6-month Recall Research Articles

Outcome of Root Canal Treatment of Necrotic Teeth with Apical Periodontitis Filled with a Bioceramic-Based Sealer

Introduction Apical periodontitis is among the most common pathologies in endodontics. The treatment of apical periodontitis has always been an important occupation in the modern practice of endodontics, and the failure has been associated with nonhermetic root canal filling. With that in mind, bioceramic-based sealers have been incorporated into endodontic practice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of nonsurgical root canal treatment (RCT), using a single-cone and Bioroot RCS filling of necrotic teeth with apical periodontitis. Materials and Methods This follow-up study included patients treated in the department of Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics in the Dental Clinic of Monastir, from January 2018 to December 2019. The study intended to include all adult patients presenting a symptomatic or asymptomatic apical periodontitis. Once the diagnosis was performed, the patients were divided into two groups: a one-session treatment group and a two-session treatment group. All cases were obtured with BioRoot using a single-cone technique with a minimum of a 6-month recall. At 6-month follow-ups, teeth were classified as healed, healing (success), or not healed (failure), based on clinical and radiographic findings. Results Twelve patients met the inclusion criteria, six patients per group. Seven patients returned for follow-ups. At 6-month follow-ups, the overall success rate was 100%, with 57.1% determined to be “healed” and 42.8% determined to be “healing.” All the PAI scores decreased compared to the baseline situation. Conclusion The results obtained showed the contribution of BioRoot RCS in the healing of periapical lesions. Accordingly, bioceramic-based sealers seem to optimize the prognosis of root canal treatments.

Root for the tubers: Extended-harvest crop production and productivity measurement in surveys

Root and tuber crops, such as cassava, could be planted to hedge against climate shocks, seasonal crop failures and food insecurity during the lean season. Since their harvests occur over extended periods and often in small quantities, they present a serious challenge for household and farm surveys aiming to collect reliable information on crop production based on recall. To document the relative accuracy of recall-based approaches to survey data collection on cassava production vis-à-vis diary-based techniques, a survey experiment was implemented in Malawi over a 12-month period. The sampled cassava-producing households were randomly assigned to one of four treatments, including (1) daily diary-keeping, with semi-weekly supervision visits (diary-visit); (2) daily diary-keeping, with semi-weekly supervisory phone calls (diary-phone); (3) two six-month recall interviews, with six months in between; and (4) a single 12-month recall interview. We find that compared to diary-visit, the household-level annual cassava production is 295 kg higher under diary-phone. This effect corresponds to 28 percent of the average diary-visit annual production estimate. Since unavoidable, albeit limited, lapses in diary keeping over a 12-month period may have led both diary variants to underestimate true production, higher annual cassava production estimate obtained under diary-phone implies that this treatment is closer to the true estimate. Although the difference between the estimates based on six-month recall and diary-visit is statistically insignificant, 12-month recall, on average, underestimates annual production (i) by 516 kg with respect to diary-phone (corresponding to 37 percent of the diary-phone average) and (ii) by 221 kg with respect to diary-visit (corresponding to 21 percent of the diary-visit average). While the recall-based approaches both record production estimates lower than the diary-phone, six-month recall does so to a lesser extent. And supported by a crop cutting operation in which all sampled households participated irrespective of their assigned survey treatment, the analysis demonstrates likely gross overestimation in competing international and ministerial statistics on cassava yields in Malawi. For improved microdata on root and tuber crop production, the findings lend support to the adoption of (i) diary-keeping with phone calls, particularly if deployed in a broader mobile phone–based survey, or (ii) six-month recall, as a second-best alternative. The adoption of these practices can then facilitate a renewed look at the role of cassava farming in poverty, food security and agricultural production.

Examining the effectiveness of different dental recall strategies on maintenance of optimum oral health: the INTERVAL dental recalls randomised controlled trial.

