Daily Brushing Research Articles

Relationship between physical activity and oral frailty among older adults in Korea

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of physical activity on oral frailty in older Korean adults. Methods: The data from 1,320 individuals aged 65 years and older, derived from the 8th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2019), were subjected to complex sample statistical analysis. Oral frailty was assessed based on the presence of one or more functional impairments according to the following five criteria: difficulty chewing, difficulty speaking, number of natural teeth, brushing frequency, and use of oral hygiene products. Results: Chewing discomfort and difficulty speaking were highest in the 76-80 age group at 44.5% and 18.1%, respectively (p<0.01). The proportion of patients with 20+ natural teeth decreased from 72.2% (65-70) to 45.3% (75-80) (p<0.001). The daily brushing rate was 50.2% in the 65-70 group. Chewing discomfort was reported by 26% of those who walked 4-6 days a week (p<0.01). Moderate-intensity activity was linked to lower chewing discomfort (22.9%) and speaking difficulty (7.4%) compared with higher levels in inactive individuals (30.4%, 14.9%) (p<0.01). Brushing three times daily was observed in 52.9% of walkers and 33.9% of non-walkers (p<0.001). Oral hygiene product use varied significantly according to activity level (p<0.05). Conclusions: Physical activity significantly affects oral frailty, highlighting the need for targeted training and policy development.

Sono-Catalytic Tooth Whitening and Oral Health Enhancement with Oxygen Vacancies-Enriched Mesoporous TiO2 Nanospheres: A Nondestructive Approach for Daily Tooth Care.

Tooth discoloration and the breeding of oral microorganisms pose threats to both one's aesthetic appearance and oral health. Clinical whitening agents based on H2O2 with high concentrations are effective in tooth whitening and bacterial elimination but may also cause enamel demineralization, gingival irritation, or cytotoxicity, necessitating professional supervision. Herein, leveraging sono-catalysis effects, a nondestructive and convenient tooth whitening strategy was developed, utilizing oxygen vacancies (OVs)-enriched mesoporous TiO2 nanospheres. The introduction of OVs leads to TiO2 bandgap narrowing, boosting the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by TiO2 under ultrasound treatment. Additionally, through the chemocatalysis effect, the ROS yield can be further augmented by employing OVs-enriched TiO2 in conjunction with an extremely low concentration of H2O2 (1%) during ultrasound treatment. Hence, under ultrasound treatment simulating daily tooth brushing using an electronic toothbrush, the combination of OVs-enriched TiO2 and 1% H2O2 proves to be effective in whitening teeth stained by tea, coffee, and mix juice. Furthermore, the combination of OVs-enriched TiO2 and 1% H2O2 demonstrates potent bacterial-killing and biofilm-eradicating effects under ultrasound treatment within an extremely short duration (5 min). Additionally, given the mesoporous structure, curcumin, serving as an anti-inflammatory agent, can be efficiently loaded into OVs-enriched TiO2 and then controllably released through ultrasound treatment. The curcumin-loaded TiO2 facilitates the transition of macrophages to the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, potentially alleviating oral inflammation induced by bacterial infection without showing any biotoxicity. The OVs-enriched TiO2 based sono-catalysis tooth whitening procedure provides the convenience of whitening teeth during daily brushing without requiring professional supervision.

Automated monitoring of brush use in dairy cattle.

Access to brushes allows for natural scratching behaviors in cattle, especially in confined indoor settings. Cattle are motivated to use brushes, but brush use varies with multiple factors including social hierarchy and health. Brush use might serve an indicator of cow health or welfare, but practical application of these measures requires accurate and automated monitoring tools. This study describes a machine learning approach to monitor brush use by dairy cattle. We aimed to capture the daily brush use by integrating data on the rotation of a mechanical brush with data on cow identify derived from either 1) low-frequency radio frequency identification or 2) a computer vision system using fiducial markers. We found that the computer vision system outperformed the RFID system in accuracy, and that the machine learning algorithms enhanced the precision of the brush use estimates. This study presents the first description of a fiducial marker-based computer vision system for monitoring individual cattle behavior in a group setting; this approach could be applied to develop automated measures of other behaviors with the potential to better assess welfare and improve the care for farm animals.

