Toothbrush Research Articles

Oral hygiene predicts lower life satisfaction and subjective health: experience of post-Soviet countries.

Oral diseases are among the most common non-communicable diseases around the globe and become a public health challenge that considerably impact general health and well-being in all ages across the lifespan. Oral health is an integral part of general health, where poor oral health and other lifestyle-related chronic diseases have a common risk factor background. The underlying causes of oral health inequalities are often complex and related to country-specific historical, economic, cultural, social, or political factors. For more than a decade, data from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey showed that tooth brushing rates are very low in post-Soviet countries. The general aim of our study was to focus on a more detailed profile of schoolchildren from post-Soviet countries, who have poor habits of teeth brushing, in terms of their family, social support, physical activity, nutrition, and other health-related behaviors. Data for this study was extrapolated from the Health Behavior in School-aged Children study, a World Health Organization collaborative cross-national study, conducted every 4years since 1983/1984. For this study, the post-Soviet countries from Eastern Europe and Central Asia were selected: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Data from all countries (some exceptions for Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan) were collected within 2017-2018 HBSC study, following international research protocol. The sample consisted of 44,760 schoolchildren, aged 11, 13, and 15years from 12 countries. Irregular tooth brushing is more common among boys, elder adolescents, and schoolchildren from less affluent families. Low own health measures, low life satisfaction, low physical activity, and low FAS relate to poorer adolescent dental hygiene in post-Soviet countries. Adolescents characterized by irregular tooth brushing were more likely to assess their health as fair or poor rather than excellent or good (OR = 1.22), and also had greater odds of reporting low life satisfaction (OR = 1.36). Individual mental health complaints-feeling low, being irritable, being nervous, and having sleep difficulties-were assessed as a possible outcome of irregular tooth brushing. However, irregular tooth brushing was not associated with poorer mental health outcomes (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Oral hygiene in post-Soviet countries is still a major public health challenge and have to be addressed properly. What is Known: • Oral health strongly affects the overall health of children and adolescents in the future. • Oral diseases often share common determinants and risk factors with other chronic diseases. • The underlying causes of oral health inequalities are often complex and related to country-specific historical, economic, cultural, social, or political factors. What is New: • Irregular tooth brushing was more common among adolescents with low life satisfaction and poor or fair health as well as in less affluent families. • Irregular tooth brushing was not found to be associated with poorer mental health among post-Soviet countries adolescents.

Associations between oral health impacts attributed to malocclusion and normative and self-perceived orthodontic treatment need in Turkish adolescent patients.

In the socio-dental approach, the integration of normative oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and behavioral propensity measures should be considered when assessing treatment needs and planning oral services. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between oral health impacts attributed to malocclusion and normative and self-perceived orthodontic treatment needs in adolescent patients and to determine the clinical, sociodemographic, and behavioral factors affecting their OHRQoL. This cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sample size of 105 adolescent patients aged 11-14 years who were referred to the Orthodontics Clinic in the Faculty of Dentistry, Istanbul. Data were collected using clinical examinations and a self-reported questionnaire, including the condition-specific Child Oral Impact on Daily Performances (CS-COIDP) attributed to malocclusion and sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral factors. The index of complexity, outcome, and need (ICON), gingival index, and Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth index was used to assess oral health status. Descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were used for the data analyses. A total of 70 patients (66.7%) reported at least one impact. Furthermore, 47% of the adolescents had very difficult and difficult complexity grades. The most affected performances were "emotional (52.4%) and smiling (40%)". No significant differences were found in the total CS-COIDP scores according to caries experience; however, the gingival status was associated with the total OHRQoL. Lower tooth brushing frequency, increased malocclusion complexity, and subjective treatment need were the most important predictors of worse OHRQoL, accounting for 39.3% of the variance in the scores. ( R2 = 0.422; p < 0.001) CONCLUSIONS: Oral health professionals should consider oral behaviors, malocclusion complexity, and subjective treatment need when planning orthodontic treatment plans. Integrating ICON, CS-COIDP, and behavioral assessment will help identify adolescents who should be prioritized for treatment.

