Self-reported Oral Health Research Articles

Survey and analysis of tooth extraction anxiety of dental patients

This study aims to understand the current status and analyze the influencing factors of tooth extraction anxiety of dental patients. The General Factor Questionnaire and Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) were used to survey and analyze tooth extraction anxiety of 800 dental patients. Single-factor and multi-factor analyses were used for statistical data analysis. A total of 768 qualified questionnaires were received out of 800, the efficiency was 96%. The mean MDAS score was 10.21±3.29. The prevalence percentage of dental anxiety was 14.7%. Significant statistical differences of the incidence of dental anxiety were observed with regard to sex, age, tooth extraction time, accompanying relatives and friends, before tooth extraction, tooth extraction experience for family and friends, pain tolerance, mental health state before tooth extraction, and self-reported oral health status (P<0.05. By contrast, no significant statistical differences in the incidence of dental anxiety were observed with regard to educational level, tooth extraction type, national life experience, profession, and personality (P>0.05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the risk factors of dental anxiety were sex, accompanying relatives and friends, mental health state before tooth extraction, and self-rated oral health status. The prevalence percentage of tooth extraction anxiety is high for dental patients. Gender, age, health satisfaction, tooth extraction time, accompanying relatives and friends, before tooth extraction, tooth extraction experience for family and friends, pain tolerance, mental health state before tooth extraction, and self-reported oral health status are the influencing factors of dental anxiety.

Consumption of green tea but not coffee is associated with the oral health-related quality of life among an older Japanese population: Kyoto-Kameoka cross-sectional study.

The consumption of both green tea and coffee is known to induce positive health effects; however, it remains unclear whether there is an association between the consumption of these beverages and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Thus, the present study investigated the relationship between the consumption of green tea and coffee and OHRQoL. We analyzed cross-sectional baseline data in 2012. The subjects were 7514 Japanese participants (3563 men, 3951 women; ≥65 years of age). Each subject completed a validated self-administered questionnaire that included items on the frequency of the consumption of green tea and coffee. OHRQoL was evaluated using the self-reported General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI), which assesses oral health problems in older adults. A GOHAI score <50 points was defined as a poor OHRQoL. Following adjustment for age, body mass index, total energy intake, alcohol, smoking, medication use, coffee, and fruit and vegetable consumption, increased consumption of green tea showed a strong positive association with the GOHAI score in both men and women (Ptrend < 0.001 in both). In contrast, after adjusting for all factors, no statistically significant association was observed between coffee consumption and the GOHAI score in men (Ptrend = 0.538) or women (Ptrend = 0.607). The respective multivariate-odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for a poor OHRQoL associated with green tea consumption frequencies of none, <1 cup/day, 1-2 cups/day, and ≥3 cups/day were 1.00, 1.01 (0.80-1.27), 0.95 (0.74-1.21), and 0.78 (0.61-0.99) (Ptrend = 0.024) in men, and 1.00, 1.19 (0.90-1.57), 0.98 (0.74-1.29), and 0.86 (0.67-1.12) (Ptrend = 0.014) in women. Regardless of sex, green tea consumption was positively associated with the GOHAI score. Therefore, ≥3 cups/day of green tea may reduce the risk of a poor OHRQoL, especially in men.

Dental and oral health status of an Iranian population of drug abusers: A comparative study

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of hallucinogens, opioids and methamphetamines abuse on oral and dental health of an Iranian population. Methods: In this descriptive cross sectional survey conducted in 2017, 500 drug abusers referred to addiction rehabilitation centers in Tehran Province in Tehran were selected as the study population. A questionnaire was developed to evaluate demographic data, self-reported oral health experiences during periods of substance abuse and details of substance abuse including types of substances abused, patterns and period of substance abuse. Results: After excluding 23 addicts due to incomplete data, 500 peoples participated. Of the 500 included subjects, 390 (88 %) were male and 110 (22 %) were female. As for the qualitative variables the differences were found to be significant for route of abuse (p < 0.001), smoking (p < 0.03), pain (p < 0.001) and abnormal sounds (p < 0.001) of TMJ, sensitivity of chewing muscles (p = 0.002), smoking melanosis (p < 0.05), hypertrophic lesions (p = 0.01) and bleeding on probing (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The findings reveal the poor dental and oral health status of drug addicts in Iran, especially methamphetamine abusers. Therefore, the results call for the design and implementation of oral health improvement programs for addicts in Iran. Keywords: Drug abuse, Dental health, Addicts, Hypertrophic lesions, Chewing muscles, Smoking melanosis, Methamphetamine