Effectiveness of a Daily Honeycomb-Shaped Dental Chew in Reducing Calculus, Plaque, Gingivitis and Malodor in Dogs.

Periodontal disease in dogs is common. Client compliance with oral hygiene and oral care for pets is low. The gold standard is annual dental prophylaxis under general anesthesia with imaging followed by home care including daily brushing. Clients should be offered methods to reduce calculus, plaque, gingivitis, and resulting halitosis that are time efficient, cost-effective, and easy to administer between annual preventative dental prophylaxis with the goal to move into maintenance phase of managing periodontal disease. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a honeycomb-shaped dental chew in reducing hardened calculus, plaque, gingivitis, and malodor in client-owned dogs in their normal home environment including various breeds, skull types, ages, and weights. Calculus, plaque, and gingival scores with volatile sulfur compounds readings were performed under sedation and evaluated under general anesthesia after 60 consecutive days of receiving a daily honeycomb-shaped dental chew treat. There was an overall statistically significant percentage reduction of calculus (26.6%), plaque (14.2%), and malodor (46.71%). Gingival scores did not demonstrate statistically significant reduction (0.99%). Use of this honeycomb-shaped daily dental chew significantly reduced calculus, plaque, and associated malodor in dogs when fed consecutively for 60 days.

Biomarkers of Orthodontic Patients After Use of 1% Brazilian Red Propolis Toothpaste: A Randomized Clinical Study.

To evaluate the salivary biomarkers and plaque index after a treatment with a propolis-contained toothpaste. This is a longitudinal, randomized, double-blind study where 76 participants were randomized into two groups: Group I: Fluoridated Red Propolis toothpaste; Group II: Fluoridated toothpaste. The participants were selected in a municipality without fluoridated public water. All participants received standardized oral hygiene instructions from the same instructor for 3 daily brushings (after breakfast, after lunch, and before bed) for a period of 2 min; Saliva samples were collected before (D0) and after 28 days (D28) of treatment for analysis of pH and total protein, amylase, and IL-10. Saliva was collected in the initial consultation and on return, totaling two collections. All samples were collected under the same conditions, by the same operator and between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM in order to minimize the influence of circadian rhythm on salivary flow. On D0 and D28, the various treatments had no effect on total salivary proteins (G1: P = 0.0746; G2: P = 0.2144), and the pH stayed about the same. Additionally, there was no change in the amylase activity in G1 (P = 0.1877) or G2 (P = 0.4674). Significant decreases in G1 (P < 0.0001) and G2 (P = 0.03) were observed with IL-10. There was no statistically significant difference in the salivary flow between the BRP toothpaste-treated group (P = 0.172) and the commercial fluoridated toothpaste-treated group (P = 0.329). Compared to G2 (P = 0.03), G1 showed a superior decline in the plaque index (P = <0.0001). After 28 days of using the toothpastes, there were no changes in the amylase, pH, or total protein indicators. After 28 days, there was a decrease in the propolis group's IL-10 dose and plaque index.

Gender stereotypes of saving dental health among students

AIM. To conduct a literature review and establish the relationship between gender stereotypes and dental health saving among students and to conduct our own analysis among higher education institutions such as: RUDN, RNIMU, MIREA.MATERIALS AND METHODS. A systematic literature review in the electronic databases of Google Scholar and Pubmed was conducted. Articles with content based on identifying the role of gender on oral health among 18–25-year-olds were reviewed. Sixty articles were reviewed, of which 10 from Pubmed and 50 from Google Scholar were selected. After selecting articles according to criteria, the total number of studies was 30. In addition, we conducted our own analysis among universities such as: RUDN, MIREA, RNIMU. 66 people (48 girls and 18 men) participated in the survey.RESULTS. We established the relationship between gender stereotypes and saving dental health, but we do not exclude that the level of oral health among students is individual and depends only partly on gender.CONCLUSION. It is possible to note the influence of gender stereotypes regarding saving dental health. Girls are more careful about the state of oral cavity and health in general. This conclusion is based on the increased frequency of visits to the dentist for preventive examinations. The male part of the population, due to lack of knowledge in the field of prevention, improperly care for their oral cavity, this is expressed in the wrong brush, its coarser use and lack of instructions for daily brushing. The attitude of men towards the dentist plays an important role. Due to lack of habit and less awareness of health issues, they are more likely to be exposed to discomfort and stress during the appointment than girls. In conclusion, we would like to say that gender stereotypes have a place, but still the level of dental health among students is individualized and only partly depends on gender.

