National Dental Surveys Research Articles

Perceptions and attitudes of dental practitioners toward robotic dentistry and artificial intelligence in Saudi Arabia

Robotic dentistry (RD) and artificial intelligence (AI) are gradually evolving and may become an integral part of dentistry. The purpose of this study is to assess the perceptions and attitudes of dental practitioners in Saudi Arabia toward the use of RD and AI in dentistry. A national dental survey using a pre-designed and validated perceptions and attitude electronic questionnaire was conducted. The mean scores, descriptive analysis, t-test, analysis of variance one-way test, and correlations between participants’ demographic characteristics and responses were used as appropriate. A total of 426 dental practitioners participated with a mean age of 35 ± 8.5 years. The overall questionnaire mean score was 51.12 ± 8.2, indicating a moderate level of participants’ perceptions and attitudes toward RD and AI. Demographic items including age, gender, job’s title/rank, qualification degree, and working experience significantly influenced participants’ perceptions and attitudes (p < 0.0001, p = 0.003, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001). RD and AI applications in dentistry could support dentist’s provider best possible care to patients. An emphasis on updating courses related to RD dentistry in dental schools and an increasing number of required continuing education hours and workshops may also be advocated. Future research may focus on the quality and effect of implemented educational programs and guidelines to demonstrate the impact of Rd and AI models in dentistry practice.

Prevalence of Dental Caries and Periodontal Disease of High School Students Aged 15 to 18 Years in Taiwan.

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and distribution of dental caries and periodontal disease in Taiwanese high school students aged 15–18. A total of 1069 Taiwanese students participated in a cross-sectional nationwide dental survey. By using a stratified method based on the National Health Insurance administration regions, 24 high schools were randomly sampled in different areas of Taiwan. The participants were examined with dental mirrors and community periodontal index (CPI) probes without using radiographs, to measure dental caries and periodontal status. Demographic information and other relevant risk indicators for the two diseases were gathered via a self-report questionnaire. In this study population, the weighted mean decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) scores for ages 15 to 18 were 5.2, 6.1, 6.1, and 5.7. The weighted mean decayed, missing and filled surfaces (DMFS) scores were 9.0, 12.0, 13.1, and 11.2 at ages 15, 16, 17, and 18, respectively. Additionally, 88.2% of the subjects had periodontal disease, with calculus as the most prevalent type. Moreover, 5.2% of these students showed loss of attachment. There was no significant association between dental caries and periodontal disease. Dental caries and periodontal disease were prevalent among Taiwanese high school students in this national dental survey.

Analysis of Periodontal Conditions in the Provinces of Vietnam: Results From the National Dental Survey.

Nationwide dental health surveys are crucial for providing essential information on dental health and dental condition-related problems in the community. However, the relationship between periodontal conditions and sociodemographic data has not been well investigated in Vietnam. With data from the National Oral Health Survey in 2019, we performed several machine learning methods on this dataset to investigate the impacts of sociodemographic features on gingival bleeding, periodontal pockets, and Community Periodontal Index. From the experiments, LightGBM produced a maximum AUC (area under the curve) value of 0.744. The other models in descending order were logistic regression (0.705), logiboost (0.704), and random forest (0.684). All methods resulted in significantly high overall accuracies, all exceeding 90%. The results show that the gradient boosting model can predict well the relationship between periodontal conditions and sociodemographic data. The investigated model also reveals that the geographic region has the most significant influence on dental health, while the consumption of sweet foods/drinks is the second most crucial. These findings advocate for a region-specific approach for the dental care program and the implementation of a sugar-risk food reduction program.

Clinical Orodental Anomalies in Taiwanese Children under Age Six: a Study Based on the 1995-1997 National Dental Survey.

There are few published studies that report the prevalence of intraoral anomalies for young children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and distribution of several congenital oral and paraoral anomalies in Taiwanese children under age six. Twenty-five cities and townships were randomly sampled in different areas of Taiwan using the stratified method. These cities and townships represent cross-sectional samples of geographic locations and socioeconomic levels. A total of 981 Taiwanese children under age six were examined with dental mirrors and explorers as part of the national dental survey. The results of this survey indicated an 11.31% prevalence of geographic tongue. This number is higher than that reported in studies previously performed in different countries. The occurrence of double teeth in primary dentition was found to be 2.14%. Ankyloglossia had a frequency of 1.22%, and primary talon cusp a frequency of 0.61%. Seven (0.71%) children exhibited fissured tongues. Thirteen (1.33%) cases of hypodontia were found. These values were different from those reported in several other countries, which may be attributed to differences in the ethnic and racial composition of the population studied.