Assessing Oral Hygiene Status of Children in an Urban Setting in Sub-Sahara Africa

Objectives: This study assessed oral hygiene status of children in Enugu metropolis and its association with age, sex, tooth brushing tools, frequency of tooth brushing, and past dental visits. Materials and methods: This was a secondary analysis of data. The primary study recruited children from primary schools in Enugu East Local Government Area in Enugu in 2020. Data on age, sex, level of education, tooth cleansing tools, frequency of brushing, dental visit, and oral hygiene status were collected. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 25. Multivariate logistic regression for potential determinants of oral hygiene status of children was conducted. A model was developed to determine the potential determinants of oral hygiene status among children in Enugu metropolis. The effect of all significant factors on dental visit was inferred at P&lt; 0.05. Results: Children aged 5 to 12 years with mean age of 8.21±1.90 years participated in the study. There were 307 (48.3%) males and 329 (51.7%) female study participants. Many, 371 (58.3%), of the participants were aged 5-8 years and 540 (84.9%) had fair oral hygiene status. Males significantly had lower odds of having good oral hygiene (AOR: 0.154; CI: 0.035-0.687; P=0.014) when compared to the females. Conclusion: Many children had fair oral hygiene and sex was a risk indicator of oral hygiene status among children in this population.

THE EFFECT OF THE ABA (APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS) METHOD ON THE KNOWLEDGE AND EFFICACY OF TOOTHBRUSHING IN AUTICAL CHILDREN

The dental and oral health of autistic children is generally not good. This is exacerbated by the inability to brush teeth properly, due to disruption of the child's concentration and interaction, making it difficult to receive instructions on how to brush teeth. Dental and oral health problems in autistic children are the same as dental health problems in normal children. The difference is the behavior that autistic children display where they are unable to follow instructions or are uncooperative. Objective: To determine the effect of dental health education using the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) method on the knowledge and efficacy of toothbrushing in autistic children. Method: The type of research design is quasi-experimental with a pretest and posttest non-equivalent control group design utilizing intervention and control groups with a purposive sampling technique totaling 15 intervention groups and 15 control groups. The instrument used for this research was a questionnaire to assess the knowledge and efficacy of brushing teeth in children with autism. Results: There was an influence and increase in knowledge and efficacy of toothbrushing in both groups with a value of (P&lt;0.05), however the increase was higher in the intervention group. Conclusion: There is an influence of dental health education using the ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) method on the knowledge and efficacy of toothbrushing in autistic children

DENTAL'S AREA LEARNING MODEL AS AN EFFORT TO IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE AND TEETH BRUSHING SKILLS PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Background: Preschool children have different characteristics from children of other ages, so that maximizing their cognitive, affective and psychomotor potential requires appropriate learning methods. Dental's Learning Area Model is a dental health education model that gives preschool children, especially the 3-4 year age group, the choice to choose the areas they want to learn about dental and oral health so that with this choice children are able to optimize learning according to their criteria and abilities. Objective: Develop a Dental's Area Learning Model as an effort to increase knowledge and skills in brushing teeth and reduce the Plaque Control Record (PCR) of preschool children. Method: Quasy Experiment Pretest And Posttest With Control Group Design, Research subjects were preschool children aged 3-4 years who were divided into 2 groups: 1. Dental's Area Learning Model intervention for 14 days through 4 stages of activities, namely training, simulation, brushing practice teeth and evaluation in children. 2. 14 day tooth brushing model as control. Dependent variable: knowledge and teeth brushing skills. Data were tested using Wilcoxon and Independent t-test. Results: Dental's Area Learning Model is effective in increasing students' knowledge of brushing teeth with a p-value of =0.000 and brushing skills with a p-value of 0.000 (&lt;0.05). Conclusion: Dental's Area Learning Model is effective in increasing knowledge and teeth brushing skills in preschool children

Development of Web-Based Learning Media on Behavior Management to Enhance Activities of Daily Living for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The aim of this project was to create an evidence-based learning media designed to address the behavior issues of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with activities of daily living. Composed of two phases, the first phase used eight school based occupational therapists identify the challenge with daily tasks and behavior management strategies for intervention. After the data was analyzed, the learning media was developed and reviewed by the therapists, content experts and 90 parents of autistic children. The web-based education consists of: 1) problems affecting the ADL performance of children with ASD: eating, tooth brushing, dressing, and sleeping divided between behavioral and sensory challenge and 2) behavior management strategies were identified to enhance the ADL performance of children with ASD and included sensory integration, environmental, and behavior modification. Parent perspectives revealed that the learning media were easily understandable and simple to use, with suitable font, size, and color of the text, as well as appropriate user interaction.