Powtoon Media in the Whatsapp Group Application on Dental Hygiene Behavior in Primary School Children

Preventive measures such as brushing teeth are still considered not good for children. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Health's Data and Data Center in 2018, it was stated that tooth brushing behavior based on age groups in Indonesia, namely the daily brushing behavior of children aged 10-14 years, had a percentage of 96.5% with the percentage of correct tooth brushing time being 2.1%. Riskesdas states that the percentage of brushing teeth correctly is 2.8%. Promotional efforts that can be made are Dental Health Education. Apart from being carried out on children, this effort can also be carried out on parents, especially mothers. Powtoon as a multimedia application that can be used as a learning medium has several advantages, including very interesting animation features such as handwritten animation, cartoon animation and lively transition effects as well as easy timeline management. The research method and stages are development research to produce media products, then to see the effect of media use, a quasi-experimental method with one group pretest and posttest design is used. Research Results: Powtoon media for dental health education because of FGD with media experts, health promotion experts and dental health promotion media has been created with the results of expert validation and declared suitable for use as a media for Dental Health Education. Test the influence of powtoon media on children's teeth brushing practices and parents' knowledge using Wilcoxon test analysis with a p-value of 0.000 &lt; 0.005, which means there is a significant influence.

Long-term effects of motivational interviewing vs. traditional counseling on dog owners' adherence to veterinary dental home care: a three-year follow-up study.

Periodontal disease is one of the most common health issues in dogs. However, disease is largely preventable by eliminating dental plaque, best achieved by daily tooth brushing. Unfortunately, owner adherence is low to the recommendation of daily tooth brushing in dogs. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of various communication strategies, traditional advice (TA) versus motivational interviewing (MI), and compare them to a control group receiving no additional communication (CG), on dog owners' performance of dental home care and the oral health of their dogs. The study was conducted as a longitudinal clinical intervention study spanning 3 years, and involved 75 dog owners with young dogs who were randomly assigned to one of three groups: TA, MI, or CG. Intervention groups received annual telephone consultations based on their assigned methodology. A questionnaire was administered twice to all groups, and the dental health of the dogs was assessed at the study's conclusion. Tooth brushing frequency demonstrated a significant increase in the MI group compared to the CG group (p < 0.01), albeit with a relatively low occurrence of daily brushing among owners. Dental health assessment revealed a significantly lower plaque index in the MI group compared to the CG group (p < 0.05), and a lower calculus index in the TA group compared to the CG group (p < 0.01). No statistically significant differences were observed between the MI and TA groups in terms of dental health. Regular veterinary communication appears to have a positive influence on dog owner adherence to veterinary recommendations concerning dental care in dogs. Communication with veterinarians (MI and traditional advice) improved owner knowledge, attitude, and decreased frequency of not brushing. Although dental health parameters improved, the effect size was small, suggesting the complexity of adherence. Personalized calls to dog owners offer potential for dental health improvement, warranting further comparison of MI with traditional advice.

Caries indicators in relation to healthcare access and hygienic-dietary habits in Spanish preschoolers.