Construct Validity of Locker’s Global Oral Health Item

With clinical oral examinations not always possible in health surveys, researchers may instead be invited to add questions to a wider health survey. In such situations, an item is needed which adequately represents both clinical and self-reported oral health. This study investigated the clinical validity of Locker’s global self-reported oral health item among young middle-aged adults in populations in New Zealand and Australia. Clinical examination and self-report data (including the OHIP-14) were obtained from recent national dental surveys in NZ and Australia, and from age-38 assessments in the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study. National dataset analyses involved 35- to 44-year-olds. Caries and tooth-loss experience showed mostly consistent, statistically significant gradients across the Locker item responses; those responding ‘Excellent’ had the lowest scores, and those responding ‘Poor’ the highest. Periodontitis experience gradients in the NZ national sample were mainly as hypothesized; those rating their oral health as ‘Poor’ had the highest disease experience. OHIP-14 gradients across the Locker item responses were consistent and as hypothesized. The proportion of disease in the population borne by those ‘Fair’ or ‘Poor’ ranged from 26% to 72%. These findings provide preliminary support for the measure’s validity as a global self-reported oral health measure in young middle-aged adults.

Monitoring time-related trends in dental caries in permanent teeth in Japanese national surveys

According to dental examinations of 3- and 12-year-old children conducted throughout Japan, the prevalence of dental caries in children is decreasing. However, little is known about changes in the prevalence of dental caries in adults. This study analysed past and present prevalences of dental caries in permanent teeth and predicted future trends in dental caries in adults. Data were sourced from nine national dental surveys conducted in Japan at 6-year intervals from 1957 to 2005. Data from oral examinations were recorded as indices of decayed, missing and filled teeth. The mean number of filled teeth increased markedly, whereas mean numbers of decayed teeth and missing teeth decreased substantially in people aged ≥ 40 years. By contrast, the mean number of filled teeth first increased and then decreased in groups aged 5-39 years. Among Japanese respondents sampled in a series of cross-sectional studies between 1957 and 2005, the incidence of dental caries in young adults decreased, suggesting a decrease in prevalences of dental caries in future generations. However, this tendency was not observed in respondents aged ≥ 40 years. The results suggest adults will experience less dental caries in the near future.

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Bad dental hygiene could possibly increase the risk of swine flu as the National Dental Survey reveals the UK's failure to heed infection control advice.

Estimated Tooth Loss Based on Number of Teeth Present in Japanese Adults Using National Dental Surveys in 1999 and 2005

Estimated Tooth Loss Based on Number of Teeth Present in Japanese Adults Using National Dental Surveys in 1999 and 2005

Dental erosion -- changing prevalence? A review of British National childrens' surveys.

To investigate the change in the prevalence of dental erosion, over time, by a review of the data from the published national dental surveys of young people in the UK. A subsidiary objective was to investigate the relationship between erosion and possible associated risk factors. The review was based on cross-sectional prevalence studies incorporating a clinical dental examination and structured interviews. The data were collated from the 1993 UK childrens' dental health survey and the dental report of the two National Diet and Nutrition Surveys (NDNS) of children aged 1(1/2)-4(1/2) in 1992/3 and 4-18 years in 1996/7. The criteria used for data collection were comparable between the three different studies. Comparing the data from the different studies, the prevalence of erosion was seen to increase from the time of the childrens' dental health survey in 1993 and the NDNS study of 4-18-year-olds in 1996/7. There was a trend towards a higher prevalence of erosion in children aged between 3(1/2) and 4(1/2) and in those who consumed carbonated drinks on most days compared with toddlers consuming these drinks less often. Drinks overnight were associated with an increased prevalence of erosion. More 4-6-year-olds with reported symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux had erosion compared with symptom-free children. On multivariate analysis, the strongest independent association with erosion was geography, with children living in the North having twice the odds of having erosion compared with those in London and the South-east. Comparing prevalence data from cross-sectional national studies indicates that dental erosion increases between different age cohorts of young people over time. Dietary associations with erosion are present but weak. Similarly, there is an association apparent between erosion, symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux and socio-demographic variables such as region of domicile, social class, and receipt of social benefits.

THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF A NEW CHLORHEXIDINE DELIVERY SYSTEM IN THE TREATMENT OF ADULT PERIODONTITIS

Periodontal treatment is costly. The authors assessed the potential economic impact of a new periodontal chemotherapeutic, testing the hypothesis that its adjunctive use would result in reduced periodontal surgical needs. An economic model estimated treatment needs following two clinical trials of the adjunctive use of a chlorhexidine, or CHX, -containing chip compared with scaling and root planing, or SRP, alone. Needs were based on periodontal status at nine months and a probabilistic algorithm; costs were assigned on the basis of a national dental survey and an average wholesale price of the CHX chip. The base case model projected significantly more maintenance procedures and significantly fewer periodontal surgical procedures for patients treated with SRP and the CHX chip compared with patients who were treated with SRP alone (54.4 percent vs. 46.4 percent, P = .014; 29.2 percent vs. 35.5 percent, P = .015, respectively). Average total costs of care for patients treated with SRP and CHX chip were $737 +/- $244 compared with $734 +/- $239 for patients treated with SRP alone. Sensitivity analyses to account for variations in practice patterns did not appreciably alter the results. When data were analyzed after only three or six months of treatment, the significant differences in treatment needs disappeared. The CHX chip is a new, apparently cost-effective treatment option for non-surgical periodontal therapy. Adjunctive use of the CHX chip could reduce periodontal surgical needs significantly at little or no additional cost. Results suggest that incorporating the CHX chip into routine practice requires a new algorithm for management of periodontal disease. To obtain full clinical benefit, treatment needs to be continued for nine months.