Effectiveness of oral health education intervention among female primary school children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine the effectiveness of oral health intervention on the improvement in knowledge and self-reported oral health behavior among 6–8 year old female primary school children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Materials and methodsThe sample consisted of 1661 girls in primary schools who are 6 to 8-year-olds (first, second and third graders). The children’s level of knowledge was assessed by a self-administered questionnaire that was formulated for this specific age and divided into two parts; oral health knowledge and self-reported oral health behavior. There were seven multiple choice questions and one true/false question with five underlying parts in the questionnaire which contained basic information about oral health knowledge, oral hygiene practices and certain habits that affect teeth. The questionnaires were distributed before and six weeks after implementation of the oral health educational program to measure the level improvement of knowledge regarding oral health among these children. ResultsAll the questions showed statistically significant improvement in knowledge and self-reported behavior in the post intervention group. There was a significant increase in the level of knowledge by 11.24% and level of self-reported behavior by 25% after intervention (P < 0.001). The highest net change in the knowledge due to intervention was noted among third graders (13.3%), whereas for self-reported oral health behavior, it was noted among first graders (28.3%). ConclusionThe results of this study showed that an easy-to-organize and inexpensive school-based intervention can, on a short-term basis, be effective in improving the knowledge and self-reported oral health behavior of children.

Structural Determinants and Children’s Oral Health: A Cross-National Study

Much research on children’s oral health has focused on proximal determinants at the expense of distal (upstream) factors. Yet, such upstream factors—the so-called structural determinants of health—play a crucial role. Children’s lives, and in turn their health, are shaped by politics, economic forces, and social and public policies. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between children’s clinical (number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth) and self-reported oral health (oral health–related quality of life) and 4 key structural determinants (governance, macroeconomic policy, public policy, and social policy) as outlined in the World Health Organization’s Commission for Social Determinants of Health framework. Secondary data analyses were carried out using subnational epidemiological samples of 8- to 15-y-olds in 11 countries (N = 6,648): Australia (372), New Zealand (three samples; 352, 202, 429), Brunei (423), Cambodia (423), Hong Kong (542), Malaysia (439), Thailand (261, 506), United Kingdom (88, 374), Germany (1498), Mexico (335), and Brazil (404). The results indicated that the type of political regime, amount of governance (e.g., rule of law, accountability), gross domestic product per capita, employment ratio, income inequality, type of welfare regime, human development index, government expenditure on health, and out-of-pocket (private) health expenditure by citizens were all associated with children’s oral health. The structural determinants accounted for between 5% and 21% of the variance in children’s oral health quality-of-life scores. These findings bring attention to the upstream or structural determinants as an understudied area but one that could reap huge rewards for public health dentistry research and the oral health inequalities policy agenda.

Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Young Adults: A Survey of Russian Undergraduate Students.

Background: Oral health (OH) is poor among young adults in Russia, but there is little information on OH-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in this population. We investigated how socio-demographic factors, self-reported OH characteristics, oral health behaviour, and clinically-assessed OH are related to OHRQoL in medical and dental students in North-West Russia. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 391 medical and 275 dental Russian undergraduate students aged 18–25 years. Information on socio-demographic, self-reported OH characteristics, and oral health behaviour was obtained from a structured, self-administered questionnaire. A clinical examination was performed to assess dental caries experience based on the decayed (D) missing (M) filled (F) teeth (T) index; Simplified Oral Hygiene Index; and Gingival Index. OHRQoL was measured by the OH Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Results: 53.6% of students reported low OHRQoL during the last 12 months. Female sex (odds ratio [OR] = 1.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00–2.19), rural place of childhood residence (OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.06–2.28), poor self-assessed dental aesthetic (OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.16–2.64), dissatisfaction with mouth and teeth (OR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.68–3.77), and DMFT index (OR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01–1.09), were all significantly, independently associated with low OHRQoL. Conclusion: Socio-demographic factors (rural place of childhood residence, female sex), poor self-reported OH characteristics, and high DMFT index were associated with low OHRQoL.

