Self-reported Oral Health Research Articles

Urinary heavy metals, phthalates, phenols, thiocyanate, parabens, pesticides, polyaromatic hydrocarbons but not arsenic or polyfluorinated compounds are associated with adult oral health: USA NHANES, 2011-2012.

Links between environmental chemicals and human health have emerged over the last few decades, but the effects on oral health have been less studied. Therefore, it was aimed to study the relationships of different sets of urinary chemical concentrations and adult oral health conditions in a national and population-based setting. Data was retrieved from the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2011-2012 including demographics, self-reported oral health conditions and urinary environmental chemical concentrations (one third representative sample of the study population). Chi-square test, t test, and survey-weighted logistic and multi-nominal regression modeling were performed. Of 4566 American adults aged 30-80, 541 adults (11.9 %) reported poor teeth health while 1020 adults (22.4 %) reported fair teeth. Eight hundred fifty-five people (19.1 %) claimed to have gum disease, presented with higher levels of urinary cadmium, cobalt and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Six hundred three adults (13.3 %) had bone loss around the mouth, presented with higher levels of cadmium, nitrate, thiocyanate, propyl paraben and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Eight hundred forty-five adults (18.5 %) had tooth loose not due to injury, presented with higher level of cadmium, thiocyanate and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Eight hundred forty-five adults (18.5 %) with higher levels of lead, uranium, polyaromatic hydrocarbons but lower level of triclosan noticed their teeth did not look right. Three hundred fifty-one adults (7.7 %) often had aching in the mouth and 650 (14.3 %) had it occasionally, presented with higher levels of phthalates, pesticides and polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Benzophenone-3 and triclosan elicited protective effects. Regulation of environmental chemicals in prevention of adult oral health might need to be considered in future health and environmental policies.

Pediatric Residents' Knowledge and Comfort With Oral Health Bright Futures Concepts: A CORNET Study

ObjectiveTraining residents in oral health helps eliminate disparities and improves access. The American Academy of Pediatrics Bright Futures Guidelines curriculum is used as a training guide. We assessed knowledge, confidence, and perceived barriers to incorporating Bright Futures oral health concepts into well-child care for children below 3 years in a national sample of pediatric residents. MethodsA sample of postgraduate year 1 and 2 residents from CORNET sites completed demographic, Bright Futures oral health concepts confidence and knowledge cross-sectional surveys before any intervention. Measures were tested for reliability using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. ResultsOne hundred sixty-three residents from 28 CORNET sites completed the surveys. One third reported no prior training in oral health. Time (42%) and knowledge (33%) led the perceived barriers to addressing these concepts in well visits. Although 63% rated their confidence as excellent in identifying tooth decay risk factors, a significant percentage rated their oral health risk assessment skills as poor or neutral (64%) and identifying caries at examination (53%). Only 49% conveyed oral health messages during encounters and 80% correctly scored 75% or higher on knowledge questions. ConclusionsThis cross-sectional study shows that residents from a wide geographic range have high self-reported oral health knowledge but low perceived skills and competency in clinical implementation. Lack of time and knowledge in identifying caries led the perceived barriers. Barriers are addressed by implementing oral health curricula that promote competence and skill-development. This study helps programs effectively implement Bright Futures concepts to train graduates to incorporate oral health in well visits.

Validation of self-reported oral health measures for predicting periodontitis among adult Filipinos with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Validation of self-reported oral health measures for predicting periodontitis among adult Filipinos with type 2 diabetes mellitus

The deterioration of Canadian immigrants' oral health: analysis of the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada.

To examine the effect of immigration on the self-reported oral health of immigrants to Canada over a 4-year period. The study used Statistics Canada's Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC 2001-2005). The target population comprised 3976 non-refugee immigrants to Canada. The dependent variable was self-reported dental problems. The independent variables were as follows: age, sex, ethnicity, income, education, perceived discrimination, history of social assistance, social support, and official language proficiency. A generalized estimation equation approach was used to assess the association between dependent and independent variables. After 2 years, the proportion of immigrants reporting dental problems more than tripled (32.6%) and remained approximately the same at 4 years after immigrating (33.3%). Over time, immigrants were more likely to report dental problems (OR = 2.77; 95% CI 2.55-3.02). An increase in self-reported dental problems over time was associated with sex, history of social assistance, total household income, and self-perceived discrimination. An increased likelihood of reporting dental problems occurred over time. Immigrants should arguably constitute an important focus of public policy and programmes aimed at improving their oral health and access to dental care in Canada.