Objective To compare the clinical effectiveness of different frequencies of dental recall over a four-year period.Design A multi-centre, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial with blinded clinical outcome assessment. Participants were randomised to receive a dental check-up at six-monthly, 24-monthly or risk-based recall intervals. A two-strata trial design was used, with participants randomised within the 24-month stratum if the recruiting dentist considered them clinically suitable. Participants ineligible for 24-month recall were randomised to a risk-based or six-month recall interval.Setting UK primary dental care.Participants Practices providing NHS care and adults who had received regular dental check-ups.Main outcome measures The percentage of sites with gingival bleeding on probing, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), cost-effectiveness.Results In total, 2,372 participants were recruited from 51 dental practices. Of those, 648 were eligible for the 24-month recall stratum and 1,724 participants were ineligible. There was no evidence of a significant difference in the mean percentage of sites with gingival bleeding on probing between intervention arms in any comparison. For those eligible for 24-month recall stratum: the 24-month versus six-month group had an adjusted mean difference of -0.91%, 95% CI (-5.02%, 3.20%); the 24-month group versus risk-based group had an adjusted mean difference of 0.07%, 95% CI (-3.99%, 4.12%). For the overall sample, the risk-based versus six-month adjusted mean difference was 0.78%, 95% CI (-1.17%, 2.72%). There was no evidence of a difference in OHRQoL (0-56 scale, higher score for poorer OHRQoL) between intervention arms in any comparison. For the overall sample, the risk-based versus six-month effect size was -0.35, 95% CI (-1.02, 0.32). There was no evidence of a clinically meaningful difference between the groups in any comparison in either eligibility stratum for any of the secondary clinical or patient-reported outcomes.Conclusion Over a four-year period, we found no evidence of a difference in oral health for participants allocated to a six-month or a risk-based recall interval, nor between a 24-month, six-month or risk-based recall interval for participants eligible for a 24-month recall. However, patients greatly value and are willing to pay for frequent dental check-ups.Zusatzmaterial online: Zu diesem Beitrag sind unter 10.1038/s41415-021-2612-0 für autorisierte Leser zusätzliche Dateien abrufbar.

The Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of Innovative Strategies to Reduce Food Insecurity among Children in the United States

The Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of Innovative Strategies to Reduce Food Insecurity among Children in the United States

Investigating the effect of recall period on estimates of inpatient out-of-pocket expenditure from household surveys in Vietnam.

Out-of-pocket payments (OOPs), direct payments by households or individuals for healthcare are part of the health financing landscape. Data on OOPs is needed to monitor progress in financial risk protection, and the evaluation of health financing policies. In low-and-middle-income countries, estimates of OOPs rely heavily on self-reported data from household surveys. These surveys require respondents to recall events in the past and can suffer from recall biases. This study investigates the effect of recall period on the agreement of the amount and timing of inpatient OOPs between household reports and provider records in Bavi, Vietnam. We recruited 1397 households for interview using records from the district hospital. The households were interviewed with identical questionnaires except that the recall period was either 12 or 6 months. We linked household with provider data and excluded medicine costs from both household and provider OOPs since they could be purchased outside the hospital. We estimated the effect of recall period on the overall mean and variability of ratios of household to hospital reported OOPs using the Bland-Altman approach for method comparison. We estimated the effect of recall period on whether a transaction was recalled correctly in expenditure and time using multinomial regression. The households reported higher amounts of OOPs than did the hospital for both recall periods. There was no evidence of an effect of recall period on the mean of the ratios of household- to hospital-reported OOPs, although the confidence intervals are not inconsistent with previous studies indicating higher OOPs for shorter recall periods. The geometric mean ratio for the 6-month period was estimated to be a multiple of 1.4 (95% CI 0.9, 2.1) times that of the 12-month period. Similarly, there was no evidence of an effect of recall period on the risk of reporting lower or higher amounts than provider OOPs. The occurrence and timing of inpatient stays generally recalled well, with 70% remembered in the correct month declining slightly over time. Respondents for the 6-month recall period had a significantly lower risk of failing to report the event (RR 0.8 (0.7, 1.0)). The results suggest the best recall period may depend on whether the purpose of a survey is for the recall of the timing of events, in which case the 6 month period may be better, or the amounts of OOPs, where there was no significant difference and the provider records are not a gold standard but the 12 month period had a tendency to be in closer agreement with the provider OOPs.