Third molor extractions among Australian adults: findings from the 2013 National Dental Telephone Interview Survey

To identify, over the previous 12months, whether: (i) dental insurance is associated with a higher number of third molar extractions (TME); (ii) single versus multiple TME is associated with self-rated oral health; and (iii) TME when 18-25years of age is associated with fewer days absent from work because of dental problems. Australia's 2013 National Dental Telephone Interview Survey, which included: socio-demographics; and number of extractions, reasons for extractions, self-rated oral health and days absent from work because of dental problems, all in the past 12months. The majority of TME recipients were female [56.6%, standard error (SE)=6.0%], 18-25years of age (63.0%, SE=5.4%), held a tertiary qualification (73.9%, SE=5.4%), had a total annual household income of ≥$60,000 (58.3%, SE=6.4%), were dentally insured (52.6%, SE=6.2%) and received multiple TME (60.9%, SE=8.5%). Number of TME was associated with having dental insurance [B=0.97: 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.5-1.5] and days of work absence because of dental problems (B=1.10; 95% CI: 0.26-1.94). Receiving single TME versus multiple TME was not associated with self-rated oral health (B=-0.25; 95% CI: -0.76 to 0.25). Receiving TME when 18-25years of age versus when older than 25 years of age was not associated with days absent from work because of dental problems (B=0.48; 95% CI: -0.37 to 2.33). Dental insurance was associated with a higher TME count without improving self-reported oral health in the short-term. Using age as a justification for prophylactic TME might be questionable because, receiving TME when 18-25years of age versus when older than 25 years of age did not reduce days absent from work because of dental problems.

Complex interrelations between self-reported oral health attitudes and behaviors, the oral health status, and oral health-related quality of life.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to develop and test a moderated mediation model that was able to describe the relationships between oral health-related attitudes and behaviors, oral health status (OHS), and oral health-related quality of life. The hypothesized relations corresponded to research questions such as “is a person’s oral health predicted by the actions that person takes in order to prevent oral health conditions?” and “do individuals with better oral health also have higher levels of oral health-related quality of life?”.Materials and methodsA cross-sectional correlational study with selected predictor variables was conducted in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, among 191 participants, enrolled in the fourth and sixth years of study at the Dentistry School of the Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Cluj-Napoca. Participants completed the Hiroshima University Dental Behavior Inventory (HUDBI) questionnaire targeting specific behavior and attitude with respect to their dental self-care, Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) short questionnaire for measuring oral health-related quality of life, and the current OHS was assessed objectively using Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth/Surfaces (DMFT) index. Statistical analyses were done using structural equation modeling software.ResultsOur research showed relevant associations between HUDBI, DMFT, and OHIP. The relationship between HUDBI and OHIP was mediated by DMFT. Furthermore, HUDBI worked as a moderator between DMFT and OHIP. Thus, our study revealed a case for moderated mediation, which is usually ignored in similar research.ConclusionThe “straightforward” causality between oral health-related behavior and the actual OHS must be considered with caution, as well as their impact on the oral health-related quality of life. Further research is needed to investigate the interaction between variables, the strength of the interrelations and the magnitude of their interactions, and the confidence that can be placed in these measurements, with respect to the general population and/or those lacking domain-specific education.

Oral health-related quality of life in young Cambodian children: a validation study with a focus on children with cleft lip and/or palate.