Problematic screen exposure and oral health in preschool children: a comparison study

ObjectivesRecent studies have highlighted the association between problematic screen exposure (PSE) in preschool children and various health issues. This study aims to determine the relationship between PSE and oral/dental health as well as parafunctional oral habits in this population.MethodsHealthy children aged 3 to 6 years who visited the pediatric dentistry outpatient clinic were included in the study. PSE was evaluated using the parent-reported ‘Seven-in-Seven-Screen-Exposure Questionnaire’. An intraoral examination was conducted to record the number of decated, missing, and filled teeth, along with scores from the International Caries Detection and Assessment System II (ICDAS II), as well as dental plaque and gingival indices.ResultsA total of 210 mother–child pairs were included in the study, comprising 70 pairs with PSE and 140 pairs without PSE. The sociodemographic characteristics, frequency of daily tooth brushing behaviors, use of children's toothpaste, and regular dental examinations were statistically evaluated between the PSE and non-PSE group (p > 0.05). Additionally, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of having abnormal oral habits (p > 0.05). In the PSE group, the median scores for gingival and plaque index were significantly higher (p = 0.011 and p = 0.006, respectively). The median number of decayed teeth was significantly higher in the PSE group (p = 0.039).ConclusionsTurkish preschool children with PSE were found to have a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing poor oral health. Consequently, it is essential to conduct oral health examinations for Turkish preschool children exhibiting PSE. The study may have clinical implications for the evaluation of preschool children with problematic media use within dental practice.

Oral Care in ICU Mechanical Ventilation Patients and Associated Pneumonia: A Literature Review

Background: Poor oral health can lead to hospital-acquired pneumonia, a serious condition that can prolong patient care and increase the risk of mortality. The bacteria found in the oral cavity of patients with periodontal disease can be particularly harmful if inhaled into the lungs. Patients who are on mechanical ventilation are at an increased risk of developing aspiration pneumonia. Objective: to investigate the effect of oral care on ventilation associated pneumonia (VAP) and various types of such care. Methods: This review article is performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The literature exploration was done in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for articles published between 2011 and 2023. The search words were "Mechanical ventilation, intubation, pneumonia, dental care, oral care and ICU ". Results: A total of 21 studies were included, the studies were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or quasi-RCTs and observational studies. Twice-daily oral care with tooth brushing using purified water can significantly reduce the incidence of VAP. Oral care with chlorhexidine and brushing, as well as enhanced oral care, can also be effective in reducing the incidence of VAP. Improved education and implementation of oral care protocols with 0.12% chlorhexidine solution can significantly reduce the incidence of VAP. Conclusions: The review concludes that good oral hygiene, especially twice-daily oral care with tooth brushing using purified water, can significantly reduce the incidence of VAP in mechanically ventilated patients.

Impact of COVID-19 health precautions on asymptomatic Streptococcus pyogenes carriage in palestinian children: a pre- and post-pandemic study

BackgroundStreptococcus pyogenes (Group A Streptococcus, GAS) is a significant pathogen that causes diverse infections, ranging from pharyngitis to severe invasive diseases. Asymptomatic carriage in children is pivotal for transmission. The COVID-19 pandemic’s health measures, including mask wearing and enhanced hand hygiene, likely influenced GAS transmission dynamics. This study evaluated the impact of these precautions on the prevalence of asymptomatic pharyngeal GAS carriage among schoolchildren in the southern West Bank, Palestine.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in two phases: pre-COVID-19 (November 2019–January 2020) and post-COVID-19 (November 2023–April 2024). Throat swabs were collected from 701 children (345 pre-COVID-19, 356 post-COVID-19) via cluster sampling. The samples were tested with the ABON Strep A rapid test and confirmed by culture. Sociodemographic, health, and household data were also collected. The statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression.ResultsThe prevalence of asymptomatic pharyngeal GAS carriage declined from 15.7% pre-COVID-19 to 10.4% post-COVID-19 (p = 0.038). Significant reductions were observed among urban residents (23.5–10.1%, p = 0.003) and those from medium socioeconomic backgrounds (16.0–9.1%, p = 0.008). Compared with urban residents, rural residents had lower GAS carriage rates (adjusted OR = 0.505, p = 0.023). Carriage rates also decreased among children with frequent sore throats (17.6–7.3%, p = 0.007) and those using private wells (52.5–14.9%, p < 0.001). Higher BMI was a significant risk factor (adjusted OR = 17.68, p < 0.001), whereas frequent tooth brushing (adjusted OR = 0.055, p < 0.001) and hand washing (adjusted OR = 0.367, p < 0.001) were protective factors.ConclusionsCOVID-19-related health precautions were correlated with a significant reduction in asymptomatic GAS carriage among Palestinian children. These findings suggest that public health measures, such as mask wearing and hand hygiene, can influence the transmission of respiratory pathogens. Ongoing surveillance and targeted interventions are essential for managing GAS infections, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Prevalence, Incidence, and Risk Factors of Hypothyroidism in Adult Residents of Yazd Greater Area, 2015-2021: Results of Yazd Health Study.

