Preventive Dentistry Research Articles

THEORETICAL BASICS AND MODERN CONCEPTS OF ACUTE INITIAL DENTAL CARIES TREATMENT IN CHILDREN (LITERATURE REVIEW)

Modern directions of scientific research and practical implementation in this area of dentistry, despite certain successes, have not made it possible to achieve complete control over dental caries, and the disease still remains the most common on the globe. The review presents the analysis of studies devoted to the multifactorial interaction that leads to the development of dental caries and the effectiveness of the comprehensive approach to dental prevention among children. The results of numerous experimental and clinical studies are presented, which confirm the importance of oral fluid in the formation of tooth enamel resistance, the role of which is to normalize enamel permeability, activate mineralization processes, and form tooth enamel resistance to the action of cariogenic factors. The data that formed the basis of local preventive methods and treatment of dental caries are described. Current approaches to the treatment of dental caries should aim to manage caries risk and identify carious lesions as early as possible to avoid invasive treatment, but use the least invasive methods when indicated. Special attention is paid to the experimental and clinical studies analysis devoted to non-invasive and micro-invasive methods of initial dental caries treatment in children. The caries-infiltration method in the treatment of initial dental caries, which demonstrates its effectiveness relative to some types of remineralization therapy, is analyzed in detail. The experience of using new drugs for non-invasive and micro-invasive treatment of dental caries, which showed good results, is given by the number of authors. A systematic review of sources on the treatment of initial dental caries showed that the use of non-invasive and minimally invasive approaches to stop the progression of initial caries is encouraging and promising. However, to confirm the effectiveness of non-invasive and minimally invasive methods for the treatment of initial caries in temporary and permanent teeth, high-quality, long-term clinical studies are needed, preferably in general dental practice. Key words: initial dental caries, remineralizing therapy, carious infiltration, micro-invasive treatment methods.

Compositions "Nanosilica – Mineral Fillers – Epoxy Resin" For OutClinical Dental Prevention and Self-Treatment of Carious and Traumatic Dental Damages

In our new experimental works, the existence of highly filled epoxy-mineral compositions capable of filling and restoring damages of teeth, outside of clinical conditions, is shown. These hypotheses found confirmation in the obtained results of dental repair on volunteers. The tooth powders and epoxy-composites from cheap available components, for use by non-specialists in domestic and non-clinical conditions – were developed and proposed. These results will be very useful for people and communities who, for various reasons (wars, out-cities, voyages, poverty, workload), are left without access to quality dental services.

Substantivity of mouth-rinse formulations containing cetylpyridinium chloride and O-cymen-5-ol: a randomized-crossover trial

BackgroundThe efficacy of mouth-rinses strongly depends upon their substantivity. The use of natural and non-toxic products that avoid secondary effects is gaining interest in preventive dentistry. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the substantivity of two formulations of mouth-washing solutions based on cetylpyridinium (CPC) and O-cymen-5-ol.MethodsThis was a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial conducted at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Barcelona. Bacterial re-colonization was followed by live/dead (SYTOTM9 + propidium iodide) bacterial staining and measured by confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorometry. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected from 16 healthy individuals at baseline saliva and then, at 15 min, 30 min and 1, 2, 3, and 4 h after the following mouth-rinses: (i) a single, 1-min mouth-rinse with 15 ml of placebo (negative control); (ii) a single, 1-min mouth-rinse with 15 ml of CPC (0.05%) ; (iii) a single, 1-min mouth-rinse with 15 ml of O-cymen-5-ol (0.09%); (iv) a single, 1-min mouth-rinse with 15 ml of CPC (0.05%) + O-cymen-5-ol (0.09%).ResultsProportion of dead bacteria was significantly higher for all mouthrinses during the first 15 min compared to baseline (CPC = 48.0 ± 13.9; 95% CI 40.98–56.99; p < 0.001, O-cymen-5-ol = 79.8 ± 21.0; 95% CI 67.71–91.90; p < 0.05, CPC + O-cymen-5-ol = 49.4 ± 14; 95% CI 40.98–56.99; p < 0.001 by fluorometry and 54.8 ± 23.0; 95% CI 41.50–68.06; p < 0.001, 76.3 ± 17.1; 95% CI 66.36–86.14; p < 0.001, 47.4 ± 11.9; 95% CI 40.49–54.30; p < 0.001 by confocal laser scanning microscopy, respectively). Nevertheless, after 4 h, CPC + O-cymen-5-ol was the only one that obtained significant values as measured by the two quantification methods used (80.3 ± 22.8; 95% CI 67.15–93.50; p < 0.05 and 81.4 ± 13.8; 95% CI 73.45–89.43; p < 0.05). The combined use of CPC + O-cymen-5-ol increased the substantivity of the mouthrinse with respect to mouthrinses prepared with either of the two active products alone.ConclusionThe synergistic interaction of CPC and O-cymen-5-ol prolongs their substantivity. The resulting formulation may be as effective as other antimicrobials, such as triclosan or chlorhexidine, but without their undesirable secondary effects. Thus, mouthrinsing products based on Combinations of CPC and O-cymen-5-ol may replace in the near future Triclosan and Chlorhexidine—based mouthrinses.