Risk-based, 6-monthly and 24-monthly dental check-ups for adults: the INTERVAL three-arm RCT.

Traditionally, patients are encouraged to attend dental recall appointments at regular 6-month intervals, irrespective of their risk of developing dental disease. Stakeholders lack evidence of the relative effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different recall strategies and the optimal recall interval for maintenance of oral health. To test effectiveness and assess the cost-benefit of different dental recall intervals over a 4-year period. Multicentre, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial with blinded clinical outcome assessment at 4 years and a within-trial cost-benefit analysis. NHS and participant perspective costs were combined with benefits estimated from a general population discrete choice experiment. A two-stratum trial design was used, with participants randomised to the 24-month interval if the recruiting dentist considered them clinically suitable. Participants ineligible for 24-month recall were randomised to a risk-based or 6-month recall interval. UK primary care dental practices. Adult, dentate, NHS patients who had visited their dentist in the previous 2 years. Participants were randomised to attend for a dental check-up at one of three dental recall intervals: 6-month, risk-based or 24-month recall. Clinical - gingival bleeding on probing; patient - oral health-related quality of life; economic - three analysis frameworks: (1) incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year gained, (2) incremental net (societal) benefit and (3) incremental net (dental health) benefit. A total of 2372 participants were recruited from 51 dental practices; 648 participants were eligible for the 24-month recall stratum and 1724 participants were ineligible. There was no evidence of a significant difference in the mean percentage of sites with gingival bleeding between intervention arms in any comparison. For the eligible for 24-month recall stratum: the 24-month (n = 138) versus 6-month group (n = 135) had an adjusted mean difference of -0.91 (95% confidence interval -5.02 to 3.20); the risk-based (n = 143) versus 6-month group had an adjusted mean difference of -0.98 (95% confidence interval -5.05 to 3.09); the 24-month versus risk-based group had an adjusted mean difference of 0.07 (95% confidence interval -3.99 to 4.12). For the overall sample, the risk-based (n = 749) versus 6-month (n = 737) adjusted mean difference was 0.78 (95% confidence interval -1.17 to 2.72). There was no evidence of a difference in oral health-related quality of life between intervention arms in any comparison. For the economic evaluation, under framework 1 (cost per quality-adjusted life-year) the results were highly uncertain, and it was not possible to identify the optimal recall strategy. Under framework 2 (net societal benefit), 6-month recalls were the most efficient strategy with a probability of positive net benefit ranging from 78% to 100% across the eligible and combined strata, with findings driven by the high value placed on more frequent recall services in the discrete choice experiment. Under framework 3 (net dental health benefit), 24-month recalls were the most likely strategy to deliver positive net (dental health) benefit among those eligible for 24-month recall, with a probability of positive net benefit ranging from 65% to 99%. For the combined group, the optimal strategy was less clear. Risk-based recalls were more likely to be the most efficient recall strategy in scenarios where the costing perspective was widened to include participant-incurred costs, and in the Scottish subgroup. Information regarding factors considered by dentists to inform the risk-based interval and the interaction with patients to determine risk and agree the interval were not collected. Over a 4-year period, we found no evidence of a difference in oral health for participants allocated to a 6-month or a risk-based recall interval, nor between a 24-month, 6-month or risk-based recall interval for participants eligible for a 24-month recall. However, people greatly value and are willing to pay for frequent dental check-ups; therefore, the most efficient recall strategy depends on the scope of the cost and benefit valuation that decision-makers wish to consider. Assessment of the impact of risk assessment tools in informing risk-based interval decision-making and techniques for communicating a variable recall interval to patients. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN95933794. This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme [project numbers 06/35/05 (Phase I) and 06/35/99 (Phase II)] and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 24, No. 60. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Attendance at early recall and colposcopy in routine cervical screening with human papillomavirus testing.