Oral Health-Related Quality-of-Life (OHRQoL) measures have been developed and cross-culturally validated for use in many populations in recent years. Their use in children with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP), however, is not as well established. This study aimed to validate two OHRQoL instruments for use with Cambodian children and to describe the OHRQoL of a sample of Cambodian children with CLP, compared with other children in the same cohort. A convenience sample of 133 children aged 2-8 years and their families was recruited from two NGO health services in urban and rural areas of Cambodia. Children were assigned into clinical groups of cleft, malocclusion, severe caries (PUFA ≥ 1), and dentine caries. OHRQoL was measured using the Parental-Caregivers Perception Questionnaire (P-CPQ-16) and Family Impact Scale (FIS-8). The validity of the instruments was acceptable with an expected gradient in both scale scores being evident across self-reported oral health ratings. Children with CLP and their families experienced significantly greater impacts on OHRQoL, and the pattern of these impacts differed among the clinical groups. This study has confirmed the validity of the P-CPQ-16 and FIS-8 for use with young Cambodian children. The results impart advocacy for needed improvements in the care of children with CLP and provide a foundation for future epidemiological research of oral health in Cambodia.

Oral Health Behaviour and Oral Health Status of Elderly Vietnamese.

To describe oral health behaviours and problems among elderly Vietnamese as well as determine their prevalence of caries and periodontal disease. This cross-sectional study examined 258 elderly persons aged 65-74 years living in Danang, Vietnam. All subjects self-reported oral health behaviour and problems. Dental caries was assessed using the DMFT index. Periodontal status was evaluated with the modified Community Periodontal Index, whereby all teeth were examined for gingival bleeding and periodontal pocket depth (PPD), and the index teeth were assessed for clinical attachment loss (CAL). 48.4% of the elderly brushed their teeth at least twice a day; 34% had never visited a dentist; 27.8% often had difficulty chewing foods. Of the sample, mean DMFT was 14.3 ± 8.7 (DT = 6.4 ± 5.5, MT = 7.7 ± 7.1, and FT = 0.2 ± 0.9), 88.8% had untreated caries, 21.0% had at least one tooth with a PPD ≥ 6 mm, and 49.8% had at least one sextant with CAL ≥ 6 mm. The mean number of teeth per person was 22.0, of which 19.5 teeth (88.6%) had gingival bleeding, 7.7 teeth (37.1%) with a PPD 4-5 mm, and 0.8 teeth (5.0%) with a PPD ≥ 6 mm. The mean number of sextants with CAL 4-5 mm and CAL ≥ 6 mm were 2.5 ± 2.0 and 1.3 ± 1.7, respectively. Rural residence was found to be negatively associated with MT, FT, and healthy periodontal status (p < 0.05). Dental diseases are prevalent among elderly Vietnamese owing to a lack of awareness of oral health self-care behaviours, especially among those living in rural areas. This suggests that an oral health care programme is required to improve the oral health status of elderly Vietnamese.

Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Among a Portuguese Sample of Institutionalised Alcoholic Patients under Rehabilitation Therapy.

To assess the self-reported Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) among institutionalised patients in an alcoholic detoxification programme in northern Portugal. This analytical cross-sectional study using the Oral Health Impact Profile-49 (OHIP-49) was carried out in 300 individuals institutionalised for alcohol detoxification in withdrawal units. The seven OHIP-49 domain scores and three summary indicators were examined: 'Prevalence' (percentage of people reporting one or more of 49 items at least 'fairly often'), 'Extent' (number of impacts [items] reported at least 'fairly often') and 'Severity' (mean sum of the participants' OHIP score). The sample comprised 83.3% males with a mean age of 44 ± 8.6 years and an abusive alcoholic consumption history of 21.2 ± 11.5 years. The results show a 'prevalence' of 62.4% (95% CI: 56.7%-67.7%), the mean 'extent' was 3.8 (95% CI: 3.2-4.5) impacts and the mean 'severity' level was 54.8 (95% CI: 49.9-59.7). 'Prevalence' was significantly and positively associated with patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), those with a higher estimated daily alcohol intake, who previously used hashish and who brushed their teeth after drinking alcohol. 'Extent' was higher among females, those with higher levels of education, patients with GERD, smokers, and those with a higher estimated daily alcohol consumption; it was negatively associated with not brushing teeth. 'Severity' was significantly and positively associated with female gender and smoking, and negatively associated with not brushing teeth. This population of alcohol-dependent patients undergoing an addiction rehabilitation programme presented a high prevalence of negative oral health impacts, but not a high extent or severity.