Self-reported oral health, oral hygiene, and oral HPV infection in at-risk women in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This study aimed to examine the relationships among self-reported oral health, oral hygiene practices, and oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in women at risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Convenience and referral sampling methods were used in a clinic-based setting to recruit 126 women aged 18-45 years between August and October 2013. Behavioral factors were self-reported. Oral-rinse samples were tested for HPV DNA of 2 low-risk and 13 high-risk genotypes. A higher unadjusted prevalence of oral HPV infection was associated with poorer self-rated overall oral health (P = .001), reported oral lesions or problems in the past year (P = .001), and reported a tooth loss not because of injury (P = .001). Higher unadjusted prevalence of oral HPV infection was also associated with two measures of oral hygiene: lower frequencies of toothbrushing per day (P = .047) and gargling without toothbrushing (P = .037). After adjusting for other factors in multivariable logistic regression models, poorer self-rated overall oral health remained statistically associated with oral HPV infection (P = .042); yet the frequency of tooth-brushing per day did not (P = .704). Results corroborate the association between self-reported poor oral health and oral HPV infection. The effect of oral hygiene on oral HPV infection remains inconclusive.

Self‐reported gagging in dentistry: prevalence, psycho‐social correlates and oral health

Although gagging has a profound effect on the delivery of dental care, it is a relatively under-investigated phenomenon. This study aimed to derive a prevalence estimate of gagging during dental treatment based on patient-reported information, to determine some socio-demographic and psychological correlates and to assess the relationship of gagging with self-reported oral health and avoidance of dental care. Data were collected with a survey among Dutch twin families (n=11771). Estimated overall prevalence of gagging during dental treatment was 8·2% (95% CI 7·7-8·7). Patients' self-report of gagging was found to be significantly associated with female sex, a lower level of education and higher levels of dental trait anxiety, gagging-related fears (e.g. fear of objects in the mouth), anxious depression and neuroticism. Gagging also appeared to be significantly associated with untreated cavities, gingival bleeding and wearing full dentures, but not with avoidance of dental care. It can be concluded that individuals who report to gag during dental treatment are moderately dentally anxious, fear-specific situations that can trigger a gagging response and, albeit visiting the dentist equally frequently, report to have a poorer oral health compared to those who do not gag.

Examining the link between prevalence of severe early childhood caries and self-reported oral health and quality of life outcomes

(60.6 vs. 49.6%), multiples (6.1 vs. 2.1%), prematurely born (67.7 vs. 11.7%), weighed less than 2500 grams (71.2 vs. 12.0%), were born in a breech position (26.1 vs. 3.5%), and were delivered by caesarean section (26.5 vs. 18.7%). Their mothers were more often younger than 20 years and 35 years and older [OR1⁄41.8], more often had a Maroon, Creole or Indigenous ethnicity [OR’s respectively 1.3, 2.1, 2.5], and were less often Hindustani [OR1⁄40.8] or Javanese [OR1⁄40.3]. Low birth weight, premature birth and a breech position were independently associated with a 6.6, 4.9 and 3.8 times increased risk of neonatal death, respectively. In addition, most babies (74%) died in the early neonatal period and within 24 hours after birth (34%), due to respiratory insufficiency as a result of infant respiratory distress syndrome (IRDS), which accounted for 53% of deaths, followed by sepsis/infection (24%) and congenital malformations (19%). Interpretation: Neonatal mortality in Suriname is high compared with more developed countries (5&) but is comparable with other countries in the Caribbean region (19&). Early neonatal death accounts for a large proportion of neonatal mortality in the multi-ethnic society of Suriname. Two-thirds of these infants are born prematurely and the timing of death is often in the first 24 hours after birth. More than half of the newborns died as a result of respiratory insufficiency. It is imperative that further measures are taken to reduce neonatal mortality. The initiation of a national neonatal intensive care unit would be a major step forward to achieve this goal. Funding: Ministry of Health Suriname and TNO Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research. Abstract #: 01SEDH037

Testing reliability and validity of oral impacts on daily performances for Chinese-speaking elderly Singaporeans.

To cross-culturally adapt the oral impacts on daily performance (OIDP) and assess its reliability and validity on Chinese-speaking community dwelling elderly Singaporeans. There are no previous reports of valid oral health-related quality of life instruments for elderly Singaporeans or perceived conditions associated with impacts reported in OIDP among the Singaporean elders. The OIDP was translated from English to Chinese and then back translated. The OIDP questionnaire along with questions related to overall quality of life and self-rated dental health was administered to 202 Chinese-speaking elderly Singaporeans by trained interviewers, and it was repeated after 1month. Test-retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient; internal consistency was established using Cronbach's alpha, and construct validity using correlation coefficients with self-reported oral health-related and global quality of life measures. In addition, Kruskal-Wallis tests assessed differences in the OIDP score between different subjective health and global quality of life groups. The median age of participants was 75years. About 19% reported oral impacts and difficulty eating was the most prevalent oral impact. Internal consistency was good with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.75, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.75 (0.67-0.81). OIDP was significantly correlated with all measures of self-reported oral health and global ratings of quality of life, with correlation coefficients ranging between 0.15 and 0.52. Groups with worse perceptions about their health and quality of life had significantly higher OIDP scores. The OIDP showed successful reliability and validity for its use among Chinese-speaking older Singaporeans.