Attendance at early recall and colposcopy is crucial to attaining the benefits of primary high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV)-based screening. Within the English HPV pilot, we analysed deprivation- and age-related patterns of attendance at colposcopy and 12- and 24-month early recall of HR-HPV positive women screened in 2013 to 2015 (N = 36 466). We fitted logistic regression models for adjusted odds ratios (OR). Despite high overall attendance, area deprivation had a small but significant impact at both early recalls, for example, attendance at 24 months was 86.3% and 83.0% in less vs more deprived areas, respectively (ORadj : 0.76; 95% CI: 0.67-0.87). Older women (≥30 years) were more likely to attend early recall than younger women (<30 years), for example, attendance at 24 months was 86.1% vs 82.3%, respectively (ORadj : 1.32, 95% CI: 1.16-1.51). Most women attended colposcopy following a baseline referral, with 96.9% attendance among more deprived and 97.8% among less deprived areas (ORadj : 0.70; 95% CI: 0.55-0.88). Differences in colposcopy attendance by deprivation level at 12 and 24 months were of approximately the same magnitude. In conclusion, attendance at early recall and colposcopy was reassuringly high. Although there were statistically significant differences by deprivation and age group, these were small in absolute terms.

Recall intervals for oral health in primary care patients.

Recall intervals for oral health in primary care patients.

Outpatient, dental care of adult vulnerable patients under general anaesthesia\u2014a retrospective evaluation of need for treatment and dental follow-up care

ObjectivesTo analyse the treatment needs of patients who had received dental treatment under GA and the effectiveness of the treatment provided.Materials and methodsRetrospective chart analysis of adult at risk and vulnerable patients requiring dental treatment under GA (2007–2017). Outcome variables were indications for GA, DMF/T, and type of treatment, failure rates of treated teeth, emergencies and recall intervals after GA.ResultsFour hundred fourteen subjects (median age 42 years, range 18–93 years) were assigned to four groups (people with disabilities (pwdis), dementias (pwd), dental phobias (pwph), and addictions/psychosocial disorders (pwapd)) and attended the pre-GA assessment. Of these, 247 subjects (median 37 years, range 18–93 years) were treated under GA, mostly pwdis (n = 154, 69.7%). The main indication for treatment under GA was suspicion of pain (n = 178, 72.1%). Pwd had the highest degree of restoration (46.7%), DMF/T value (23.8), and most missing teeth (5.8). Pwapd had the most decayed teeth (12.9). There was a 12-month recall augmented by 2–4 oral hygiene sessions depending on compliance. The failure rate of all treated teeth was 4%. Two dental emergencies were reported for patients who received a GA.ConclusionsDental treatment need was high for adult vulnerable people. The diagnostic groups differed mainly in their subjective reason for need of a GA, their DMF/T, treatment needs and type of treatments performed. Failure and dental emergency rates after GA were low in spite of a recall interval of 12 months.Clinical RelevanceRegular annual recalls could avoid dental emergencies in patients requiring treatment under GA.

PNS56 Effect of the Recall Period for Estimating Inpatient out-of-Pocket Expenditures: Validation Study in Vietnam

This study investigates the effect of the recall period on the accuracy of recall of the out-of-pocket payments (OOPs) and timing of inpatient transactions in Vietnam using household surveys and hospital records. 1229 households were identified using hospitalization records and interviewed with either a 12-month or a 6-month recall period. The Bland-Altman method was used to assess the agreement between household and provider OOPs for the whole sample, and by amount of provider OOPs (low- ≤ USD 8.8; high - > USD 8.8). Multinomial regression was performed to assess the effect of the recall period on whether a transaction was recalled correctly in expenditure and time. Households reported higher OOPs than hospital overall. No evidence of an effect of recall period on OOPs in the whole sample, but there was an interaction between recall period and the level of provider OOPs. For the low OOPs, there was substantial variability in the ratio of household to provider OOPs. For the high OOPs, the mean ratio for the 12-month period was 1.13 (95% limits of agreement 0.03, 37.5) and for the 6-month was 1.7 (0.09, 33.7); p=0.009. About 60% of transactions were reported in the correct recall period. Overall, and for the low OOPs, there was no evidence of an effect by recall period, whereas for the high OOPs, transactions of the 6-month period were 5.9 (95% CI 2.7, 13.2) times more likely to be forward telescoped and less likely to be forgotten (RR 0.5, 0.3-0.9). The study provides evidence of the drivers of higher mean OOPs in the 6-month compared to the 12-month recall period. The 12-month suffered less from over-reported amounts or forward telescoping, but had a higher risk of forgetting. Impact of recall period on how accurately a transaction was reported differed by OOP amounts.