Dental caries continues to be a public healthcare problem due to its high prevalence and morbidity. It was proposed to evaluate caries indicators in relation to healthcare access and hygienic-dietary habits in Spanish preschoolers. A cross-sectional study was carried out on a random sample consisting of 343 patients ranging from 3 to 5 years of age in the primary care setting, the main measurements were: dental care access, hygienic-dietary habits, and caries registration according to WHO criteria. The prevalence of caries was 35.3% and mean ± standard deviation (SD) dft was 1.51 ± 2.93. Preschoolers who had ever visited the dentist had a higher dft occurrence than those who had never attended the dentist. The lower prevalence of caries was significantly associated with the frequency of two daily brushings versus non-daily brushing (p = 0.007; 25.3% vs. 47.1%) and was 10.7% lower in patients who had the habit of night brushing (p = 0.041). The consumption of sugary liquids between meals implied a higher dft index. The high prevalence of early childhood caries and the dental care access associated with poor oral health suggest the need to implement a multidisciplinary oral healthcare program that involves both healthcare and dental healthcare professionals in Primary Health Care Units without forgetting the participation of the community and local administrations.

Association between tea types and number of teeth: a cross-sectional study of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

BackgroundPrevious studies have suggested that tea consumption may have a positive impact on oral health. However, the effects of different tea types on oral health remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between residual teeth and consumption habits of different types of tea (green tea, black tea, oolong tea, and scented tea) in older adults.MethodsWe conducted a secondary analysis using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey in 2018. In a sample of 6,387 older adults, we performed logistic regression analysis to examine the relationship between persistent tea consumption and oral health according to sex and brushing frequency. The indices for particularly healthy oral health and relative health were set at more than 20 teeth and more than 10 teeth, respectively.ResultsThe study included 2,725 males and 3,662 females, both aged 65 and older. Among individuals with more than 20 teeth, drinking green tea significantly improved oral health in men (adjusted odds ratio [ORs]: 1.377; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.082–1.752) and drinking black tea significantly improved the oral health of women (ORs: 2.349, 95%CI: 1.028–5.366). In the daily brushing group, green tea had a significant beneficial effect on increasing the number of teeth in men and black tea had a significant beneficial effect in women. Among individuals with more than 10 teeth, drinking green tea significantly improved oral health in men (ORs: 1.539; 95% CI: 1.209–1.959) and drinking green tea and scented tea significantly improved the oral health of women (ORs: 1.447, 95%CI: 1.052–1.991; ORs: 1.948, 95%CI: 1.137–3.340). In the daily brushing group, consumption of green tea and black tea had significant beneficial effects on increasing the number of teeth in men, whereas that of green tea, black tea, and scented tea had significant beneficial effects in women.ConclusionLong-term green tea consumption in males and black tea consumption in females were significantly associated with maintaining functional dentition (≥20 teeth). Similarly, long-term green tea consumption in males and green tea and scented tea consumption in females were associated with avoiding severe tooth loss (≥10 teeth). Furthermore, in the daily tooth brushing group, long-term consumption of black tea was associated with avoiding severe tooth loss in both sexes. However, tea consumption alone had no effect on oral health without good brushing habits.

HUBUNGAN TEKNIK MENYIKAT GIGI DENGAN GINGIVITIS PADA IBU-IBU PEDAGANG DI PASAR TRADISIONAL RINTE MEDAN

The success of maintaining dental health depends on daily brushing techniques. Improper toothbrushing technique can cause gingival inflammation, namely gingivitis. This study was conducted to analyze correlation between tooth brushing technique with the occurrence of gingivitis on seller women at traditional market in Medan. Correlative descriptive research design with cross sectional design. The population of this study were all seller women at Rinte Traditional Market in Medan with total sample of 35 respondent’s taken by total sampling technique. Data collection tool for the accuracy of brushing technic variables used a interviews using checklist interview guidelines, while gingivitis data was measured by examining gingival condition. According to the Chi-Square test, the p value was 0.000&lt;? (?=0.005), meaning that there was Corelation between Tooth Brushing Technique with gingivitis.