Oral Health in the cohorts from the São Paulo Health, Well-Being, and Aging Study (SABE)

The objective of this paper is to present the characteristics and methodological procedures used in the study SABE (Health, Well-Being, and Aging). This is a longitudinal study with multiple cohorts, carried out in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, since 2000. Follow-ups are conducted every five years when the new cohort is initiated. The SABE study employed a stratified, multistage sampling design to obtain a representative sample of community-dwelling individuals aged 60 years or more in the city of Sao Paulo. Data were collected by a structured questionnaire and clinical measurements taken by trained and calibrated examiners. The questionnaire included information on socioeconomic and demographic conditions, cognitive function, general health, medication, use and access to health services, oral health, nutrition, social support, functionality and well-being. The baseline study included self-reported oral health measurements, and clinical oral health measures were introduced in 2006.

ORAL HYGIENE AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN

Objective: To define the self-reported oral health knowledge, attitudes and oralhygiene habits, among pregnant women getting antenatal care at Kulsoom Bai Valika HospitalKarachi. Method and Material: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conductedat the KVSS Site Hospital antenatal clinic during the period January - June 2013. The data wasanalyzed using the SPSS for Windows (version 16.0; SPSS Inc. Chicago. IL) statistical softwarepackage and was validated visually. Result: Most of the respondents revealed a reasonablelevel of oral health knowledge and positive attitudes towards oral health. However, there weregaps in the oral health knowledge of the women surveyed. The relationship between the levelof oral health knowledge and ethnicity (p=0.856), level of education (p=0.079), age category(p= 0.166), and trimester of pregnancy (p=0.219) were not statistically significant. In addition,the women’s knowledge and attitude towards oral health was not reflected in their oral hygienepractices. Conclusions: There is a need to provide oral health education for pregnant womenduring antenatal care in order to highlight the significance of good oral health in achieving goodhealth for both the mother and her baby.

A Comparative Evaluation of Self-Reported Oral Health Behaviour and Practices among Selected Dental and Non-Medico Undergraduates in Guwahati, Assam

A Comparative Evaluation of Self-Reported Oral Health Behaviour and Practices among Selected Dental and Non-Medico Undergraduates in Guwahati, Assam

Assessment of relationship between oral health behavior, oral hygiene and gingival status of dental students.

The behavior of oral health providers toward their own oral health reflects their understanding of the importance of preventive dental procedures and of improving the oral health of their target population. This study was done with an aim to assess the relationship between oral health behavior, oral hygiene and gingival status of third and final year dental students from a Dental College in Indore City, India. A total of 137 dental students participated in the study. The students were invited to complete the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI) questionnaire. The HU-DBI questionnaire consisted of twenty polar responses (agree/disagree) regarding oral health-related behavior. In addition, two further questions about the frequency of brushing and flossing were included. Subsequently, oral health examination was conducted to assess plaque and gingival status. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test, Independent sample t-test, and Pearson's correlation. The significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05. The results showed that about 66.6% of the students checked their teeth in the mirror after brushing. Only 20.1% of the students reported bleeding from gums. The mean oral heath behavior score (HU-DBI) was 6.47 ± 2.0. A negative correlation of HU-DBI scores with plaque (r = -0.501) and gingival scores (r = -0.580) was observed. Thus, it is concluded that there is a significant relationship between the oral health behavior, oral hygiene, and gingival status of dental students. Dental students with better self-reported oral health behavior had lower plaque and gingival scores indicating a better attitude toward oral health.