First Dental Visit: Age Reasons Oral Health Status and Dental Treatment Needs among Children Aged 1 Month to 14 Years.

The aim of this study was to see the age and also the reasons for the child's first dental visit and to assess the oral health status and treatment desires. The study involved 133 children aged between 1 month and 14 years, who reported to the department of pediatric and preventive dentistry. All parents/legal guardians of the study participants gave written consent for participation in the study. Information on the child's age and reason for the dental visit were collected from a questionnaire given to parents. The children's dental condition was assessed by decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) and DMFT values. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 and categorical data were compared by using Chi-square test. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Age of the child for first dental visit was male: 85.7% at 9 years and female: 75.00% at 4 years. Majority of children who visited the dentist were age 7 years. The most common chief complaint about the primary visit was caries, and the second was tooth pain. Children report for the primary dental visit most commonly solely after 7 years and for complaints like caries and tooth pain. Children make their first dental visit too late (usually at the age of 7 years) in reference to medical recommendations (between 6 and 12 months of life). More of restoration was the treatment of need by 47.00%. The results of this study indicate unhealthy oral health creating their first dental visit and low health awareness of parents and guardians. Padung N. First Dental Visit: Age Reasons Oral Health Status and Dental Treatment Needs among Children Aged 1 Month to 14 Years. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(4):394-397.

Modified Willet appliance: A case report

The preservation of deciduous teeth is essential until normal exfoliation. It plays an important role in preventive and interventional dentistry. Early loss of a deciduous tooth or teeth can have various consequences. Space maintainer of the intra-alveolar kind is advised when the deciduous second molar is lost before the eruption of the first permanent molar. This report discusses a modified Willet appliance in cases where loss of primary deciduous first and second molar occur prior to eruption of permanent mandibular first molar.

Water-Polymerisable Compositions "Epoxy Resin - Nanosilica – Mineral Fillers" for Out-Clinical Dental Prevention, and Self-Treatment of Carious and Traumatic Dental Damages

Water-Polymerisable Compositions "Epoxy Resin - Nanosilica – Mineral Fillers" for Out-Clinical Dental Prevention, and Self-Treatment of Carious and Traumatic Dental Damages

Strategjia e promovimit shëndetësor oral në Republikën e Kosovës

Dental caries is one of the diseases with the highest preva- lence in children worldwide. According to the data collect- ed by the Clinic of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry on the prevalence of caries in preschool and school age chil- dren of Kosovo, it is evidenced for a high level of the pres- ence of caries. Every disease, which has a wide distribution, and which is influenced by social conditions, besides being a health problem for the patient, is also a public problem at the same time. Since treatment services are not able to act efficiently in dental diseases, then other options, mainly of a preventive nature, should be considered. Recently, more and more priority is given to oral health promotion initia- tives. Health promotion offers opportunities to influence the main determinants of oral health and thus improve oral health in all segments of society. This involves a range of strategies, one of which may be health education. The success of health promotion depends greatly on the devel- opment of the cooperation of a large number of subjects, from the involved population, dental professionals and lo- cal and state institutions. In the strategy for the promotion of oral health in Kosovo, based on our conditions, changing behaviors in improving oral hygiene and reducing intake of sweet food should be considered as a priority during oral health promotion activities.

