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Education of Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists Working With Head and Neck Cancer Patients in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Departments in the United Kingdom-A Quantitative Study.

To investigate Dental Hygienists' (DHs) and Dental Therapists' (DTs) current undergraduate and postgraduate education with regard to the treatment of head and neck cancer (HANC) in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) departments in the United Kingdom. A purposive sample of DHs and DTs, who were employed, or had been previously employed, in OMFS departments in the United Kingdom were asked to complete an online questionnaire about their education in the care and management of patients with HANC. The questionnaire was sent to members of the British Society of Dental Hygiene and Therapy (BSDHT), and the British Association of Dental Therapy (BADT) and was also posted via online forums. The questionnaire received 55 responses (response rate 83%): 54 female respondents and 1 male. Thirty-one (56%) respondents had not undertaken any HANC training. However, on starting work in an OMFS department, nine (16%) respondents reported being provided with HANC training. The results suggest that the UK review and standardise the provision of HANC training in the DH and DT educational curricula. Furthermore, it is recommended that the DH and DT curricula, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, should include psychology training.

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Teamworking in Dentistry: The Importance for Dentists, Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists to Work Effectively Together-A Narrative Review.

To consider teamworking in dentistry, focusing especially on the role of dental hygienists (DHs) and dental therapists (DTs) as part of the dental team. A narrative review of studies that have investigated teamworking in periodontology and dentistry in general together with consideration of examples of relevant regulatory and governmental policy documents. The inclusion of DHs and DTs as key members of the dental team yields significant patient benefits in terms of access to care (particularly among under-served populations), efficient and effective treatment and improved healthcare outcomes for patients. However, barriers can exist to full implementation of effective working in dental teams, including both systemic and regulatory barriers, as well as attitudinal barriers. Furthermore, DHs and DTs are not always working to their full scope of practice, thereby limiting the care that these team members can provide. Mutual respect between dental team members, high-quality communication and a common ethos and shared clinical standards are all essential for effective teamworking. DHs and DTs have a clear role to play in achieving sustainable improvements in oral and dental health for patient populations globally. Full and effective integration of DHs and DTs into healthcare teams will benefit not only the dental team, but also healthcare systems and patient populations, via more effective teamworking, improved access to care and enhanced treatment outcomes.

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Air-polishing followed by ultrasonic calculus removal for the treatment of gingivitis: A 12-month, split-mouth randomized controlled clinical trial.

To evaluate the advantages of a novel protocol involving full-mouth erythritol-powder air-polishing followed by ultrasonic calculus removal in the maintenance of patients treated for gingivitis, with a focus on time and comfort. Systemically healthy patients with gingivitis were selected. Following a split-mouth design, quadrants 1-4 and 2-3 were randomly allocated to receive air-polishing followed by ultrasonic calculus removal following a protocol known as Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) or traditional full-mouth ultrasonic debridement followed by polishing with a rubber cup and prophylactic paste (US + P). Bleeding on probing (BoP) and the plaque index (PI) were collected at baseline (T0), 2 weeks (T1), 4 weeks (T2), 3 months (T3), and 6 months (T4) and 12 months (T5). Following the same randomization, prophylactic therapy was provided at 3 months (T3) and 6 months (T4). Clinical parameters, treatment time and patient comfort and satisfaction were evaluated. A total of 41 patients were selected, 39 completed the study. The clinical parameters were clinically satisfactory for both treatments at every time. At 4 months after treatment, GBT maintained significantly lower BoP and PI. GBT protocol required a significantly lower treatment time, especially at T3 and T4, when it saved 24.5% and 25.1% of the time, respectively. Both treatments were rated positively by most patients. However, GBT was perceived as more comfortable, and a higher number of patients preferred it. No significant difference was observed between GBT and conventional ultrasonic debridement and rubber cup polishing in terms of BoP and PI levels. The GBT protocol allowed less time expenditure and higher patients' perceived comfort.

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Oral health statuses of individuals diagnosed with gastroparesis: A Cross-Section study.

Gastroparesis (GP) is a debilitating gastric motility disorder associated with digestive dysfunction, reduced quality of life (QoL), and increased mortality rates. There is no known cure for GP and treatment options are limited. The oral cavity is responsible for initiating digestion, yet the impact of GP symptom frequency on oral health status and oral healthcare utilization is not well understood. A 21-item electronic survey was developed and disseminated to a private GP social media forum. Survey questions explored GP symptom frequency, oral health status, dental care utilization, and oral health education post GP diagnosis. Descriptive and inferential statistics analysed data. There were 434 study participants. An overwhelming 83% reported GP negatively influenced their oral health and oral function. Significance was observed between GP symptom frequency and oral health status (p = <0.0001). The majority (81%) reported receiving dental care post GP diagnosis, yet (63%) reported current untreated dental concerns. Interestingly, (74%) of participants reported that they have never been educated about oral health risks associated with GP by any healthcare professionals. GP negatively affects oral health. Study participants reported a need for extensive dental treatments and high levels of untreated dental concerns. Results strongly support that preventive oral healthcare and education must be provided for individuals with a GP diagnosis. As leading oral disease prevention specialists, dental hygienists must be aware of the effects of GP on the oral cavity to help provide person-centred evidence-based care, improve digestive processes, and increase QoL for GP sufferers.