Does poor oral health status increase the risk of falls?: The JAGES Project Longitudinal Study.

We sought to examine if self-reported oral health conditions regarding difficulty eating tough foods, dry mouth, choking, number of teeth and denture use are associated with incident falls. Our study was based on panel data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study conducted in 2010 and 2013 using self-administered questionnaires. Data from 19,995 male and 20,858 female community-dwelling older people aged ≥65 years without a history of falls within the previous year in 2010 were analyzed. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to determine the association between poor oral health in 2010 and multiple incident falls in 2013 after adjusting for possible confounders and considering differences in municipalities. The percentage of males and females who reported falls in 2013 were 2.4% and 2.1%, respectively. After adjusting for age, educational attainment, equivalized income, depression, self-rated health, instrumental activities of daily living, body mass index, present illness related to falls, social participation, walking in min/day, alcohol drinking status, and municipality population density, dry mouth in males (odds ratio [OR] = 1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.12–1.77) and choking in females (OR = 1.64; 95% CI: 1.27–2.11) were significantly associated with incident falls. Difficulty eating tough foods in both sexes and choking in males were marginally associated with incident falls (p<0.1). Females having 10–19 teeth without dentures (OR = 1.63; 95% CI: 1.14–2.31), ≤9 teeth with dentures (OR = 1.36; 95% CI: 1.03–1.80), and ≤9 without dentures (OR = 1.46; 95% CI: 1.02–2.08) were significantly associated with incident falls compared with those having ≥20 teeth, respectively. These findings suggest that poor oral function, having fewer teeth, and not using dentures are predictors of incident falls. Further studies are needed to determine whether improving oral health can reduce the risk of falls.

Determining Relationship of Dental Utilization with Optimism, Life Satisfaction, and Self-Reported Oral Health among Adult Population in Udupi Taluk, India

Background: Dental care utilization has been documented over the years and shown association with many factors. So aim of this study is to determine the relationship of dental utilization with optimism, life satisfaction, and self-reported oral health. Materials and Method: A cross-sectional survey consisting of structured questionnaire on demographic characteristics, dental utilization, self-reported oral health, optimism and life satisfaction was done on Udupi population. Result: Out of 390 patients, 317 returned the completed questionnaire (response rate-81%). Bivariate logistic regression analysis shows gender, marital status, location, SES, those satisfied with their life, self-reported decay, and self-reported missing teeth were significantly associated with dental utilization. Multivariate logistic regression analysis shows gender, location, upper SES, self-reported decay, and self-reported missing teeth were significantly associated with dental utilization. Marital status and life satisfaction and optimism were not significantly associated with dental utilization. Conclusion: Socioeconomic factors along with psychological aspects and self-reported oral health have an influence on dental utilization of the individual.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation of oral health impact profile among school teacher community.

AIM:To translate OHIP-14 into Hindi and test its psychometric properties among school teacher community.METHODS:The OHIP-14 was translated to OHIP-14-H using WHO recommended translation protocol. During pre-testing, an expert panel assessed content validity of the questionnaire. Face validity was assessed on a sample of 10 individuals. The OHIP-14-H was administered on a random sample of 170 primary school teachers. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were assessed using Cronbach's alpha and Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) respectively, with 2 weeks interval. Predictive validity was tested by comparing OHIP-14-H scores with clinical parameters. The concurrent validity was assessed using self-reported oral health and discriminant validity was ascertained through negative association with sociodemographic variables.RESULTS:The mean OHIP-14-H score was 9.57 (S.D = 4.58). ICC and Cronbach's alpha for OHIP-14-H was 0.96 and 0.92 respectively. Concurrent validity using binomial regression model indicated that good (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.55 – 4.47) and moderate (OR = 0.25, 95% CI = 0.17 – 1.87) OHIP-14-H scores were negative but significant risk indicators of poor self reported oral health (P < 0.009). Significant predictive validity was observed between OHIP-14-H scores and clinical parameters (P < 0.000).CONCLUSION:Translated and culturally adapted OHIP-14-H indicates good reliability and validity among primary school teachers.