Use and Applicability of Ozone Therapy in Clinical Practice in Dentistry: An Integrative Review

Ozone is a colorless gas with a characteristic odor present in nature in the form of trivalent oxygen. In 2015, the Federal Council of Dentistry (CFO/Brazil) approved the use of ozone therapy and in 2018 the Ministry of Health (MS/Brazil) approved the application of Ozone Therapy as a Complementary Integrative Practice in the Unified Health System. Therefore, the objective of this study was to verify the applicability of ozone therapy in dental practice. This is an integrative literature review whose search was performed in the Medline/Pubmed, LILACS, SciElo, and Google Scholar databases. Studies published in the last 5 years in English, Portuguese or Spanish were eligible. After the search, 312 titles were found and after exclusion of duplicates and analysis of abstracts and full text, 13 articles were included in this review. The literature reports the application of ozone therapy in several areas in the treatment of acute and chronic diseases. As a mechanism of action, ozone has a direct antimicrobial effect, immunoregulation, antioxidant defenses, analgesic, and vasodilator effects. In dentistry, its applicability is mainly in preventive dentistry and as a complement in surgical procedur es, endodontic, and periodontal treatments.

Caries Management-The Role of Surface Interactions in De- and Remineralization-Processes.

Bioadhesion and surface interactions on enamel are of essential relevance for initiation, progression and prevention of caries and erosions. Salivary proteins on and within initial carious and erosive lesions can facilitate or aggravate de- and remineralization. This applies for the pellicle layer, the subsurface pellicle and for proteins within initial carious lesions. Little is known about these proteinaceous structures related to initial caries and erosion. Accordingly, there is a considerable demand for an understanding of the underlying processes occurring at the interface between the tooth surface and the oral cavity in order to develop novel agents that limit and modulate caries and erosion. Objectives and findings: The present paper depicts the current knowledge of the processes occurring at the interface of the tooth surface and the oral fluids. Proteinaceous layers on dental hard tissues can prevent or aggravate demineralization processes, whereas proteins within initial erosive or carious lesions might hinder remineralization considerably and restrict the entry of ions into lesions. Despite the fact that organic-inorganic surface interactions are of essential relevance for de- and remineralization processes at the tooth surface, there is limited knowledge on these clinically relevant phenomena. Accordingly, intensive research is necessary to develop new approaches in preventive dentistry.

D-Pare Model as an Educational Media in Improving Behavior Prevention of Dental and Oral Diseases in Adolescents

Dental health is integral part of general health. According to RISKESDAS in 2018, based on age, the proportion of caries aged 5-9 years is 67.3% and age 10-14 years is 55.6%. Various dental health service programs continue to be developed to reduce dental and oral health problems, including by improving the quality of the media used. The relevant media used today is technology-based media. Producing augmented reality models as a medium of education in improving dental and oral disease prevention behaviors in adolescents. This type of research is a mix method. The method used is Research and Development and the research design used is quasy experiment Pretest-Posttest group design. Variables in this study: Knowledge, attitudes, actions and debris index. The research project was 2 groups: Intervention 40 people given D-Pare Model and Control 40 people given Animation media . Data tested using Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney. The hypothesis test meaningfulness criterion uses the p-value of the delta value (?).The D-Pare model is feasible as a dental health education media with expert validation results of 87% and a p-value of 0.000 and unpaired test results stating that this application is effective in increasing knowledge (?5.33), attitude (?8.64), action (?2.70) and decreasing the debris index score (?0.587) compared to the control group. The D-Pare model proved feasible and its application was effective as an effort to improve dental and oral disease prevention behaviors and a decrease in debris index scores in adolescents compared to the control group.

A Comparative Evaluation of the Anxiolytic Effect of Oral Midazolam and a Homeopathic Remedy in Children During Dental Treatment.