Effects of erosion and abrasion on resin-matrix ceramic CAD/CAM materials: An in vitro investigation.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of erosion and abrasion on resin-matrix ceramic CAD/CAM materials [CERASMART (GC); VITA ENAMIC (VITA Zahnfabrik); Lava Ultimate (3M)] in comparison to feldspar ceramic (VITABLOCS Mark II, VITA Zahnfabrik) and resin composite materials (ceram.x universal, Dentsply Sirona). Daily brushing and acid exposure were simulated using a brushing apparatus and a solution of 0.5vol% citric acid. Microhardness, surface roughness, and substance loss were measured at baseline and after simulation of 1 and 3 years of function. All materials showed a decrease in microhardness after 3 years and an increase in surface roughness (Ra) after 1 and 3 years. The Ra increase was statistically significantly lower for the resin-matrix ceramics than for feldspar ceramic and similar to composite material. After 3 years, only feldspar ceramic showed no significant substance loss. In conclusion, resin-matrix ceramics demonstrate reduced roughening compared to feldspar ceramics, potentially improving restoration longevity by preventing plaque buildup, but differences in abrasion resistance suggest the need for further material-specific research. Future research should aim to replicate clinical conditions closely and to transition to in vivo trials.

Comparison of oral health characteristics in pediatric cancer and cancer free patients: A multicenter study

Comparing oral health of cancer to non-cancer children proves that cancer and its treatment can cause oral complications. Two groups of children, 50 treated for cancer, and 51 cancer-free, at two different centers, signed informed consent forms. Both the examination of teeth, oral functions and soft tissue with a questionnaire including the patients’ demographic characteristics, medical history, dietary and oral hygiene, and changes due to the oncologic treatment allowed gathering data. The two groups had no demographic nor socio-economic differences. Dietary habits were not significantly different. Daily brushing was more frequent in cancer-free (96.1%) versus sick (76%) children. Oral hygiene was poor (34%) or very poor (24%) in cancer patients and average for non-cancer subjects (68.6%). Cancer patients had more caries, without significant differences between groups. Gingiva was healthy in 96.1% of non-cancer and 76% of cancer patients (p = 0.044). In cancer patients, intra-oral soft tissue lesions were aphtous ulcers (52.9%), candidiasis (23.5%), and herpes (17.6%). Xerostomia was significantly different (p = 0.001) between cancer (32%) and non-cancer subjects (3.9%). Chemotherapy alone is an independent predictor of poor oral health (HR 17.7, 95% CI [5.2–60.9], p < 0.001). Cancer patients had poor oral health compared to non-cancer children, with insufficient knowledge concerning the relationship between oral and general health. Education programs, screenings and treatment at cancer centers may help reduce risks of complications.

Salivary fluoride levels after daily brushing with 5000ppm fluoride toothpaste: A randomised, controlled clinical trial.

This study explored salivary fluoride levels following toothbrushing with 5000 and 1450ppm fluoride toothpaste and determined the decline in salivary fluoride levels following the return from 5000 to 1450ppm fluoride toothpaste. The study was a randomised, controlled double-blind parallel clinical trial (n=24/group) measuring salivary fluoride five times during a 3-week trial phase involving 2×/day use of 5000 or 1450ppm fluoride toothpaste, and five times during an ensuing 2-week wash-out phase where all participants used 1450ppm toothpaste. Salivary fluoride was measured using a fluoride electrode and data were analysed using multilevel mixed-effects linear regression. Baseline salivary fluoride geometric means were 0.014 and 0.016ppm for the 1450 and 5000ppm groups, while the values at the end of the trial phase were 0.023 and 0.044ppm, respectively. During the trial phase, except at baseline, differences between groups were statistically significant. The salivary fluoride levels for the 5000ppm group remained statistically significantly higher than for the 1450ppm group only at the first measurement in the wash-out phase (≈30h after the last 5000ppm brushing), indicating that higher salivary fluoride levels resulting from use of 5000ppm are sustained only as long as the brushing habit continues.

Інфекційний ендокардит у дітей із вродженими вадами серця: важливість стану ротової порожнини

