Evaluation of the Frequency of Occupational Hazards Among a Group of Iranian General Dentists and its Prevention Criteria

Objective: To evaluate the frequency of occupational hazards and the criteria for their prevention among Iranian dentists. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 187 general dentists in Kerman. The data collection tool was a questionnaire including personal information (gender, age, marital status, condition and place and years of employment, and the average of weekly working hours) and a valid and reliable questionnaire of occupational hazards, including 24 questions about occupational hazards (6 domain) and nine questions about criteria for the prevention of the risks of dentistry. The t-test, chi-square, and linear regression were used. Results: 92 (49.2%) were men. The mean and standard deviation of the score of occupational hazards was 27.04±16.21 out of 96, and the criteria of prevention were 22.00±7.28 out of 36. Regression analysis showed significant correlations between single statuses, years of occupational and type of employment, weekly work hours and occupational hazards, participation in occupational injury identification courses, and hepatitis vaccination. In addition, there were significant correlations between gender, age, weekly work hours, and preventive measures. Moreover, 3.2% of dentists were in a high-risk group and 26.2% were weak in preventive measures. Conclusion: A total of 32.6% of dentists are at moderate risk of occupational hazards, and 10.7% meet the prevention criteria properly. It is recommended to hold training classes to identify occupational hazards and the criteria for their prevention among dentists

Frequency of Self-Medication and Knowledge about Out-of-Counter Drugs during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Group of Iranian Dental Students

Objective: To study the frequency of self-medication and knowledge about out-of-counter drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic in a group of Iranian dental students. Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among dental undergraduates from September 2021 to November 2021 after receiving ethical clearance from the Kerman Medical University Ethical Committee. A valid and reliable questionnaire, consisting of demographic data and questions about self-medication and knowledge about out-of-counter drugs, was sent to participants via E-mail. Data was analyzed by SPSS 26 software by using a t-test. The P-value was considered at a 0.05% significant level. Results: A total of 88 students participated in the study with a mean age of 21.39±3.71 years. Prevalence of self-medication was found in 53.4%. The most common cause for self-medication was headache. Acetaminophen was the most commonly used medicine for self-medication. Females had more self-medication than males, but there was no significant differences. There was no significant differences between entering year to university and self-medication. Younger students had significantly more self-medication (p=0.007). Knowledge about out-of-counter drugs was moderate. Conclusion: Moderate self-medication as noticed. The out-of-counter drugs were the most used. Although out-of-counter drugs seem relatively safe, their improper use can cause serious side effects. Dental students need to be educated regarding appropriate safe medication and out-of-counter drugs

Correlation Between Clinical and Histopathologic Diagnosis of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorder and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective: To determine the frequency of oral potentially malignant disorders and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) and evaluate the consistency between their clinical and pathological features. Material and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on records with a diagnosis of oral leukoplakia, oral erythroplakia, erythroleukoplakia, actinic cheilitis, lichen planus, and OSCC in the Pathology Department of Kerman dental school from September 1997 to September 2017. Data were analyzed in SPSS 21 at the significance level of ≤5%. Results: There were 378 cases of oral potentially malignant disorders and 70 cases of OSCC with a mean age of 46.82 ± 15.24 years. Buccal mucosa was the most frequent site, and lichen planus the most common lesion. Females were significantly older than males in leukoplakia and carcinoma in situ lesions. Clinical diagnosis and histopathology were consistent in 69.03% of cases. Conclusion: Clinical and histopathological diagnoses were consistent in 69.03% of records. The highest degree of clinical compliance with histopathology was observed in OSCC. Dentists should pay attention to oral potentially malignant disorders for early diagnosis to prevent their transformation to malignancy

