Dental Team Research Articles

Association between management, human resources, and care provided to patients with special healthcare needs in dental specialty centers in Brazil: A cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to identify the association between management and human resource factors with the performance of dental care provided to patients with special health care needs (SHCN) in secondary care in Brazil in the second cycle of the Program for Quality Improvement and Access to Dental Specialty Centers (PMAQ-CEO). This study is a secondary data analysis from the second cycle from PMAQ-CEO, which evaluated 1097 Dental Specialty Centers (DSCs), conducted in 2018. Seventeen independent variables taken from dentists' training, and dental team management characteristics were analyzed to assess their influence on the reported "Performance of care for SHCN patients". An estimated score was generated from their performance on 23 questions related to the physical and human structure and work processes in the oral health care of SHCN patients in the DSCs. Negative binomial regression model with values p ≤ 0.05 were considered significant. Data analysis included residual deviation to the degree of freedom and the chi-square test. The patient care performance score with SHCN increases significantly when the DSC has a manager (RR=1.019; CI=1.011-1.026) and goal monitoring and analysis (RR=1.012; CI=1.007-1.005). By contrast, the DSCs in which the dentist is a statutory public servant (RR=0.998; CI=0.997-1.000) and performs additional unhealthy or hazardous duties (RR=0.998; CI=0.996-0.999) are less likely to provide a higher quality care. The heterogeneity and low-performance scores for dental care provided to SHCN was identified in Brazilian health services. It was possible to verify that management and human resource factors of the DSCs were associated with the performance of dental care provided to SHCN patients.

Employing Indigenous methodologies to transform dental and medical education

Indigenous people in Australia experience considerably more dental and medical ill-health than non-Indigenous people. Cultural competence of dental and medical teams is crucial in the delivery of services to address these health disparities. Traditionally, cultural training has been incorporated later in health education curricula, resulting in students perceiving Indigenous health to be less important, relevant or useful in their future careers. Higher education institutions struggle to incorporate Indigenous culture into curricula to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous peoples and to increase cultural competence of staff and students. This study explores how a team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers navigated the cultural interface to develop an Indigenous curricula model for dental and, potentially, medical programs in Australia. A team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous oral health, dental and social science researchers, together with a Cultural Competence Curriculum Review Reference Group comprising Indigenous and non-Indigenous members, successfully navigated the cultural interface. Collaborations between the reference group and research team at each phase of this research ensured authentication and validity of the data. This study highlights the importance of employing Indigenous methodologies when conducting Indigenous research to improve dental and medical health outcomes for Indigenous peoples.

Dental Infection Control in Hafar AL-Batin Dental Center

A small percentage of germs can lead to an infection. In a dental setting, the patient's saliva mixed with blood, pus, plaque, and reticular fluid is frequently aerosolized and spattered, potentially infecting the dental practitioner. descriptive analytical method utilized 127 employees working in Hafar Al Batin dental center participant most of them 87% were female, 13% were male, and 20% The results showed the attitude toward infection control was high; the most negative attitude item was (Is the doctor obligated to wash hands and wear gloves in the dental clinic?" the most attitude item was (Is the doctor obligated to wash hands and wear gloves in the dental clinic) with high attitude and mean 2.88, followed by (Do you think that sterilizing the dental chair reduces infection) with high attitude and mean 2.74, followed by (Can wearing gloves be a substitute for hand washing) with low attitude and mean 1.47 the results showed there is no significant difference in attitude toward infection control due to gender, age, educational level, or infection as a result of the dental visit. Research and study in the case of transmission and how to reduce it through disinfection and some other methods will reach to reduce the potential risks of infection. The cross-infection control strategy every patient must undergo screening. Dental team members must maintain good health.Think about immunization Prophylaxis before and after exposure. Hepatitis B, influenza, mumps, measles, tetanus, rubella, tuberculosis, and whooping cough vaccinations are required for all members. Hand care and washing: provide personal protection barriers use cautionary aseptic techniques.