Fissure caries inhibition with a CO2 9.3-μm short-pulsed laser-a randomized, single-blind, split-mouth controlled, 1-year clinical trial.

The objective of this randomized, single-blind, split-mouth controlled, clinical trial was to evaluate whether the use of a short-pulsed 9.3-μm CO2 laser increases the caries resistance of occlusal pit and fissures in addition to fluoride therapy over 12months. A total of 60 participants, average age 13.1years, were enrolled. At baseline, second molars were randomized into test and control, and assessed by ICDAS, SOPROLIFE, and DIAGNOdent. An independent investigator irradiated test molars with a CO2 laser (wavelength 9.3μm, pulse duration 4μs, pulse repetition rate 43Hz, beam diameter 250μm, average fluence 3.9J/cm2, 20 laser pulses per spot). Test molars received laser and fluoride treatment, control teeth fluoride alone. Fluoride varnish was applied at baseline and at 6months. After 6 and 12months, teeth were again assessed. A total of 57 participants completed the 6-month and 51 the 12-month recall. Laser-treated surfaces showed very slight ICDAS improvements over time with ICDAS change - 1 in 11% and 8%, no changes (ICDAS change 0) in 68% and 67%, and slightly worsened (ICDAS change 1) in 19% and 24% at 6- and 12-month recalls, respectively, and worsened by two scores in 2% at both recall time points. Control teeth showed significantly higher ICDAS increases, with 47% and 25% showing ICDAS change 0, ICDAS change 1 in 49% and 55%, and ICDAS change 2 in 4% and 20% at 6- and 12-month recalls, respectively. Differences in ICDAS changes between the groups were statistically significant (P = 0.0002 and P < 0.0001; Wilcoxon's signed-rank test, exact). A total of 22% of the participants developed ICDAS 3 scores on the control teeth. Microsecond short-pulsed 9.3-μm CO2 laser irradiation markedly inhibits caries progression in pits and fissures in comparison with fluoride varnish alone. The 9.3-μm CO2 laser irradiation of pits and fissures enhances caries resistance. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02357979.

Supportive Implant Therapy (SIT): A Prospective 10-Year Study of Patient Compliance Rates and Impacting Factors.

The main objective of this study is to present patient compliance rates and influential factors for regular attendance in a systematic implant aftercare program (Supportive Implant Therapy; SIT) within a 10-year observation period. From 2005 to 2008, we identified 233 patients with 524 implants and implant-supported restorations at the study center. They had been instructed to attend an SIT program with 3-month recall intervals. A 2019 clinical prospective cohort study on 10-year compliance rates was performed. Data were assessed yearly in regression analyses to identify influential factors. Noncompliance rates increased during the period (4.8%, year 1; 39.7%, year 10). Total noncompliance was observed in four patients (1.7%) with 10 implants. “Age,” “Gender,” “Diabetes”, and “Surgical case complexity” showed no correlation with patient compliance. “Smoking” and “Cardiovascular diseases” significantly influenced patients in one of ten years, while “Number of implants per patient”, “Type of implant-supported prostheses”, and “Pre-existing experience in a prophylaxis program” reached significance after several years. When patients with implant-supported restorations are strongly recommended and frequently remotivated to comply with an SIT program with 3-month recall, an approximately 60% compliance rate after 10 years is achievable. Previous prophylaxis program experience, increased number of implants per patient, and removable implant-supported prostheses may be strong influential factors for increased patient compliance.

Combination effects of diode laser and resin-modified tricalcium silicate on direct pulp capping treatment of caries exposures in permanent teeth: a randomized clinical trial.

