecutive patients on antihypertensive agents attending the Dental OPD were studied. The prevalence of drug induced gingival enlargement was determined. The periodontal condition of all subjects were assessed including plaque index and probing depth. Results: Total 81.2% of subjects taking antihypertensive were seen to have signifi cant enlargement. Among them 71.1% were taking calcium channel blocker, 21.5% were taking ACE Inhibitors, and 7.4% were taking β- blockers. Conclusions:Patients taking antihypertensive agents are at increased risk for gingival enlargement and infl ammation is an important cofactor for the expression of this effect. Key Words: anti-hypertensive drugs, gingival enlargemen

C-reactive Protein in Periodontitis and its Comparison with Body Mass Index and Smoking Behaviour

Introduction: Chronic periodontitis is an infectious disease resulting in inflammation within the supporting tissues of the teeth, progressive attachment loss, and bone loss. In addition to declining oral health, there is always low grade infection present in periodontitis. Studies show increased levels of systemic biomarkers in periodontal disease such as CRP, which is considered a key-marker of CVD. Research has also shown positive association between BMI and smoking with periodontitis and CRP. The objective of the study was to assess the levels of CRP in patients with and without periodontitis and their relation with BMI and smoking behaviour. Methods: Patients visiting the Dental department of Bir Hospital were invited to participate in the study. Total 31 subjects in each group: Case (periodontitis) and Control (without periodontitis) were selected using convenience sampling technique. All subjects underwent periodontal examination by a single examiner. Serum CRP samples were taken before periodontal treatment. Data analysis was done by SPSS 17 software program. Results: Increase in mean CRP levels in periodontitis (5.8595mg/L) with high statistical significance (p=0.000) in comparison to subjects without periodontitis (1.1214mg/L) was observed. BMI showed positive association with periodontitis (p=0.046) but not with CRP (0.213). Smoking behaviour showed no significant relation with either CRP (p=0.344) or periodontitis (p=0.541). Conclusions: We found highly significant association between periodontitis and CRP levels but not always with BMI and smoking. CRP, which is an established marker for CVD was significantly increased in periodontal infections. Hence, a close interaction among Physician, Periodontist and Patient to prevent adverse health situations is recommended. Keywords: body mass index; cardiovascular disease; c-reactive protein; periodontitis; smoking; systemic inflammation. [PubMed

Effect of oral health promotion on caries experience and oral cleanliness of school children in Kerung, Nepal : a prospective 6-month follow-up study

Background: A longitudinal oral health promotion project on caries experience and oral cleanliness was performed in a remote village in Nepal. The aim of this 6-month prospective survey was to investigate the impact of an oral health promotion project on caries experience, oral health-related behaviour, and general knowledge about oral health in Kerung, a remote village in Nepal. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in a convenience sample of children from the local school in Kerung. At baseline and after six months, dental plaque scores and caries experience scores were measured by calibrated examiners. Validated questionnaires on oral health habits and knowledge on oral health were taken. In addition, an oral health promotion program was developed. Results: At baseline, 359 children were included, of which 266 could be surveyed after six months. A statistically significant decrease in the mean plaque score was found at after six months with a higher reduction for boys. A significant decrease in caries prevalence, as well as a significant increase in knowledge about oral health, was observed. Furthermore, after six months there were significantly more children reporting that they brushed their teeth for at least two minutes. Conclusions: Dental screenings and a comprehensive educational program resulted in a significant improvement of oral health

Hedgehog Signaling Pathway Gene Variant Influences Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants

BACKGROUND: Genome wide association study identified hedgehog interacting protein gene (HHIP) variants with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. Loss of HHIP, a key regulator of the hedgehog signaling pathway, leads to impaired lung morphogenesis and lethality in animal models, through unimpeded sonic hedgehog expression blocking mesenchymal-expressed fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10). Since bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is also associated with altered lung development and worsens with stimuli including mechanical ventilation, reactive oxygen species, and inflammation, HHIP and FGF10 may be candidate genes. METHODS: This was an observational, cohort study including extremely low birth weight infants that who developed BPD and those who did not. DNA was isolated from buccal swabs and subjected to allelic discrimination, using specific HHIP and FGF10 probes. Protein levels were measured in tracheal aspirates. Student\u27s t test, Chi-square, Z test and logistic regression were used. RESULTS: Demographic characteristics did not differ except that birth weight (715 ± 153 vs. 835 ± 132 g) and gestational age (25 vs. 26 weeks) were less in babies with BPD. HHIP variant rs13147758 (GG genotype) was found to be independently protective for BPD (odds ratio 0.35, 95% confidence interval 0.15-0.82, P = - 0.02). Early airway HHIP protein levels were increased in infants with BPD compared to those without [median (interquartile range) 130.6 (55.6-297.0) and 41.2 (22.1-145.6) pg/mL, respectively; P = 0.05]. The FGF10 single nucleotide polymorphisms were not associated with BPD. CONCLUSION: HHIP, as a regulator of lung bud formation, affects BPD susceptibility, and may be valuable in understanding the specific mechanisms for this disease as well as for identifying therapeutic targets in the era of personalized medicine

Additional file 2: of Oral hygiene practices and their socio-demographic correlates among Nepalese adult: evidence from non communicable diseases risk factors STEPS survey Nepal 2013

Code Book (STEPS Nepal 2013 Instruments). (PDF 340 kb

Additional file 1: of Oral hygiene practices and their socio-demographic correlates among Nepalese adult: evidence from non communicable diseases risk factors STEPS survey Nepal 2013

Oral Hygiene Nepal Data. (XLSX 719 kb