Background Midazolam is recommended by many health standards. However, there is no compelling evidence that midazolam has anti-anxiety effects in children. Homeopathy can be one of the mainstays for effective child management while reducing negative side effects. The aim of the study was to evaluate the anxiolytic efficacy of midazolam (oral) and homeopathic remedies in children during dental treatments. Methodology The current ex-vivo study was conducted in the department of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry department of a private dental institution. A total of 48 children aged four to 14 years were selected based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The participants were evenly and randomly divided into groups A and B using the lottery method. Group A: 20 minutes previous to the treatment, a right blend of an equal volume of 0.5mg/kg injectable solution of midazolam hydrochloride. Group B: Received Aconite napellus (homeopathic remedy). Results During anxiety, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis gets activated which causes a release of body fluids including salivary cortisol levels. Salivary amylase also responds quickly during stress and anxiety by increasing its levels. Midazolam is used in Dentistry to reduce anxiety as it is able to reduce salivary cortisol and amylase levels.Aconite napellus being homeopathic remedy is useful in Dentistry to reduce salivary cortisol and amylase levels which is observed in the present study. There was a decrease in salivary cortisol and amylase concentrations following midazolam (8.51 ± 6.7) (41.48 ± 23.8) and Aconite napellus (homeopathic remedy) (7.53 ± 5.2) (37.08± 22.8) administration, as well as a decrease in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Furthermore, all of the differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion In children with behavioral difficulties, homeopathic remedy was marginally more successful than oral midazolam in lowering anxiety during dental treatment.

Teeth and gums in diabetes

Teeth and gums in diabetes

Reconnoitering the Association of Gingival Melanin Pigmentation With Skin Color, Age, and Sex in Pre-School Children of Hazaribag: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to compare and evaluate the association of gingival melanin pigmentation with age, sex, and skin tone in pre-school children of Hazaribag, Jharkhand, India. Materials and methods The study included 310 children aged 3 to 6 years, who were divided according to skin color into the following: group I: Fair, group II: wheatish, group III: brown; and group IV: dark. The children were selected using a census method where all participants fulfilling inclusion criteria were selected from the outpatient department of the Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Hazaribag College of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Hazaribag. The subjects were further grouped into different age groups of 3-4 years, 4-5 years, 5-6 years, and 6 years. Subjects were examined in natural daylight, and gingival melanin pigmentation was assessed using the Dummett-Gupta Pigmentation Index. The scoring was done for each arch segment. These categorical data were analyzed using the chi-square test. Results Gingival pigmentation was found to increase with increasing age, whereas female subjects showed less pigmentation than males. Majority of the children had wheatish complexion, and a significant positive correlation was found between skin tone and gingival pigmentation; the darker the skin tone, the darker was the gingival pigmentation. Anatomically, greater pigmentation was found in the anterior than posterior region of arches. Greater pigmentation was found in the labial than lingual region; greater pigmentation was also reported in the mandible than maxilla. Conclusion There was a positive correlation of gingival melanin pigmentation with age, sex, and skin tone in pre-school children. Clinical significance The association of gingival pigmentation with skin color had been documented, but very few studies have been published on adults and children on this subject. However, there is no study that evaluates the association of gingival melanin pigmentation with age, sex, and skin tone of children of pre-school age.

Influence of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles on the formation of calcium fluoride surface layer on enamel and dentine in vitro

Topical application of different fluoride preparations is considered to be the gold standard of oral prophylaxis measures in preventive dentistry. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nano-HAP) as well, have received considerable attention for dental use in the past few decades. The purpose of this in-vitro study was to analyze the interaction between nano-HAP and different fluoride preparations. In order to investigate the possibility to establish, in the presence of nano-HAP, reproducible calcium fluoride surface layers, specimens were visually examined with regard to the surface coverage’s structure, morphology, homogeneity and stability. Test series based on enamel and dentine specimens, that were obtained from extracted bovine teeth, were conducted. Thereby, sodium fluoride, olaflur, elmex Fluid (10.000 ppm) and an aqueous nano-HAP solution (5%) served as test products and sterile water as reference. First, single application of nano- HAP and fluoride was tested. After 5 min of incubation in the test solution, the surface coverage was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Furthermore, samples were determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to identify the present elements of the surface layer, particularly fluoride. To test the calcium fluoride layer’s persistence and stability, samples were exposed to the spray of a dental multifunctional syringe for 20 s using maximum pressure and maximum water supply. In the second application protocol, fluoride and nano-HAP were applied simultaneously and in the third application protocol they were used sequentially. SEM visualisation showed that the simultaneous or sequential addition of nano-HAP led to a distinct change in the surface layer’s structure. Agglomerates of various sizes were formed, with obviously different morphology from the calcium fluoride globules, not covering the surface homogeneously and sprayed off with the multifunctional syringe easily. Application of pure fluoride compounds resulted in a more homogeneous calcium fluoride surface layer with higher persistence in comparison to the combination of fluoride and nano-HAP. Interaction between fluoride and nano-HAP clearly could be proved. On enamel as well as dentine surfaces, the combined application of nano-HAP and fluoride has a negative effect on the stability and persistence of the calcium fluoride surface precipitate.