Any abnormal change in thyroid hormone levels leads to thyroid disorders, including hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, goiter, and so on. Recent studies have reported an increasing prevalence and incidence of thyroid disorders worldwide. This study aims to determine the hypothyroid prevalence, incidence, and risk factors related to this disorder. Data from a comprehensive prospective cohort study, collected from a population of 10,000 Yazd (Iran) individuals over a period of 6 years (2015-2021) was analyzed. Physicians diagnosed hypothyroidism and reported it. Data processing and preparation were performed using SQL18 and Excel, while STATA17 and SPSS22 software were employed for data analysis. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and Chi-square tests were conducted at a significance level of 0.05. The prevalence of hypothyroidism was found to be 93/1000, and the incidence was 15/1000 of the population, respectively. Women had five folds more chance of hypothyroidism (adjusted OR=5.31, 95% CI=3.06-9.19 vs. unadjusted OR=6.28, 95% CI=3.90-10.12), and they usually developed it between the ages of 30 and 39. Eating less (iodized) salt also increased the risk of hypothyroidism (unadjusted OR=1.47, 95% CI=1.02-2.11). Iron supplementation (unadjusted OR=2.09, 95% CI=1.26-3.48) was identified as one of the significant risk factors. Based on our findings in the unadjusted model, tooth brushing once or twice a day increases the chance of hypothyroidism (OR=1.89, P=0.008, and OR=2.12, P=0.016, respectively). Tobacco smoking (unadjusted OR=0.29, 95% CI=0.107-0.786) was also among the factors that need further investigation. The increasing trend of hypothyroidism is concerning in our population. The high prevalence, particularly among women of childbearing age, is notable.

Microhardness, Surface Roughness, and Wear Resistance Enhancement of Reinforced Conventional Glass Ionomer Cement Using Fluorinated Graphene Oxide Nanosheets.

Conventional glass ionomer cements (GICs) have been considered the most prevalent restorative material however; the reduced mechanical qualities and decreased wear resistance have been the main challenges facing their wide clinical application. This study was designed to assess the mechanical properties of fluorinated graphene (FG) oxide-modified conventional GIC. Composites of FG/GIC samples were prepared using (Medifil from PROMEDICA, Germany, shade A3) at different concentrations (0wt%) control group and (1wt%, 2wt% and 3wt% FG) groups using cylindrical molds (3mm × 6mm). FG was prepared using hydrothermal technique and characterized using XPERT-PRO Powder Diffractometer system for X-ray diffraction analysis and JEOL JEM-2100 high resolution transmission electron microscope. Vickers' hardness and wear resistance of GI samples were measured. Mechanical abrasion was performed via three-body tooth brushing wear test using ROBOTA chewing simulator coupled with a thermocycling protocol (Model ACH-09075DC-T, AD-Tech Technology Co., Ltd., Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany). Comparisons between groups with respect to normally distributed numeric variables were performed using one-way analysis of variance test followed by posthoc test. While paired t-test was utilized for comparing data within the same group. The surface roughness values of GICs (1wt% FG) and (2wt% FG) composites were significantly lower than those of the control and 3wt%FG groups. Vickers' hardness numbers were significantly higher in FG/GICs composites than in the control group (p≤0.05). GIC/FG combinations have sufficient strength to resist the occlusion stresses with improved hardness as compared with conventional GIC. GIC/FG appeared to be a promising restorative material.

Sono-Catalytic Tooth Whitening and Oral Health Enhancement with Oxygen Vacancies-Enriched Mesoporous TiO2 Nanospheres: A Nondestructive Approach for Daily Tooth Care.