The purpose of this randomized clinical trial was to evaluate efficiency of diode 808-nm (Picasso-AMD, USA) laser using power 1.5 W, continuous wave (CW), fiber diameter of 400 μm, non-initiated and in contact mode, tip angle set at 90°, beam divergence 16°, 2 s per an area with 1-mm diameter, power density 190.98 W/cm2, energy density 381.97 J/cm2, vertical and horizontal scanning movement on the exposure site, and laser irradiation combined with a resin-based tricalcium silicate material (TheraCal LC, Bisco, USA) in direct pulp capping in caries exposures of permanent teeth over a period of 6 months. In this randomized clinical trial, a total of 20 anterior and posterior vital teeth without symptoms and radiographic changes of 14 patients between the age group of 15-35 years, of which randomly 10 teeth were considered, each for TheraCal LC, the exposed area was sealed with TheraCal paste and TheraCal combined with diode laser; the treated area was sealed with TheraCal paste after diode 808-nm laser irradiation. At the 1-, 3-, and 6-month recall examinations, the loss of vitality, spontaneous pain, reactions to thermal stimuli and percussion, and radiographic changes were considered failure. The samples were randomly divided using runs test. Measurements on the digitized radiograph were performed at the recalls. The data were analyzed by repeated measurements ANOVA using SPSS 25. Analysis had indicated that at the end of follow-ups, a statistically significant increase in dentin thickness with both groups (p value < 0.001) was found. Clinically, diode laser group has shown better results (p value < 0.001); however, radiographically, no significant difference was observed between groups (p value = 0.56). In both groups, the highest thickness of dentin formed was at the first month; 0.40 mm ± 0.19 mm (p value < 0.001). Diode laser 808 nm under proper parameters combined with TheraCal LC can be recommended for direct pulp therapy in caries exposure of permanent teeth. This research was approved by Esfahan Medical University, Dental School, Azad Branch (KHUISF)) Esfahan, Iran [IR.IAU.KHUISF.REC.1397.261].

Validation of maternal recall on exclusive breastfeeding 12 months after childbirth.

We aimed to assess the validity of maternal recall of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) at 3 months obtained 12 months after childbirth. A population-based birth cohort study. The gold standard is maternal report of EBF at the age of 3 months (yes or no) and age of introduction of other foods in the infant's diet. EBF was considered when the mother reported that no liquid, semi-solid or solid food was introduced up to that moment. The variable to be validated was obtained at 12 months after childbirth when the mother was asked about the age of food introduction. The prevalence of EBF at 3 months, and sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive values (NPV), and accuracy of 12-month recall with 95 % CI were calculated. Pelotas, Brazil. 3700 mothers of participants of the Pelotas 2004 Birth Cohort. The prevalence of EBF at 3 months was 27·8 % (95 % CI 26·4, 29·3) and 49·0 % (95 % CI 47·4, 50·6) according to gold standard and maternal recall, respectively. The sensitivity of maternal recall at 12 months was 98·3 % (95 % CI 97·4, 99·0), specificity 70·0 % (95 % CI 68·2, 71·7), PPV 55·8 % (95 % CI 53·4, 58·1), NPV 99·1 % (95 % CI 98·6, 99·5) and accuracy 77·9 % (95 % CI 76·6, 79·2). When the analyses were stratified by maternal and infant characteristics, the sensitivity remained around 98 %, and the specificity ranged from 64·4 to 81·8 %. EBF recalled at the end of the first year of infant's life is a valid measure to be used in epidemiological investigations.

Predictors of non-fatal violence or assault among adolescents in rural Bangladesh: cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo determine the predictors of non-fatal violence or assault among adolescents in rural Bangladesh to inform evidence-based interventions.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingHousehold survey and national census in 51 unions of rural Bangladesh.Participants, methods...

Linguistic translation and validation of the Menopause-specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) questionnaire in Greek menopausal women.