Formulation of Roselle Flower Extract Gel (Hibiscus sabdariffa L) as a Disclosing Solution

Background: Plaque is a soft deposit attached to the teeth consisting of various types of microorganisms from saliva and food waste. Plaque cannot be seen because it is transparent, like the color of translucent white glass. The way to see plaque is to use a contrast material such as a dye (red/purple) in the form of a liquid or gel called a disclosing solution. It is usually found in gel and liquid form. But in use in humans there are many shortcomings because they are expensive, quite expensive and often contain harmful chemicals. One of the herbal plants that can be used as an alternative material as a disclosing solution is Rosella (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) which can be used for its properties in the field of Prevention of Dental and Oral Diseases and has antibacterial and remineralizing effects. Methods: This research is an experimental study on the development of Rosella Flower Extract (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) in the form of a gel in disclosing solution. The research was carried out from June to August 2021 at the Pharmacognosy Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy and Food Analysis, Health Polytechnic of Jakarta II and Dental Health Laboratory, Health Polytechnic of Jakarta I. Disclosing solution prepared from dried Rosella Flowers (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) was obtained as much as 1000 grams. from the Research Institute for Spices and Medicinal Plants, Bogor. Hedonic testing was carried out on 34 students of the Department of Dental Health, Health Polytechnic of Jakarta I. Results: The disclosing solution preparation in the form of a gel from rosella flower extract had good organoleptic test results. The expected red color corresponding to the color of the disclosing solution is at a concentration of 70%. The average pH of the disclosing solution in the form of a gel was 4.95. The average dispersion of the gel preparation is 5.7. 5. The average adhesion of gel preparations at all concentrations is 1.44 seconds. The hedonic test was obtained that most of the respondents had a neutral opinion on all disclosing gel preparations. Conclusion: The preparation of Roselle Flower Extract Gel (Hibiscus sabdariffa L) can be used as an alternative disclosing solution&#x0D;

Keeping your teeth for life?

Keeping your teeth for life? Who doesn’t care about their health? But do you know that systemic health is related to oral health? In fact, the mouth is the gateway for external attacks by bacteria and viruses entering the body. Poor oral hygiene is typically characterized by signs of redness of the gingiva, bleeding gums, pain, caries, etc. subjecting the body to multiple systemic risks. Here authors, Dr. Neha Dixit and Dr. Marcel Donnet explore that Professional teeth cleaning is essential for maintaining oral hygiene and reducing risk of caries, any tooth decay, periodontal or peri-implant disease. To boost the health of the oral cavity, it is strongly recommended that we perform regular oral hygiene, which includes professional teeth cleaning. Dental prevention combines daily home care and regular professional teeth cleaning. The main objective is to keep the oral cavity healthy and reduce the risk of caries, any tooth decay or periodontal or peri-implant disease.

Automated diagnosis using artificial intelligence a step forward for preventive dentistry: A systematic review

Background. Early diagnosis and monitoring the evolution of the patients is required to be able to have effective preventive attitudes. An easy and cost-effective way of diagnosis is needed for this purpose. The aim of the study was to evaluate the AI level of use in dentistry diagnosis and the fields of its applicability especially for early diagnosis purposes. A secondary objective was to point out the measured performances for automated AI diagnosis by comparison with standard diagnosis procedures. Material and methods. A comprehensive electronic search was performed in November 2022 through PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. The following keywords were used to search the databases: (”Artificial Intelligence” OR ”neural network” OR ”Deep learning” OR “Machine learning”) AND (”Dentistry” OR “Dental medicine”) AND (” periodontal disease” OR ”periodontics” OR ”Carious lesions” OR ”oral cancer” OR ”restorative” or “early diagnosis”). The risk of bias (RoB) of the included studies was assessed using PROBAST tool. Results. A total of 334 publications were collected after searching the databases. For 218 remaining publications the title and the abstract were assessed. The reviewers agreed to continue with 69 studies for full text assessment. Because 49 studies had not completely fulfilled the inclusion criteria only 20 publications were included in the final analysis. AI automatic data processing for diagnostic purposes was implemented in the field of dental radiology, oral pathology, restorative dentistry, pedodontics, oncology, endodontics, and periodontics. Conclusion. AI based automatic diagnostic is a powerful and reliable tool that has a great future potential for different fields of dental medicine like periodontal disease, oral cancer, and carious lesions.