A survey of mental wellbeing and stress among dental therapists and hygienists in South West England.

Introduction Mental health and wellbeing of the dental team has been brought into sharp focus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this renewed interest, there has been longstanding issues with poor mental health and wellbeing in the dental profession for some time. While there is some evidence that documents poor mental wellbeing amongst dentists, there appears to be a lack of evidence concerning dental care professionals.Aims To explore the level of mental wellbeing and stress amongst dental hygienists and therapists (DHTs) in South West England.Method An online survey was distributed to DHTs in South West England via two professional networks.Results A total of 129 surveys were completed. The mean levels of reported wellbeing were lower amongst DHTs than the general population and 45% of respondents reported high anxiety levels. Younger respondents reported lower levels of life satisfaction. Plus, 43.5% of dental therapists reported performing solely dental hygiene treatments, with those performing no dental therapy reporting lower happiness levels.Conclusion Low mental wellbeing amongst DHTs in the South West has been identified in this survey and this is likely to impact negatively on the morale and motivation of the workforce, leading to increased levels of absenteeism and ultimately, loss of colleagues from the dental workforce. The stress encountered by DHTs is largely workplace-related and therefore, there is an increased need for team- and organisation-delivered interventions to improve mental wellbeing for this group.

Thalassaemia - part 1: a clinical update for the dental team.

Thalassaemia is a genetic disorder that affects haemoglobin function. It is an abnormality of haemoglobin caused by mutation of genes related to alpha or beta globin chains that can be further subdivided into categories. These haematological conditions can vary from mild forms, which present as mild anaemia, to severe forms, that can become life-threatening. The window for dental treatment is often limited by several factors involving medical management, such as the need for antibiotic cover or blood transfusions. The lifetime management of the medical conditions are onerous and can place significant physical and psychological burden on the patient. This paper is part of a two-part series on thalassaemia. Part one focuses on the clinical manifestations patients may present with, treatment regimens and dental implications of such presentations. Part two explores the perspectives of thalassaemia patients on their dental experience.

Mental health and wellbeing interventions in the dental sector: a systematic review.

Introduction UK dentists experience high levels of stress, anxiety and burnout. Poor mental health can lead practitioners to exit the profession, contributing to workforce and service loss. Therefore, there is a need to focus on interventions to protect the mental health and wellbeing of dental teams. Three levels of intervention can be deployed in the workplace to support mental health and wellbeing: primary prevention, secondary prevention, and tertiary prevention.Aim The aim of this systematic review was to identify evidence on interventions used to prevent, improve or tackle mental health issues among dental team members and dental profession students in countries of very high development.Methods This systematic review was conducted according to a predefined protocol and reported according to PRISMA guidelines. The MEDLINE, Embase CINAHL, DOSS, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases were searched. Prospective empirical studies were considered for inclusion. The Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool (EPHPP) was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. The identified interventions were categorised according to level of prevention.Results The search yielded 12,919 results. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria. All of the studies concerned dentists or dental students. There were no studies for other groups of dental professionals. No primary prevention-level studies were identified. Secondary prevention-level studies (n = 4) included various psychoeducational interventions aiming to raise awareness and improve coping skills and led to significant improvements in stress levels and burnout of dentists and dental students. Tertiary prevention-level studies (n = 4) mainly employed counselling which was shown to be beneficial for dentists and students experiencing psychological ill-health.Conclusions Mental wellbeing awareness should be put at the centre of dental education and the workplace. Leadership and innovation are required to design primary-level interventions which can be implemented in the UK dental sector, with its distinct organisational and service characteristics.

The Predictive Value of Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index and Symptom Severity Score for Sepsis and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome in Odontogenic Infections.