Tooth discoloration and the breeding of oral microorganisms pose threats to both one's aesthetic appearance and oral health. Clinical whitening agents based on H2O2 with high concentrations are effective in tooth whitening and bacterial elimination but may also cause enamel demineralization, gingival irritation, or cytotoxicity, necessitating professional supervision. Herein, leveraging sono-catalysis effects, a nondestructive and convenient tooth whitening strategy was developed, utilizing oxygen vacancies (OVs)-enriched mesoporous TiO2 nanospheres. The introduction of OVs leads to TiO2 bandgap narrowing, boosting the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by TiO2 under ultrasound treatment. Additionally, through the chemocatalysis effect, the ROS yield can be further augmented by employing OVs-enriched TiO2 in conjunction with an extremely low concentration of H2O2 (1%) during ultrasound treatment. Hence, under ultrasound treatment simulating daily tooth brushing using an electronic toothbrush, the combination of OVs-enriched TiO2 and 1% H2O2 proves to be effective in whitening teeth stained by tea, coffee, and mix juice. Furthermore, the combination of OVs-enriched TiO2 and 1% H2O2 demonstrates potent bacterial-killing and biofilm-eradicating effects under ultrasound treatment within an extremely short duration (5 min). Additionally, given the mesoporous structure, curcumin, serving as an anti-inflammatory agent, can be efficiently loaded into OVs-enriched TiO2 and then controllably released through ultrasound treatment. The curcumin-loaded TiO2 facilitates the transition of macrophages to the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype, potentially alleviating oral inflammation induced by bacterial infection without showing any biotoxicity. The OVs-enriched TiO2 based sono-catalysis tooth whitening procedure provides the convenience of whitening teeth during daily brushing without requiring professional supervision.

SmilesUp text message intervention for early childhood dental caries prevention: A protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Despite improvements in health outcomes for children, early childhood dental caries (ECC) remains a chronic lifestyle-mediated disease that affects an estimated 600 million children worldwide. Parental influence on oral health-promoting behaviours is pivotal in preventing ECC. The latest WHO publications Ending Early Childhood Dental Caries and Mobile Technologies for Oral Health highlights the opportunity for mobile Health programs (including text message programs) to improve oral health behaviours and oral health self-efficacy. In response, our team of parents, oral health professionals (academics and health promotion experts), and IT specialists co-designed a 12-week, behavioural theory-informed text message program (called SmilesUp) to address behavioural risk factors specific to ECC. This randomised trial aims to assess whether the SmilesUp program improves parents' oral health promoting behaviours (like tooth brushing twice a day with toothpaste) and oral health self-efficacy for their children compared to usual care. A randomised controlled trial with a 1:1 parallel design will be conducted among 150 parents with children diagnosed with ECC and accessing public dental care in NSW, Australia. Patients will be stratified by hospital site, and modality of care (Dental General Anaesthetic (DGA) or not) and then randomly assigned to either immediately receive the SMILESup text messaging intervention or receive the program at the end of the study period. The primary outcome at 12 weeks is twice daily brushing with fluoride toothpaste. Secondary outcomes include changes in the intake frequency of sugared drinks and foods, oral health promoting bedtime routines and oral health self-efficacy. The primary analysis will follow an intention-to-treat principle. In addition, a process evaluation will examine barriers, enablers, and opportunities to scale the program. Ethics approval has been obtained from the Western Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee 2022/ETH01920. Study results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and presentations at conferences. Trial registration number: This clinical trial has been prospectively registered on the ANZCTR from the 27th of March 2023. Registration number: ACTRN12623000325606.

Oral Health Behaviour, Care Utilisation, and Barriers among Students with Disabilities: A Parental Perspective

Background: Oral health is a critical component of overall well-being. However, students with disabilities (SWDs) face unique challenges in maintaining oral hygiene and accessing dental care. This study aims to explore oral health behaviours, dental care utilisation, and barriers to accessing dental care among SWDs in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, from the perspectives of their parents. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among parents of SWDs in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire covering oral health behaviours, dental care utilisation, and barriers to care. The sample size was determined based on the SWDs population in the region. Data were analysed using descriptive and analytical statistics, with significant associations identified at p &lt; 0.05. Results: Findings revealed that 45.7% of SWDs brushed irregularly, with only 16.8% brushing twice a day or more. Dental flossing was reported by just 4.3% of SWDs. Emergency-based dental visits were common (51.9%), and 29.5% of SWDs had never visited a dentist. Significant associations were found between maternal education and tooth brushing frequency (p = 0.004) and between parental education and the frequency of dental visits (p = 0.035). The most reported barriers included fear of treatment (47.1%), difficulty finding willing dentists (45.5%), and long wait times for appointments (44.7%). Conclusions: The study emphasises the pressing need for targeted interventions to improve oral hygiene practices and enhance accessibility to dental services for SWDs.