The objective of this study was to translate the Menopause-specific Quality of Life (MENQOL) questionnaire in Greek and validate it for usage in the Greek population both in written and electronic form. The original English questionnaire MENQOL with 1-month recall period was translated by our team. According to instructions by Mapi Research Trust, the questionnaire was forward and back-translated, followed by patient testing and proofreading. Then it was transcripted electronically. Validation was performed with the following tests: internal consistency (reliability), stability (test-retest reliability) with Cronbach's alpha correlations, independent and paired t tests, and Pearson's correlation coefficients. A total of 105 women, the majority recently menopausal, participated in the study. Internal consistency using the Cronbach's alpha showed high reliability ranging between 0.833 (physical domain) and 0.896 (vasomotor domain) for the written, and 0.720 (physical domain) and 0.868 (vasomotor domain) for the online form. Test-retest reliability was also high for both forms. The sexual domain of MENQOL had the higher mean, indicating the highest impact on quality of life (3.80 ± 2.35). The Greek version of MENQOL is a reliable instrument for evaluating menopausal women. Availability of an online form will allow wider dissemination of the questionnaire. Further use of the questionnaire in Greece may lead to better understanding of the bothersome symptoms of menopause; a prerequisite to develop intervention studies for amelioration of quality of life.

Objective and Subjective Measures of Premature Ejaculation: How Closely Do They Correspond and How Well Are the Subjective Measures Recalled?

BackgroundClinical trials evaluating new treatments for premature ejaculation (PE) should ideally include both objective end points and patient reported outcomes (PROs), but there is no consensus currently over the optimal measures or combination of outcomes. In addition, many PROs use a 1-month recall period, despite concerns about potential recall bias. AimsData from a clinical trial of men with lifelong PE were used to examine the consistency of 2 core items of the Premature Ejaculation Profile (PEP), a widely used PRO for assessing subjective aspects of PE. The specific aim was to assess the level of agreement between the original 1-month recall version compared with a new event-based version of the scale in men meeting current definitions of lifelong PE. A further aim was to investigate the convergent validity between an objective end point of intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT), subjective PEP responses, and a patient's Clinical Global Impression of Change (CGIC) measure. MethodsFor assessment of consistency of PEP responses (short-term [ie, sexual event driven] vs 1-month recall), descriptive statistics, correlation coefficients (Pearson and Spearman), and Bland-Altman plots are presented for each time interval. For assessment of convergent validity, descriptive statistics and correlation coefficients (Pearson and Spearman) are presented for each assessment with geometric mean IELT values. Results are also depicted graphically. Geometric mean IELT over the last 4 weeks of treatment and change from baseline (absolute and fold change) were estimated via a general linear model for each category of change in PEP and CGIC, adjusting for baseline IELT. OutcomesPEP items administered via 1-month recall and short-term event-driven responses gave virtually identical results. There was a strong correlation (very good convergent validity) between IELT and responses to PEP and the CGIC. Clinical translationMen with lifelong PE can accurately recall their level of sexual functioning over the previous month. The PEP and CGIC are appropriate instruments to measure the subjective response of men with PE to new treatments. Strengths and limitationsOur analyses address gaps in previously published research on PE assessment methodology. Men with acquired PE, men without partners, and men in homosexual relationships were not studied. ConclusionsIn a clinical trial setting, PEP and CGIC are appropriate end points and are likely the optimal combination of PROs for use with IELT to enable a global assessment of patient response to new PE treatments.Althof S, Rosen R, Harty B, et al. Objective and Subjective Measures of Premature Ejaculation: How Closely Do They Correspond and How Well Are the Subjective Measures Recalled? J Sex Med 2020;17:634–644.

Involvement in Physical Fights among School Attending Adolescents: A Nationally Representative Sample from Kuwait.