Professional motivations and perceptions of senior dental students in the distance education period during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dental students are particularly prone to be affected by the global emergency of Coronavirus-19 (Covid-19) pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the professional motivations and perceptions of senior dental students during the distance education period due to pandemic. The data was collected via an online questionnaire, including questions related to students' professional motivation and perceptions, and views about preventive dentistry. For identifying the distress levels, Turkish version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-21 was used. Descriptive statistics and marginal homogeneity test were used for statistical analysis. A total of 114 (83 female, 31 male) students, with the mean age of 23.7±1.03 participated the study. Statistically significant changes were observed on the students' career plans (p<0.001); fear about getting and transmitting infectious diseases (p<0.001); and satisfaction about their profession (p<0.001) during the Covid-19 pandemic. Motivation loss was determined on the participants. There is an urgent need for revision on dental education in order to ensure the students be competent to provide oral health service that can meet the latest needs and achieve professional self-confidence without deterioration on their professional motivation and perceptions. Crisis-oriented psychological support programs should be provided for students. Some improvements should be structured in terms of preventive dentistry issues, both for dental education and dental health service aspects.

Evaluation of Effectiveness of Graphics Interchange Format and Wong–Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale as Pain Assessment Tool in Children

The objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the graphics interchange format (GIF) as a self-reporting pain assessment tool in children. In this in vivo observational study, pain assessment of 42 children aged 7-13 years with a chief complaint of dental pain reporting the first time to the Department of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, Government Dental College & Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India, were included. Informed consent was obtained from the parents or guardians. All the responses were obtained by a single practitioner, after showing the respective self-reporting pain scale, that is, Wong-Baker FACES Pain Rating Scale (WBFPRS) and GIF pain scale. A questionnaire study was performed at the end of the study. The data were recorded, and then statistical analyses were performed. Both scales showed significant differences (p = 0.001*) when scales were individually compared to the actual pain intensity experienced by the patient. Both WBFPRS and GIF pain scales have shown non-significant differences (p = 0.155). The GIF pain scale has shown very strong relationship (r = 0.936, p = 0.001*), while WBFPRS showed strong relationship (r = 0.725, p = 0.001*). The GIF pain scale has shown almost perfect agreement (k = 0.911) whereas WBFPRS has shown substantial agreement (k = 0.710) with actual pain intensity. In the questionnaire study, most children strongly agreed that the GIF pain scale is easier to understand than WBFPRS. The GIF pain scale is a very promising self-report pain assessment tool for children. Further research on improving the GIF pain scale is very important. The newly devised GIF pain scale seems to be a very promising self-report pain scale for effective determination of pain experienced by the patient.

'It's their mouth at the end of the day': dental professionals' reactions to oral health education outcomes.

Introduction Research has established varying levels of efficacy of oral health education (OHE) efforts. However, little is known regarding how outcomes impact dental professionals and their OHE practice. This study explores dental professionals' reactions to varying OHE outcomes and their motivations to persist with their efforts.Methods Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with dental team members working in mainly NHS general dental practices in South Wales, UK. Interviews were conducted face-to-face pre-COVID-19 and then by telephone, transcribed and analysed thematically.Results In total, 30 interviews were conducted (17 dentists, 6 dental therapists and 7 dental nurses). Pleasure was gained from improved patient oral health. Responses to non-adherence included disappointment, frustration and acceptance. Acceptance centred around a shared responsibility for oral care between clinician and patient and reassurance that they had 'done their job'. The unpredictability of patient adherence aided OHE motivation; efforts might eventually inspire patient action or might align with patient readiness to change.Conclusions This study reveals how OHE outcomes impact on dental professionals' perceptions of their role and personal motivations for continued educational efforts with patients. Greater emphasis on both preventative dentistry and self-care, coupled with understanding of the complex factors influencing oral health behaviour, would aid motivation for OHE.