Correlation Between Clinical and Histopathologic Diagnosis of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorder and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objective: To determine the frequency of oral potentially malignant disorders and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) and evaluate the consistency between their clinical and pathological features. Material and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted on records with a diagnosis of oral leukoplakia, oral erythroplakia, erythroleukoplakia, actinic cheilitis, lichen planus, and OSCC in the Pathology Department of Kerman dental school from September 1997 to September 2017. Data were analyzed in SPSS 21 at the significance level of ≤5%. Results: There were 378 cases of oral potentially malignant disorders and 70 cases of OSCC with a mean age of 46.82 ± 15.24 years. Buccal mucosa was the most frequent site, and lichen planus the most common lesion. Females were significantly older than males in leukoplakia and carcinoma in situ lesions. Clinical diagnosis and histopathology were consistent in 69.03% of cases. Conclusion: Clinical and histopathological diagnoses were consistent in 69.03% of records. The highest degree of clinical compliance with histopathology was observed in OSCC. Dentists should pay attention to oral potentially malignant disorders for early diagnosis to prevent their transformation to malignancy

Oral Health Literacy and Related Factors among Pregnant Women Referring to Health Government Institute in Kerman, Iran

Objective: To evaluate oral health literacy among pregnant women in Kerman, Iran. Material and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 169 pregnant women referring  to government institute. Data were collected by demographic profile (including age, number of children, educational level, dental attendance before pregnancy and economic status), 17-item oral health literacy questionnaire consisting of four domains (including reading comprehension, numeracy, listening, and decision-making skills), self-assessment oral health status, DMFT index and oral health behavior. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 21 software using ANOVA and Chi-square tests at a significance level of 0.05. Results: The mean age of participants was 27.92 ± 5.25 years, 38.2% of them had bachelor's degree, 35.8% had dental attendance before pregnancy and 29.1% brushed daily their teeth twice or more. Dentists were the most frequent source of oral health information. Moreover, 60.0% believed their oral health was to be moderate, and 59.4% had inadequate oral health literacy. There was also  a  significant  correlation between educational level, monthly income and dental attendance before  pregnancy.  Conclusion: Our results showed inadequate oral health literacy among pregnant women, highlighting the necessity of dental consultation before pregnancy

Assessment of Significant Caries in 6- year- old Children in Kerman, 2011

Background: Significant Caries Index (SiC) has been introduced by WHO for evaluation of caries status in different societies and assesses one third of individuals who have the highest score of DMFT/dmft. The aim of this study was to determine Significant Caries Index and dmft in 6-year-old children in Kerman. Methods: This cross- sectional study was carried out on 300 children aged 6 years old that had been selected by multistage sampling in Kerman, Iran. Data were collected through a questionnaire (parents’ educational level, parents’ occupation, birth rank, number of children in family, tooth brushing frequency, use of fluoride mouthwash and dental visits frequency). Teeth were examined by dental mirror and according to WHO criteria for determining dmft. Data were analyzed in SPSS19 by using t-test and X² test. Results: Mean dmft index was 4.63 2.41 and mean SiC was 7.34 1.34. SiC was higher in boys, but without a significant difference. dmft showed significant difference with fathers’ educational level (P=0.028), frequency of tooth brushing (P=0.004) and using fluoride mouthwash (P=0.001). There was a significant relationship between SiC index and using fluoride mouthwash (P=0.014) and dental visits) P=0.041). Conclusion: According to the results of the present study, dmft and SiC indices of 6-year old children in Kerman are high

Are Panoramic Radiographies Requested by General Dentists in Kerman Based on FDA Recommendations?

Background: Panoramic radiography is a simple and valuable diagnostic tool in dentistry. The aim of the present study was detecting factors influencing panoramic radiography requests by general dentists in Kerman and their compatibility with FDA recommendation. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on general dentists in Kerman. Data were collected by a questionnaire including demographic variables as well as factors influencing the selection of panoramic radiography and the diagnostic value of panoramic as compared to intra oral radiography. Data were analyzed through SPSS 19 and using t- test and linear regression test. P<0.05 was considered as the statistical significant level. Results: In the present study, 67.9% were men with mean age of 35.3±8.71 years and mean time since graduation was 6.23±5.18 years. Mean score of factors influencing panoramic radiography request was 88.80±4.78 and mean score of the diagnostic value of panoramic as compared to intra oral radiography was 13.80±11.28. There was a significant relationship between responding to the questions related to the diagnostic value of panoramic radiography and participating in continued education programs. Conclusion: Request of panoramic radiography among the general dentists in Kerman is in some cases not according to FDA guidelines and more supervision is recommended