Acute Odontogenic Infections (OI) are the leading cause of emergency visits and hospitalizations to the maxillofacial department, and may induce systemic inflammatory complications. Increasing numbers of OI patients need extended hospitalizations, various treatments, and intensive care. The Symptom Severity score (SS) helps doctors assess the likelihood of infection and admission complications. Systemic Immune-inflammation Index (SII) is a biomarker-based inflammatory prognosis score. It was hypothesized that greater SII and SS values might suggest a higher risk for sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Therefore, this research aims to discover whether SII and SS scores can reliably predict odontogenic infection severity and prognosis, and if they can be used to predict the development of SIRS and sepsis in OI using admission features. The study was designed as a retrospective cohort, with patients' data being retrieved from medical records between January 2017 to April 2022. A total of 108 OI patients were matched 1:1 as low-severity and high-severity groups. Most individuals with severe infections had diabetes and smoking as comorbidities. Severe patients had longer hospital stays (12.0 days vs. 4.1 days), although mortality rates did not significantly differ. A total of 11.1% lower-severity patients (Group A) had SIRS during hospitalization, compared to Group B with 25.9%. Group A had 7.4% of patients that developed sepsis compared to Group B's rate of 22.2%. The correlation between OI's SS and SII index values was positive and statistically significant (r = 0.6314). The total SII index mean was 1303, whereas the mean values by severity were 696.3 in Group A and 2312.4 in Group B. Group A's mean SS score was 6.1, while Group B's was 13.6. According to the calculated AUC plots, SII and SS scores were accurate predictors of sepsis and SIRS development using OI admission parameters. The adjusted odds ratio for SIRS in OI patients was 2.09, and 2.27 for sepsis. Medical professionals and dentistry teams should be encouraged to use the SII and SS scores to diagnose and anticipate sepsis and SIRS, hence improving disease management decisions.

Penyuluhan Penanganan Kedaruratan Trauma Gigi Di Masa Pandemik Covid-19 Pada Ibu-Ibu PKK Cideng - Jakarta Pusat

Dental trauma is an injury involving the teeth and/or involving the supporting structures of the teeth. Dental trauma can cause tooth fracture, tooth displacement, tooth loss (avulsion), or damage to supporting tissues (gums and bones). During the Covid-19 Pandemic Period, mothers have more dominant time with their children, so they are expected to provide quick and effective action in dental trauma cases. This community Service Counseling aims to increase knowledge and skills in dealing with dental trauma problems. Counseling was carried out by the Trisakti University Faculty of Dentistry Team to PKK organization in Cideng, Gambir, Central Jakarta on January 5, 2022. Counseling includes the knowledge on handling emergency dental trauma using webinar methode with power point and animated videos. There is a significant difference in the mean percentage of correct answers between the pre-test (54,23 + 16,47) and post-test (68.58 + 11.45) with a significance level of p = 0.013. Thus, it can be concluded that after the Counseling activity, there is an increase in the level of knowledge regarding the handling of emergency dental trauma. Training is needed to improve skills so that trauma emergencies can be handled better

Exploring barriers to tobacco smoking cessation in minority ethnic patients in the UK

While the role of the dental team in promoting smoking cessation is well described, the nuances of counselling on tobacco use in individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds are less well understood. Beliefs and cultural practices require consideration when discussing the benefits of stopping smoking, an important consideration in a country with the great ethnic diversity prevalent in the UK. This article discusses culturally related barriers to patients stopping smoking. Recommendations for members of the dental team to consider next time they have a conversation with a patient from an ethnic minority background regarding their smoking habits are presented. CPD/Clinical Relevance: This article provides advice on how the dental team can help patients from ethnic minorities stop smoking.

Why does patient mental health matter? Part 3: dental self-neglect as a consequence of psychiatric conditions

This is the third article in a series looking at psychiatric presentations in dentistry. Recently, the oral health of people with severe mental illness (SMI) has gained significant media attention after the Office of the Chief Dental Officer for England published a statement on the importance of prioritizing oral health for people with SMI. Furthermore, a consensus statement has set out a 5-year plan to improve oral health in people with SMI. In Part 2 of the series, we discussed how a psychiatric disorder can manifest as an orofacial obsession in the absence of dental pathology. This article explores the physical presentation of dental self-neglect, specifically how different psychiatric conditions could be linked to emergency dental presentations. A fictionalized case-based discussion is used to explore clinical presentations of orofacial obsessions and their potential relationship to psychiatry. CPD/Clinical Relevance: This paper emphasizes the role of the primary care dental team in recognition of psychiatric conditions, such as mood disorders, substance misuse and early psychosis.