Derivation and validation of oral health impact profile-14 for odia-speaking adults

Background: Assessment of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is gaining importance. However, there is unavailability of such a tool in the linguistically and culturally different settings such as that of Odisha. The aim of this study was derivation and validation of Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) for Odia-speaking adults. Methods: The OHIP-14 questionnaire was translated into the Odia language conforming to the standard cross-cultural translation methodology. The tool was validated and used for estimating the quality of life in 150 dental patients (36.31 ± 11.57 years; 77 males and 73 females). The internal consistency for reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity of the instrument was checked with self-reported oral health and oral hygiene index scores. Results: Cronbach's alpha for the Odia version of the OHIP-14 was 0.862. The corrected item-total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.316 (functional limitation) to 0.674 (handicap). It was observed that patients with good self-perceived oral health had significantly lower OHIP-14od scores and those with poor oral hygiene had significantly greater OHIP-14od scores. Conclusion: Despite cultural variations, the translated Odia version of the OHIP-14 questionnaire is a reliable and valid instrument to measure the OHRQoL in the Odia-speaking adult population.

Impact of Removable Partial Denture on Quality-of-life of Sudanese Adults in Khartoum State.

Tooth loss can affect a patient's quality-of-life (QoL), impacting on aspects, such as nutritional intake, psychological status, self-image, and daily engaging in social interaction. The purpose of this study was to assess the oral health-related QoL (OHRQoL) among adult Sudanese patients wearing removable partial dentures (RPDs) by utilizing oral health impact profile-14 (OHIP-14) to assess patient satisfaction with their dentures. The study population included 370 adult patients wearing RPDs. Of these, 99 were males and 271 females with the age range of 35 to above 60 years. Self-reported questionnaires were distributed randomly to be completed by the participants from each health sector after having read a consent letter. Two measures interpreting the OHIP-14 scales (sum and prevalence) were utilized for data collection. The relationship of patients' demographic characteristics, general and oral health status, and denture characteristics with their OHRQoL was investigated. The data were processed and analyzed by means of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The means of OHIP-14 sum and OHIP-14 prevalence of partial denture wearers were 10.9 + 7.8 and 18.9% respectively. The most problematic aspects of OHIP-14 were functional limitation and psychological disability. On the contrary, the participants had little problem as a handicap and social disability aspects. The self-reported oral health, regular follow-up, denture satisfaction, duration of denture wearing use of the denture while eating, and frequency of denture cleaning positively contribute to oral health-related quality. Loss of teeth and use of RPD significantly affect patients' oral health status and QoL. Patients who are satisfied with their dentures have a better QoL than their unsatisfied counterparts.

Is the Intention Being Realized in Execution: Evaluation of Oral Health Promotion Program at a South Indian University

Introduction: There are accessibility problems for rural Indian population with respect to oral health care. Dental Council of India envisioned that establishment of satellite clinics would be a beneficial strategy for rural population to have better access to oral health care, curtailing the accessibility problems and financial barriers for oral health care utilization to some extent. Aim and Objective: The aim of this study was to procure data on the functioning of these satellite clinics and evaluate an oral health promotion program in a satellite clinic located in a South Indian university. Materials and Methods: A total of 301 participants were selected through two-stage random sampling to evaluate the functioning of a dental satellite clinic located in a South Indian university. The data collected include demographics, utilization of services at the satellite clinics, and self-reported oral and general health status. Results: The utilization of services was only 9.3%, and a majority of the participants were not aware of the existence of the clinic. Promotion of available services and provision of oral health education were the major suggestions received from the study participants. Conclusion: Evaluation of satellite clinics both from the students’ perspective and with regard to oral health status of concerned populations must be seriously undertaken.