Background: Interpersonal violence in school settings is an important public health problem worldwide. This study investigated the individual and social correlates for being involved in a physical fight amongst a nationally representative sample of school-attending adolescents in Kuwait. Methods: We carried out bivariate and multivariate analyses to determine the strength and direction of associations with adolescent involvement in problematic fighting behavior within a 12-month recall period. Results: Within a total sample of 3637, n = 877 (25.2%) of school-attending adolescents reported being involved in two or more physical fights during the recall period. The multivariate analysis indicated that being male (OR = 2.71; CI = 1.88–3.90), a victim of bullying (OR = 2.77; CI = 2.14–3.58), truancy (OR = 2.52; CI = 1.91–3.32), planning a suicide (OR = 2.04; CI = 1.49–2.78) and food deprivation (OR = 1.91; CI = 1.37–2.65) were associated with an increased risk of involvement in physical fighting. Peer support in the form of having close friends (OR = 0.85; CI = 0.76–0.96) was found to be associated with a reduced involvement in fighting behavior. Conclusion: The results, when taken together, suggest that supportive school environments may represent important settings for violence mitigation and prevention strategies.

One-year evaluation of a new restorative glass ionomer cement for the restoration of non-carious cervical lesions in patients with systemic diseases: a randomized, clinical trial.

This randomized and clinical trial aimed to evaluate the performance of a new restorative Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC) for the restoration of non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) of patients with systemic diseases compared with a posterior resin composite after 12 months. 134 restorations were placed at 30 patients presenting systemic diseases by a single clinician. NCCLs were allocated to two groups according to restorative system used: a conventional restorative GIC [Fuji Bulk (GC, Tokyo Japan) (FB)] and a posterior resin composite [G-ænial Posterior (GC, Tokyo Japan) (GP)] used with a universal adhesive using etch&rinse mode. All restorative procedures were conducted according to manufacturer's instructions. Restorations were scored regarding retention, marginal discoloration, marginal adaptation, secondary caries, surface texture, and post-operative sensitivity using modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria after 1 week (baseline), 6, and 12 months. Descriptive statistics were performed using chi-square tests. Cochran Q and Mc Nemar's tests were used to detect differences over time. After 12 months, recall rate was 93% and the rates of cumulative retention failure for FB and GP were 4.9% and 1.6% respectively. Both groups presented similar alpha rates for marginal adaptation (FB 86.2%, GP 95.5%) and marginal discoloration (FB 93.8%, GP 97%) at 6-month recall, but FB restorations showed higher bravo scores than GP restorations for marginal adaptation and marginal discoloration after 12 months (p<0.05). Regarding surface texture, 2 FB restorations (3.1%) were scored as bravo after 6 months. All restorations were scored as alpha for secondary caries and postoperative sensitivity after 12 months. Although the posterior resin composite demonstrated clinically higher alpha scores than the conventional GIC for marginal adaptation and discoloration, both materials successfully restored NCCLs at patients with systematic disease after a year. Due to its acceptable clinical results, the tested conventional restorative GIC can be used for the restoration of NCCLs of patients with systemic diseases.

Effects of implant-related variables on the marginal bone loss around dental implants.

Marginal bone loss (MBL), a prognostic parameter for implant success, is associated with implant- and patient-related variables. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of the crown-to-implant ratio and independent factors of implant diameter, implant length, implant type, location, and platform switching on distal and mesial MBLs at the 6-, 12-, 24-, and 36-month recall sessions of single crown implant-supported restorations. Radiographic and clinical data of patients treated with single crown implants were collected. MBL was measured at the baseline and recall sessions on panoramic radiographs. The crown-to-implant ratio was calculated by dividing the length of the crown by that of the dental implant. The crown-to-implant ratio had a moderately positive correlation with distal MBL at the 6-month recall session (P < .05, r = 0.469) and a weakly positive correlation at the 12- (P < .05, r = 0.220), 24- (P < .05, r = 0.214), and 36- (P < .05, r = 0.250) month recall sessions. Distal and mesial MBL did not significantly differ among the four implant types at any recall session (P > .05). The crown-to-implant ratio had no significant correlation with mesial MBL at the 12-, 24-, or 36-month recall session (P > .05), and a moderately positive correlation at the 6-month recall session (P < .001, r = 0.434). MBL was similar among different implant types in the short and medium terms. There was a positive correlation between distal MBL and the crown-to-implant ratio.