Composition of Ideal Dental Team.

Composition of Ideal Dental Team.

A Health Inequalities Impact Assessment of the surveillance of COVID-19 in asymptomatic patients attending dental settings in Scotland.

A key aspect of the public health response to COVID-19 in Scotland was enhanced community surveillance, including testing in dental settings. Across Scotland, dental settings offered patients over 5-years-old the opportunity to participate in community surveillance of COVID-19. A Health Inequalities Impact Assessment (HIIA) was conducted to understand the differential impacts the programme would have on the population and to improve the accessibility of the programme. HIIA is a tool to allow the assessment, understanding, and mitigation of impacts on people of a proposed policy or practice. It fulfils an organisational duty to meet the requirements of the Equality Act and Fairer Scotland Duty. The HIIA was conducted rapidly in parallel with the programme development. An action research approach included an online workshop, consultation, review of population data and a literature search. Adjustments were required to improve the programme's accessibility. Stakeholders, including dental teams from across Scotland were involved in the consultation and brought their front-line experience in different settings. Common issues identified included digital literacy and access, language and cultural barriers to participation, and issues relating to the implications of a positive COVID-19 result. Literature indicated limited evidence on the acceptability, accessibility, and equity of asymptomatic COVID-19 surveillance. This HIIA was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. As an example of good practice in tackling inequalities in access to programmes it should represent the benchmark for other similar initiatives.

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Dentists in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and Objectives: A dental environment possesses a serious ergonomic health issue on the dental team members which in turn contributes to the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The present research is aimed at evaluating the frequency of musculoskeletal disorders and their associated sociodemographic and work environment risk factors among dentists in the United Arab Emirates. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a pretested and validated questionnaire was sent via email as well as on different social media platforms to a total of 497 dentists. A total of 179 dentists completed the study survey, with a total response rate of 36%. A binary logistic regression model was conducted to identify significant risk factors associated with WMSDs. Results: Dentists in the United Arab Emirates experience a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (90.4%) which were associated with high levels of stress in the work environment. Furthermore, dentists in the private sector worked more clinical hours per day (p = 0.000) and had more financial stress (p = 0.007) as compared to those in the governmental sector. Gender (p = 0.007), age (p = 0.01), monthly income (p = 0.073), work experience (p = 0.037), number of patients treated per day (p = 0.049), and the use of an ergonomic dental chair (p = 0.005) were all factors associated with a greater number of affected body regions by WMSDs. Multivariate binary logistic regression for the number of regions affected by WMSDs revealed that not using an ergonomic dental chair (OR 2.70, 95% CI, 1.14-6.36) and high stress in the work environment (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.02 to1.67) were associated with more body regions being affected by WMSDs. Conclusions: This study highlights the high prevalence rate of WMSDs among dentists in the UAE. Future research should be directed towards reducing stress in the work environment, increasing awareness regarding the importance of an ergonomic dental chair, and reducing gaps between private and governmental practices.

Digital transformation: analog expertise and digital optimization.

Digital tools now enable an effective and efficient workflow even for complex implant-prosthetic restorations such as the immediate restoration of the edentulous maxilla. Planning predictability due to high process reliability, time saving, cost reduction due to shortened therapy sequences, high patient satisfaction due to predictable results, and high patient comfort are the advantages of the digitally supported therapy phases - from digital volume tomography of the bony structures to planning software to CAD/CAM-generated temporaries and prototypes to all-ceramic restorations. However, the use of digital procedures and techniques alone is no guarantee for a successful, indication-appropriate, and patient-specific restoration. In addition to having digital knowledge, the conditio sine qua non for the dental technician team is still analog competence coupled with corresponding experience to be able to interpret the various influencing factors. Using an immediately loaded maxillary restoration as an example, an analog-digital workflow is presented that is geared to surgical, prosthetic, and patient-specific requirements. (Int J Comput Dent 2022;25(4):407-0; doi: 10.3290/j.ijcd.b3555715).