The health of the oral cavity and cardiovascular system are closely related. Bacteria from the oral cavity can enter the bloodstream and cause infectious endocarditis (IE). Children with artificial valves or artificial material used during surgical procedures and cyanotic congenital heart defects (CHD) are particularly vulnerable. Purpose - to summarize literature data on the need of prevention of IE in healthy children and in children with CHD before dental interventions; to determine whether prophylactic antibiotic therapy should be routinely prescribed to children without CHD and children with corrected and uncorrected CHD. It is important to understand why IE affects particularly the valves. Bacteria spread with the blood stream and settle down on valves with a rough surface (prosthetic or anatomically altered). The peculiarity of the blood supply to the valves and the individual state of the patient's immune system determine the difficulty of fighting against the infection. According to the literature data, children with CHD are at greater risk of developing caries due to insufficient mineralization of primary tooth enamel, reduced saturation, and cardiac medications they take reduce salivation, thus increasing the risk of caries. Children with CHD and poor oral health have a high risk of developing oral bacteraemia and a greater risk of developing IE compared to children CHD and satisfactory oral health. Scientists concluded that, in fact, low-grade accumulative bacteremia is associated with daily brushing, flossing and chewing and is much more likely to cause IE compared to a one-time dental intervention. Therefore, it is concluded that maintaining optimal oral health plays a much more important role in reducing the frequency of IE than routine antibiotic prophylaxis for all dental interventions. Conclusions. Individual and professional hygiene and dental treatment should be carried out routinely for all children, regardless of age and concomitant pathology. Dental caries and its complications, as well as periodontitis serve as a potential source of bacteremia that threatens by the development of IE, which is simply - sepsis with a focus in the heart. Children who are not at risk of developing IE should not be routinely prescribed prophylactic antibiotic therapy. Instead, children with corrected and uncorrected CHD are at increased risk of developing IE and therefore require prophylactic antibiotic therapy during and after dental procedures. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

Home oral hygiene is associated with blood pressure profiles: Results of a nationwide survey in Italian pharmacies.

Periodontal diseases are associated with cardiovascular risk factors/diseases, and whether home oral hygiene practices are inversely related to the same conditions could carry relevant practical implications. We investigated the association of home oral hygiene habits with hypertension. During World Hypertension Day 2020, a nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted on volunteers ≥18 years at 733 Italian pharmacies. Participants underwent standardized blood pressure (BP) measurement and answered a questionnaire on cardiovascular risk factors, oral health status, and home oral hygiene habits (toothbrushing daily frequency and manual/electric toothbrush). The association between home oral care habits and BP was assessed using multivariate logistic regression. Interactions between exposures and outcome were formally tested. Among the 4506 participants (44.8% males, 66.1± 37.8 years), 47.6% reported brushing ≥3 times/day and 23.4% declared using the electric toothbrush. Brushing ≥3 versus &lt;3 times/day and use of electric versus manual toothbrush were associated with 19% (odds ratio [OR]: 0.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70-0.94) and 28% (OR: 0.72, 95% CI 0.61-0.85) lower odds of hypertension, respectively. No significant additive interaction was observed in the association of exposures with the outcome. Regular daily brushing and electric toothbrushing are associated with a better BP profile in a real-world context. Future interdisciplinary research is warranted to test these findings.

ORAL HEALTH PROFILE IN INDIVIDUALS WITH ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

<h3>Objectives</h3> The aim of the study was to evaluate the oral health profile of the patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC; ethics approval 2.421.701). <h3>Study Design</h3> Convenience sampling of 30 patients with OSCC (G1) and 31 controls (G2) was performed. Demographic data and social and oral hygiene habits were collected. The oral health condition was assessed through clinical periodontal examination; Visible Plaque Index (VPI); and Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index. <h3>Results</h3> The average age was 55.7 ± 11.5 years old, and the majority were female (54%). The results for G1/G2 respectively were as follows: educational level, G1 < G2 (80% up to elementary school and 64% up to high school, respectively; <i>P</i> < .05); both had low income (between 1 and 2 minimum wages); 70.5% and 6.4% were smokers; and 66% and 29% consumed alcohol. Average daily brushing, 1.63 ± 1 and 2.45 ± 0.8; dental flossing, 11% and 67%; uses mouthwash, 11% and 25%. Average probing depth 4.56 ± 1.2 mm and 3.34 ± 1.1 mm; DMFT = 23.33 ± 8.6 and 16.03 ± 5.2; VPI = 2.5 ± 0.8 and 0.8 ± 0.8. All data were statistically significant (<i>P</i> < .05). <h3>Conclusions</h3> The oral health condition in individuals with OSCC was worse than that of controls. The importance of oral health care for individuals with OSCC is highlighted.