Oral health attitude, knowledge, and behaviour of dental students of Jaipur, Rajasthan: A comparative study

Introduction: Attitudes of dental students toward their own oral health affect their oral health habits and also have a possible influence on the improvement of the oral health of their patients and society. Aim: To evaluate self-reported oral health attitude, knowledge, and behavior among a group of dental students of one of the dental colleges of Rajasthan and to compare differences in oral health attitudes between years of study and gender. Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, a self-administered structured questionnaire consisting of 19 questions on attitudes toward dental care, oral health practice and knowledge of oral health was distributed to 200 dental students of different years of course. Data collected was subjected to statistical analysis. Results: In the present study, 142 students were from preclinical years and 58 students were from clinical years. Most of the students brush their teeth once daily for 2 min following roll technique of brushing before breakfast using only toothpaste as a cleaning aid. All students from clinical years routinely examined their oral cavity while most of the students visited the dentist only when required. Majority of students considered oral health as important as general health and believed that oral health affects the general health. Students were also aware of the harmful effects of tobacco while only few of them were indulged in them. Conclusions: With increasing years of the study, some aspects of dental student's oral health attitude and behavior improved but this improvement was limited. Thus, the students should be motivated to become an example of oral health for the society, for which few steps to motivate them toward better oral health are proposed.

Relationship of self-liking, self-competence with self-reported oral health status among 15-year-old children of Davangere city: A cross-sectional survey

Introduction: Psychological constructs have been found to have potential effects in the improvement of health. Self-esteem (expressed in the form of sub-constructs: Self-liking and self-competence) is a construct, which makes one realize the self. This in turn will result in positive oral-health-seeking behavior and improvement in oral health status. Aim: To assess the relationship of self-liking, self-competence with self-reported oral health status in children aged 15 years, in Davangere city. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted on 220 15-year-old subjects in Davangere City. Specially designed pro forma containing Romanian self-administered questionnaire to record the self-reported oral health status and Tafarodi's SLC scale to measure self-liking/self-competence was used. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. Results: A majority of the participants were found to have moderate self-competence and self-liking and their self-reported oral health status was expressed as excellent. They reported very less or no untreated decayed teeth and no extracted teeth or gingival bleeding. Conclusion: The participants with better self-competence and self-liking perceived their oral health status as good. They reported lesser incidence of oral diseases and discomfort. Self-esteem and oral health were found to be positively related.

Assessment of oral health attitudes and behavior among undergraduate dental students using Hiroshima University Dental Behavioral Inventory HU-DBI

Introduction: Dental students are the future leaders in oral health care and are expected to be teachers of oral hygiene as well as role models of self-care regimens for their patients. Objective: The objective was to assess self-reported oral health attitude and behavior among undergraduate dental students and to analyze variations between gender and level of education. Materials and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire based on the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) was distributed among 270 undergraduate students which consisted of 20 dichotomous responses (yes-no). Data were analyzed using the analysis of variance and statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Females had better oral health attitude and behavior toward visiting the dentist and oral hygiene practices, mean HU-DBI score of 8.8 (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the preclinical students (1 st , 2 nd years) had better oral health attitude and behavior especially towards gingival health, oral hygiene practices and visiting the dentist (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Among dental students, the overall attitude of oral health was good, even though there were deficits in a few areas. The oral health attitudes and behavior were better among female's dental students and were not improved with increasing levels of education. Better comprehensive dental education with exposure to dental health and prevention is suggested to improve dental students' oral health attitudes and behavior.

School-Based Educational Intervention to Improve Children's Oral Health-Related Knowledge.

To evaluate a brief oral health promotion intervention delivered in schools by a primary care dental practice, aimed at changing oral health care knowledge and oral health-related behaviors in children. Cohort study with pretest-posttest design. Three primary schools. One hundred and fifty children (aged 9-12 years). Children received a 60-minute theory-driven classroom-based interactive educational session delivered by a dental care professional and received take-home literature on oral health. All children completed a questionnaire on oral health-related knowledge and self-reported oral health-related behaviors before, immediately after, and 6 weeks following the intervention. Children's dental knowledge significantly improved following the intervention, with improvement evident at immediate follow-up and maintained 6 weeks later. Significantly more children reported using dental floss 6 weeks after the intervention compared with baseline. No significant differences were detected in toothbrushing or dietary behaviors. School-based preventative oral health education delivered by primary care dental practices can generate short-term improvements in children's knowledge of oral health and some aspects of oral hygiene behavior. Future research should engage parents/carers and include objective clinical and behavioral outcomes in controlled study designs.

Dental caries experience and use of dental services among Brazilian prisoners.

This ross-sectional study involving 127 male prisoners evaluates the use of dental services and dental caries among Brazilian inmates. Data were collected by interview and clinical examination. Sociodemographic and sentencing information as well as use of dental services, self-reported dental morbidity, self-perception, and oral health impacts were investigated. The mean DMFT index value was 19.72. Of the components, the decayed component showed the highest mean value (11.06 ± 5.37). Statistically significant association was found between DMFTs with values from 22 to 32 and oral health satisfaction (p = 0.002), difficulty speaking (p = 0.024), shame of talking (p = 0.004) and smiling (p < 0.001). Regarding the use of dental services, 80% had their last dental appointment less than one year ago, with most visits occurring in prison (80%), with restorative treatment (32%), followed by dental pain (26.4%), being the main reasons for such appointments. Most prisoners used dental services provided by the prison. Although restorative treatment has been the main reason for the use of dental services, “decayed” and “missing” components contributed to the high mean DMFT index.