Necrotising periodontal diseases: an update on classification and management.

Necrotising periodontal diseases can present with significant morbidity and, whilst unusual, they are not entirely uncommon in primary care. With this in mind, members of the dental team should be aware of relatively recent changes to the classification and management of these diseases to optimise patient outcomes. Similarly, understanding the bacteriology, patterns of tissue breakdown, and management and maintenance of these conditions will allow clinicians to manage these diseases should they present. The progression of necrotising diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa to present as noma is also discussed. The objective is to help the reader understand the classification and management of necrotising periodontal diseases.

Intraoral appliance use in dental practice: An American Dental Association Clinical Evaluators Panel survey

BackgroundA growing variety of intraoral appliances are being used in dental practice. Insight about the range of applications and practice workflow as well as factors effecting change in practice trends was sought. MethodsA survey was developed to ascertain intraoral appliance use, fabrication methods, staff involvement, and patient experiences in dental practice. The survey was sent to ADA Clinical Evaluators Panel members on July 25, 2022, in Qualtrics and remained open for 2 weeks. After 1 week, those who had not responded yet were sent reminders. Data were analyzed descriptively in SAS Version 9.4. ResultsOf the 286 respondents (a 28% response rate), 88% reported providing patients with intraoral appliances apart from providing patients with removable partial dentures. More than one-half of the respondents reported offering bleaching trays (88%), flippers or Essix retainers (83%), splints (81%), athletic mouthguards (72%), orthodontic retainers (60%), fluoride trays (56%), and clear aligners (55%). The biggest changes to practice in the past 5 years with respect to intraoral appliances have been intraoral scanning (56%) and the increase in the variety of intraoral appliances in use. Although 72% reported dental assistants were involved in obtaining impressions and fabricating models for intraoral appliances and 76% reported that laboratory technicians were involved in fabricating intraoral appliances, nearly all (97%) respondents indicated that the dentist was involved in the delivery of appliances to patients. Patient education about the use of their appliances appeared to be delivered using multiple approaches, given that it was reported to occur orally (95%), in print (61%), and visually (42%). That 90% of respondents reported having engaged in continuing education courses about intraoral appliances aligns with these appliances becoming a routine part of dental practice, with both increasing applications and improvements in the relevant technology. ConclusionsIntraoral appliances were found to be used commonly in dental practice, and often multiple members of the dental care team were engaged in the fabrication processes. Practical ImplicationsThere likely will be ongoing interest in relevant learning opportunities about technologic advances as well as the increasingly diverse list of applications for intraoral appliances.

Genetic conditions and the dental team

Genetic conditions and the dental team

The importance of developing a growth mindset for the dental team

The importance of developing a growth mindset for the dental team

Professor Tim Newton addresses stress management and mental health of the dental team

Professor Tim Newton addresses stress management and mental health of the dental team

Surgical management of head and neck cancers: implications for dental practitioners.

Surgery remains an important, often primary, treatment modality in the management of head and neck cancers (HNCs). Malignant disease of the oral cavity, oropharynx and larynx may all be treated by surgery alone, or in combination with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy.Recent decades have seen significant advances in the surgical management of HNC. Refinement of surgical technique (particularly in microvascular surgery), improved training standards, advances in peri-operative care and more recent innovations, including transoral robotic surgery, have resulted in better survival and quality of life outcomes.This paper provides the dental practitioner with an overview of common surgical procedures used in the management of HNC, with an emphasis on the management of squamous cell cancers affecting the oral cavity, oropharynx and larynx. Throughout, there is an emphasis on the implications for the dental team of cancer and its surgical management, at each of these anatomical sites.