Effect of oral health promotion interventions on pregnant women dental caries: a field trial

BackgroundDental caries is a costly and very common disease, especially in pregnant women. Reasons such as not paying attention to oral health, poor diet and also lack of adequate education in this regard cause this to happen. Performing well-designed educational interventions using primary health system’s forces, can improve oral health of pregnant women and help control this disease. We conducted this study to evaluate the effectiveness of some oral health interventions on pregnant women dental caries.MethodsA field trial study was done in comprehensive Health Centers in Varamin, Tehran, Iran to assess 439 mothers’ dental health status from pregnancy up to 2 years after delivery in intervention (n = 239) and control groups (n = 200). Mothers in intervention groups received oral health-related education consisted of nutritional and behavioral messages via either of four methods: A: comprehensive method including all following methods together (n = 74), B: group discussion by dentists (n = 59), C: face to face education by primary health care providers (n = 53), and D: social network applications (n = 53); while those in control group only received routine maternal and oral health care. We used a questionnaire to collect mothers’ demographic, socioeconomic and dental care behavior data and also performed oral examinations to assess their DMFT at baseline and 24 months after delivery to evaluate the effectiveness of these educational oral health interventions.ResultsFrom 454 mothers participated the examination session, 18 pregnant women discontinued during the follow-ups and 439 were remained with mean age of 27.47. In the intervention group, the frequency of daily brushing among women increased from 64% at baseline to 85.6% at the last follow-up and the mean D significantly decreased nearly 1unit at same period (P < 0.05). Most and least dental caries changes were in comprehensive intervention group and social network intervention group compared to other intervention groups, respectively.ConclusionsPerforming educational interventions during and after pregnancy using various message delivery methods and messengers (oral health professionals and trained PHCPs), could improve oral health status and behaviors of pregnant and lactating mothers in a feasible and applicable manner.

Listeria prevention

<i>Listeria</i> prevention

Comparing the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori and virulence factors cagA, vacA, and dupA in supra-gingival dental plaques of children with and without dental caries: a case–control study

BackgroundHelicobacter pylori infection is one of the most common infectious diseases in humans. Dental plaque is considered as a reservoir of this bacterium, which could play an important role in the development of gastrointestinal problems. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of H. pylori and its virulence factors in dental plaques in children with and without dental caries.MethodsAmong children aged 6 to 12 years, a total of 72 children were enrolled in the study, including 36 cases with total DMFT/dmft > 3 (case group) and 36 participants with total DMFT/dmft < 1 (control group). After removing supra-gingival plaques from the lower first permanent molar teeth, the samples were examined using PCR method for the presence of H. pylori and some of its virulence factors. Statistical analysis was performed using chi-square, Fisher' exact test, t-tests, and logistic regression.ResultsOf 72 participants, 40 cases were male, and 32 cases were female. The minimum and maximum values of total DMFT/dmft indices were zero and ten, respectively, and the mean ± SD value of total DMFT/dmft was 2.78 ± 3.22. Except for vegetable consumption (p = 0.045), there was no significant difference between the two groups regarding gastrointestinal disorders, feeding methods in infancy (p = 0.058), frequency of daily brushing (p = 0.808), frequency of dental visits (p = 0.101), and history of dental scaling (p = 0.246) and professional topical fluoride therapy (p = 0.5). Out of 72 samples, 15 cases were positive for H. pylori DNA (20.8%), and there was no significant association between the presence of this bacterium in dental plaque and dental caries (p = 0.281). The frequency of virulence factors detected in 15 H. pylori cases was as follows: cagA in six cases (40.0%), vacAm1 in three cases (20.0%), and vacAs1 in one case (6.7%). There was no significant difference between the groups regarding the prevalence of virulence factors.ConclusionOur results indicate the presence of H. pylori along with some virulence factors in dental plaques as a reservoir of this bacterium in children in Iran. Although there was no significant association between this bacterium and the incidence of dental caries, dental health in children needs to be seriously taken into consideration.