Determinants of self-rated oral health among undergraduate students in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

Background: Self-rated oral health is a useful and essential indicator of overall oral health status which has an impact on general well-being and quality of life. No study on the perception of oral health has been conducted among young adults in Port Harcourt. Thus, this study investigated whether sociodemographic factors and oral health practices were associated with self-reported oral health status in a young population in Port Harcourt.Methods: A cross-sectional survey conducted among young undergraduate students in the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Data were collected using pre-tested self-administered questionnaires and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21.0.Results: There were 120 respondents, all within 16–34 years old, with the mean age of 21.7 ± 3.8 years. More females 61 (50.8%) than males 59 (49.2%). A total of 5 (4.2%) are married and 66 (55%) were in health sciences. Out of 42 (35.0%) of the respondents that had utilised dental service in the past; complaints of a toothache accounted for 52.4%. The percentages of participants that rated their oral health as excellent, good, fair and poor were 20.8%, 58.4%, 16.7% and 4.2%, respectively. Sociodemographics factors, such as age, gender, course of study, level of study and monthly allowance were significantly associated with self-rated oral health (P < 0.05). Oral health practices for example, previous dental visit, type of toothbrush used and frequency of tooth brushing were also significantly associated with perceived oral health.Conclusions: The perceived high oral health status of participants was influenced by sociodemographic factors and oral health practices. However, there is poor utilisation of dental services among the students.

Clinical characterization of women with burning mouth syndrome in a case-control study

Objective: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic orofacial pain disorder that is defined by a burning sensation in the oral mucosa. The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying factors, clinical characteristics and self-reported oral and general health factors associated with BMS.Material and methods: Fifty-six women with BMS (mean age: 67.7) and their age-matched controls were included in the study. A general questionnaire, an OHRQL index and BMS-specific questionnaires were used. Each subject underwent an oral examination.Results: The mean severity of the BMS symptoms (VAS, 0–100) was 66.2 (SD 19.7). Overall, 45% of the patients reported taste disturbances. More of the patients than the controls rated their general health, oral health and life situation as ‘less satisfactory’. The patients also reported more frequently on-going medications, diseases/disorders, xerostomia, allergy and skin diseases. Except for more bruxofacets among the patients, there were no significant differences regarding signs of parafunction. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, xerostomia and skin diseases showed the strongest prediction for BMS and no significant effect was found for medication, allergy or bruxofacets.Conclusions: Skin diseases and xerostomia but not parafunction were strongly associated with BMS. Our findings provide the basis for additional studies to elucidate the causal factors of BMS.

Trends in self-reported oral health of US adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2014.

Single-item self-reported oral health (SROH) is a convenient and reliable measure for the assessment of population-based oral health. However, little is known about trends and its associations among US adults. This study investigated trends in SROH (aged 20+ years) and the associated factors among adults living in the United States. Self-reported oral health data for 41621 adults aged 20+ years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 to 2014 were analysed. Survey-weighted descriptive statistics were computed to provide nationally representative estimates. Multivariable logistic regression was performed separately for each survey period with SROH as the primary outcome. Independent variables included were age, gender, race/ethnicity, education level and family poverty income ratio or PIR. Pooled survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression was also performed to consider possible time-changing effects. The survey-weighted proportions of "excellent or very good" in SROH increased from 27% in 1999-2000 (n=4873) to 38% in 2013-2014 (n=5765). Separate multivariable logistic analyses for each survey period suggested that females, Whites (vs Mexican and Black Americans) as well as respondents from high family PIR had higher odds of reporting their oral health as "excellent or very good" (P<.05). The pooled multivariable logistic model confirmed results in the separate logistic regression, and respondents in the more recent survey periods had higher probabilities of reporting "excellent or very good" oral health. Respondents aged 50-59years were found to have relatively lower probabilities of reporting "excellent or very good" oral health, while people aged 20-29years had higher probabilities than those aged 30-39years. Compared to respondents with lower education, those with higher education were more likely to report their oral health as excellent or very good. Self-reported oral health improved from 1999 to 2014. In general, respondents who were young, female, White, had higher education or higher income or were surveyed in more recent years reported excellent or very good oral health.