Whither paediatric dentistry?

The objective of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry is to promote the oral health of children. This objective is discussed from four different aspects. First, it is necessary to quantify the dental needs of children and to appreciate how these needs have changed over the last 20 years. Using information from national dental surveys, changes between 1973 and 1993 in the prevalence of dental caries, periodontal disease, accidental damage to anterior teeth and occlusal problems, are summarized. Secondly, the development in consultant posts and the specialty of paediatric dentistry are discussed. The impact of research gradings given to Dental Schools in Britain is the third aspect to be considered and its possible effect on research topics directly relevant to improving the oral health of children. Lastly the effect of public perceptions on our specialty must be considered. Although paediatric dentists may not hit the headlines, the public must be convinced that good oral health is the birthright of every child and that we are dedicated to preventing and treating oral disease in children.

Changes in dental attitude and behavior among Dutch adults wearing complete dentures

In 1992 a follow-up on the Dutch National Dental Survey of 1986 (DNDS) was performed. The main objective was to detect and analyze changes in oral self care, dental attendance, and oral health status. This paper will focus on the DNDS adults wearing complete dentures. Changes over a 6-yr period will be presented of: dental attendance, denture satisfaction and wearing of the complete dentures, and denture treatments. A postal questionnaire was used: 232 persons (64%) participated in the study. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to study the effect of dental and social variables on observed changes since 1986. Risk ratios (RR) were computed to clarify the actual effects of these variables. With respect to dental attendance, a shift towards visits for denture check-ups was found, thought to reflect the respondents' concern for their complete dentures (RR = 1.6). A small shift towards more visits because of denture problems was found. This was attributed to denture treatments that had taken place between 1986 and 1992 (RR = 2.8). With respect to changes in denture satisfaction, no influence of denture treatments could be noted, but a relation was found with a variable indicating the imperfection of the complete dentures as felt by the respondents (RR = 2.8). In 31% of the respondents some denture treatment had been performed since 1986. No objective dental criteria of complete dentures and denture bearing areas had influenced these denture treatment decisions, but only respondents' subjective criteria (RR = 1.9-2.9).

Trends in dental caries in The Netherlands.

Until 1985, epidemiological studies in The Netherlands were focused on school-age children. Up to that year, few caries prevalence data for (young) adults in selected groups were available. In 1986, the first National Dental Survey of the adult population was carried out in The Netherlands. Lack of information made it impossible for trends in dental caries in adults to be studied on a scientific basis. However, with use of cross-sectional studies conducted on selected adult populations between 1970 and 1989, an indication of a trend in dental caries is described. Evident changes in the age-specific average DMFT scores took place in the younger age groups. In the older age groups, the average DMFT score has not changed. Changes in percentages of edentates in the period 1980-1990 probably reflect part of the changes in oral health status of Dutch adults.

The problem of participation in the Dutch National Dental Survey

In 1986 a nationwide dental survey was carried out in the Netherlands. The aims of the study were to assess the prevalence of oral diseases, need and demand for dental care and oral selfcare in the Dutch population aged 15-74 yr. This paper describes the general sampling and analysis procedures to detect selectivity in the participation. Irregular dental attenders seemed to be underrepresented in the final sample. Poststratification was used to overcome this problem of selectivity.

農村に居住する４０歳前後の成人の口腔状態について

In 1981 the Ministry of Welfare decided to start a national program of health promotion, the object of which was to establish continuous health care from the time of life in the womb, through birth, development, and aging, to the time of death. The purpose of dental health in this program was to prevent loss of teeth caused by dental diseases, especially periodontal disease among middled-aged people. In this program there were 5 experimental areas to investigate health conditions and to try new practices of health administration in the community. In 1986 we did a survey of the dental condition of 119 middle-aged people (between 39 and 44) living in Aoki village, one of 5 experimental areas east of Nagano prefecture.The results were as follows:1. The percentage of people treated for dental caries were 81.8% in men and 78.1% in women. The results were higher than those of the national dental survey in 1981.2. The percentage of people having no inflammation in the gingiva was 54.5% in men and 81.3% in women. The results were higher than those of the national dental survey in 1981.3. The percentage of people having dental calcules was 54.6% in men and 28.6 % in women. The results indicated the need for of oral prophylaxis, especially in men.4. The mean number of lost teeth per person was 1.6 in men and 2.7 in women. In particular the loss of the second molar increased in proportion to aging.5. The percentage of people with lost teeth and no prosthesis was 46.9% in men and 32.6% in women. People having more than 6-8 lost teeth generally suffered from malfunction of mastication.6. The percentage of people having received treatment for dental diseases within one year prior to the date of survey was 43.6 % in men and 51.6 % in women.