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Dentinal Tubule Occlusion and Dentin Permeability Efficacy of Silver Diamine Fluoride Solutions.

This invitro study compared the effect of two commercially available silver diamine fluoride (SDF) products on dentinal tubule (DT) occlusion and dentin permeability. Sixty-six dentin discs (1.0 mm thick) were divided equally into six groups: acid-etched with no treatment (negative control-NC), etched and sealed with nail varnish (positive control-PC), non-etched and treated with Advantage Arrest (AA), non-etched and treated with Topamine (TP), etched and treated with AA, and etched and treated with TP. Eight specimens from each group were tested for permeability using the dye percolation method. The remaining three samples from each group were assessed for dentinal tubule occlusion, depth of SDF penetration, and elemental analysis using a scanning electron microscope coupled with an energy-dispersive X-ray (SEM/EDX) system. One-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test were used to analyze the results. TP exhibited lower (p < 0.05) dye percolation compared to AA. While both SDF materials showed a statistically similar (p > 0.05) penetration depth in the DT, none of them had the ability to completely occlude all the DTs. AA exhibited more silver and fluoride ion deposition on etched dentin than TP, and both materials showed a similar increase in the deposition of Ca and P compared to NC. Whereas the effectiveness of dentin tubule (DT) occlusion varies based on the material used, both tested SDF products exhibit the capability to seal dentinal tubules, decrease dentin permeability, and promote dentin remineralization. These findings suggest their potential advantage in managing dentin hypersensitivity.

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Outcomes of Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy in Gingivitis and Periodontitis Patients Treated by Senior Dental Students.

This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of nonsurgical periodontal therapy performed by senior dental students. Electronic records of patients treated by senior dental students at the comprehensive care clinic in King Abdulaziz University Dental Hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Patients diagnosed with gingivitis or periodontitis who had undergone at least one session of scaling and root planing were included in this study. The following periodontal parameters were assessed: BOP, PI, PD and number of residual pockets. A total of 618 patients were included in this study (60.2% females and 39.8% males). BOP reduced from a median of 40% (IQR: 26.0%-62.0%) at baseline to 13% (IQR: 9.0%-20.3%) at re-evaluation in the gingivitis group (p < 0.0005). Similarly, a significant reduction in BOP, from 45% (IQR: 28.0%-64.3%) at baseline to 14% (IQR: 9.0%-21.5%) after phase I therapy, was observed in the periodontitis group (p > 0.001). In both groups, 31%-32% of patients had BOP < 10 at re-evaluation. PD of ≥ 5 mm was observed in 50.8% of patients with periodontitis at baseline; however, 38% of these patients had no residual pockets at re-evaluation. NSPT performed by senior dental students was effective in improving the periodontal status of the patients. Both gingivitis and periodontitis patients showed significant improvement in BOP and PI. Approximately, 32% of patients showed a reduction in BOP suggestive of a bleeding score associated with periodontal health. Moreover, patients diagnosed with periodontitis exhibited a significant reduction in the number of sites with deep probing (≥ 5).

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Effectiveness of Chewing Gum After Water Rinsing in Removing Remnants of Sticky Cookies From Posterior Teeth-A Prospective Interventional Study.

To evaluate the effectiveness of chewing sugarless gum (SG) after water-rinsing in removing retained Oreo chocolate cookies (CC) from occlusal surfaces of teeth with and without fissure-sealant (FS). A prospective study was performed on healthy children receiving prophylaxis at the paediatric-dentistry department. Immediately afterward, they chewed two CC. The occlusal surfaces of their posterior teeth were photographed 3 times: after 10 min, after 1 min of water-rinsing and after 4 min of chewing SG. An independent dentist screened all photos for the presence (partial or complete) or the absence of retained CC. Participants included 28 children 7-14-year-old, with 100 primary and 214 permanent molars, of which, 150 teeth had FS. After chewing two CC, 290 (92.4%) teeth had retained CC. Water-swishing removed all, partial or none of the CC in 23%, 72.4% and 4.6% of the teeth, respectively. The effectiveness of chewing SG in completely removing retained CC was significantly higher than water-rinsing (p < 0.001), OR = 43.83, Cramer's V value = 0.871, suggesting a very strong correlation. The presence of FS raised the probability of completely removing retained CC after SG or water-rinsing (p < 0.001, OR = 107.7 and 25.9), with Cramer's V = 0.66 and 0.57, respectively, means a very strong association, as compared to teeth without (For both p < 0.001). Chewing gum for 4 min was significantly more effective than water-rinsing for 1 min in removing retained CC. Moreover, FS considerably decreased the probability of retained CC on occlusal surfaces and increased the effectiveness of SG in removing it.

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