Development of a short-form Health Literacy Dental Scale (HeLD-14).

To develop a short-form version of the 29-item Health Literacy in Dentistry (HeLD-29) instrument. Deriving the short-form version used data from a cross-sectional study of 400 indigenous Australians aged 18+ years in Port Augusta, South Australia, which was split to enable short-form testing (N = 191). Internal reliability analysis, factor analysis and regression analysis were undertaken to derive a subset (HeLD-14) questionnaire. Its validity was evaluated by assessing associations with socio-demographic and self-reported oral health variables. Internal consistency of the HeLD-14 was evaluated using Cronbach's coefficient α. A HeLD-14 scale was derived from regression analysis. The HeLD-14 accounted for 94% of variance in the HeLD-29 mean scores; had high reliability (α = 0.88); contained questions from each of the seven conceptual dimensions of the HeLD-29; and had a good distribution of prevalence for individual questions. HeLD-14 scores and HeLD-29 scores displayed the same pattern of variation among socio-demographic groups of indigenous Australians. Cronbach's α for the HeLD-14 was 0.87. In a multivariable analysis, the same socio-demographic and self-reported oral health variables were associated (P < 0.05) with both the HeLD-29 and the HeLD-14. The reliability, validity and precision of the short-form version (HeLD-14) were acceptable when tested in a sample of rural dwelling indigenous Australians. However, it will be important to replicate these findings in other populations before it can be used in health services research to determine the effects of interventions or programs aimed at improving oral health outcomes. This short form will be easy and efficient for use in research and clinical settings.

The perceived concepts of oral health attitudes and behaviors of dental students from four Asian countries

Abstract Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the self-reported oral health attitudes and behaviors of dental students from four Asian countries based on their gender and level of dental education. Subjects and methods: A structured, pre-tested, self-administered 12-item questionnaire survey was conducted among undergraduate dental students at all study levels. The sample was drawn from the Kerala University of Health Sciences; India, King Saud University, Al-Kharj University and University of Dammam; Saudi Arabia, Ajman University of Science and Technology and University of Sharjah; United Arab Emirates and University of Aden; Yemen. The questionnaire included demographic details and questions on the students’ oral health attitudes and behaviors. Results: A total of 1553 dental students (955 females, 598 males) consisting of 655 pre-clinical and 898 clinical students participated in the study. Majority of respondents (74%) reported cleaning their tongue daily and 61.8% reported that regular dental check-up should be carried out every 6 months. However, 61.9% reported that they do not use a dental floss and 72.6% reported visiting their dentist only when having dental problems. Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, noticeable differences in the oral health attitudes and behaviors of the surveyed female- and clinical-dental students compared to male- and pre-clinical-dental students respectively could not be elicited. Teaching student dentists the necessary skills in attaining good oral hygiene is as imperative as imparting knowledge on various aspects of oral health.

Development and evaluation of the Stages of Change in Oral Health instrument

Oral health personnel are limited in their ability to assess the readiness of patients to make changes to improve oral health. We aimed to develop and test the Stages of Change in Oral Health (SOCOH) model, a scaled index of the stages of change - pre-contemplative, contemplative or active - with particular emphasis on pregnancy. Items were collected in a self-report questionnaire conducted among a convenience sample of 446 mothers (age range: 14-43years) pregnant with Aboriginal children in South Australia, Australia. Scales representing openness (four items; Cronbach's alpha=0.73), value (four items; Cronbach's alpha=0.71), inconvenience (six items; Cronbach's alpha=0.79) and permissiveness (four items; Cronbach's alpha=0.66) were developed. Participants were categorised according to the Stages of Change model and were evaluated against key self-reported oral health outcomes. Some 11.9% of participants were classified as pre-contemplators, 46.4% as contemplators and 41.7% as active. A higher proportion of active participants had a higher education, last visited a dentist less than a year previously, had no dental fear, owned a toothbrush, brushed the previous day, used toothpaste, had no difficulties paying a $100 dental bill, self-reported their dental health as 'excellent' and in the previous 12months did not experience dental pain, embarrassment related to their dental appearance or difficulties eating food. The SOCOH model offers an internally consistent and valid instrument for detailed assessment of the readiness for change in regarding oral health behaviours in pregnancy and has potential benefits for clinical decision making and research.