Knowledge and Attitude About Research Ethics Among Iranian Dental Students

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge and attitude of the students of Kerman dental school (Iran) about ethics in dental research. Material and Methods: This cross-section study was conducted on 307 dental students selected through the census sampling method. Data were collected by a researcher-made questionnaire consisting of 12 items about knowledge and 17 items about attitude toward research ethics. Data analyzed in SPSS software using t-test and linear regression test. P-values of less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Of the respondents, 33.9% were male and 66.1% were female, and 44% had good knowledge and 20.8% had a positive attitude about research ethics. A significant correlation was found between knowledge and attitude. A significant correlation was also observed between knowledge and participation in research workshops. Knowledge and attitude showed no significant correlation with gender or year of admission. Conclusion: Participants had appropriate knowledge and attitude about research ethics. There is some room for improvement in research ethics education concerning experimental works and retrospective studies on biologic samples. Holding research workshops with an introduction to ethical codes of research is recommended

Internet Addiction Among Iranian Students of Medical Sciences

Objective: To identify the prevalence of Internet addiction (IA) and associated factors among Iranian medical students. Material and Methods: The cross-sectional survey was conducted on a random sample of 400 students. The self-administered questionnaire consisted of two sections: the first section was sociodemographic data, data about student's relations, and Internet use characteristics; the second part aimed at assessment of the level of IA using Young's 20-item scale for IA. Data analyzed in SPSS 20 at 0.05 significant level. Results: Considering their familiarity with the Internet, 80.3% stated personal experience and 12.3% individuals stated educational periods held outside the university. The most locations of using the Internet were dormitories (21.0%) and houses (43.5%). Concerning hours of Internet use, 45.2% used the Internet more than two hours per day. One hundred sixty-eight individuals (42.0%) stated that they used the Internet less than 15% for university activities. One hundred eighty-eight individuals (47.0%) used VPN and 75.5% were dissatisfied with Internet speed 61.2%. A total of 64.3% had a poor dependency on the Internet and the prevalence of IA was 3.5%. The mean score of IA questionnaire was 43.98 ± 15.92 from 125. The mean score of IA was higher in the male sex, but there was no significant correlation between sex and IA (p>0.05). There was not a significant correlation between the field of study and the year of entrance. Conclusion: The prevalence of Internet addiction among medical students was low. Identification of factors associated with IA can help in the planning of preventive programs to raise students’ knowledge about the hazards IA

Association between number and type of tooth loss on Oral Health Related Quality of life in 35-44 year olds in southeastern Iran.

Oral diseases can affect oral health related quality of life (OHRQol). The aim of the present study was to determine the association between the number and type of tooth loss on OHRQol in 35-44 year old individuals. This cross-sectional descriptive study conducted on 400, 35-44 year old people who visited Kerman clinics. Data were collected by using demographic and oral health behavior questionnaires, clinical examination (DMFT index) and the OHRQol questionnaire (OHIP-14). Data were analyzed in SPSS18, by t-test, X2 at 5% significance level. In the present study 206 (51.5%) were men, the mean age was 39.22±4.98 years and 52.0% had university education. The mean of DMFT and OHIP-14 scores were 13.3±4.5 and 18.6±8.3 (from 56) respectively. Men had lower OHRQol than women, but the difference was not significant. There was significant relation between educational level, oral health behavior, number and type of tooth loss and the OHRQol score. OHRQol was acceptable in this study and had a significant correlation with number and type of tooth loss. Further studies on other age groups is recommended. Keywords: oral health، quality of life, tooth loss, type of tooth loss, 35-44 years old، southeastern Iran