To what extent, which factor has the most significant role contributing to the risk of hypertension?

The existing lifestyle that people have in contemporary society is certainly insufficient to maintain a physical health which can be related to cardiovascular and other diseases, especially like hypertension. While for the inherited or natural genes, they can be mutated or born with the diseased gene fragment that could lead to the potential risks of hypertension, such as congenital hypertension. One of the most significant current discussions in the field of research is which factors are more associated with hypertension. There are two mainstream opinions on this: lifestyle factors and genetic factors. However, there is still some uncertainty about it, such as a lack of data, exceptional examples and especially which kinds of factors really have a dominant role which means they can have a joint role in hypertension. In this essay, the author discusses some specific lifestyle and genetic factors including sleep, diets, exercise, weight, and tooth brushing (minority), and aims at finding detailed information on what play a dominant role leading to the risk of hypertension. Besides, it also illustrates that hypertension is associated with many aspects of factors, not only have combined but also separate roles and some other factors like area, age and gender can also play a role in it.

Oral Health Status and Barriers among Children with Cerebral Palsy in Maintaining Oral Hygiene: An Interventional Study

Abstract Context: Cerebral palsy is a neuromuscular disorder that hampers proper maintenance of oral hygiene leading to the development of periodontal diseases and progression of dental caries. Aim: The present study aimed to analyze the oral health status and barriers to maintaining oral hygiene among children with cerebral palsy using intervention (brushing technique). Materials and Methods: A total of 100 children diagnosed with cerebral palsy were selected from an academic institution for special needs children. The groups studied were: a) Group A with children aged between 6 and 10 years, b) Group B had children aged from 11 to 15 years, and c) Group C with children aged range from 16 to 18 years of age. Parental education level status was classified into a) Upper class (Code 1): Parents with a college education, b) Middle class (Code 2): Parents with education till secondary school level, and c) Lower class (Code 3): Parents with primary school level or no education. Oral examinations were performed using a mouth mirror, explorer, and torch light illumination to assess DMFT index (permanent dentition), DMFT index (primary dentition), and OHI-S for gingival and periodontal health. Fone’s technique for tooth brushing was demonstrated to children’s caregivers and/or parents. After this, an oral examination was conducted at the baseline and at three months. One-way ANOVA was used for statistical analysis using SPSS software. Result: Statistically significant improvement in dental caries index and oral hygiene status was seen following demonstration of proper brushing technique. Conclusion: The training of caregivers/parents helps in improving the oral hygiene status in cerebral palsy-affected children.

Elastomeric Toothbrushing Aid to Improve the Toothbrushing Skills of Children with Disabilities

Background: In 12 years old children with disabilities, 30.2% had caries and in 15 years old children it increased by 2.3%.Limited handgrip motor skills in children with disabilities is 0.09% 1.5-3% have such limitations which the incidence is related to socioeconomic status. Therefore, 80-90% of children require assistive devices to facilitate their handgrip motor activities. Objective: To produce a feasible and effective elastomeric tooth brushing aid to improve tooth brushing skills and reduce debris index in children with disabilities. Methods: The study used quasi experimental (pre-post with control group design). The sampling technique was purposive sampling, consisting of 11 children in the intervention group with the application of elastomeric tooth brushing aids and 11 children in the control group with the application of conventional adult toothbrushes, with the length of treatment given 10 days. By making elastomeric tooth brushing aids manually combining elastomeric materials on conventional toothbrush handles. Results: The results of expert validation of elastomeric tooth brushing aids showed a p-value of 0.104 which means that this model is feasible as an effort to improve tooth brushing skills in children with disabilities. This model is effective in improving the teeth brushing skills of children with disabilities (p = 0.041) and reducing the debris index score of children with disabilities (p = 0.000) and reducing the debris index score of children with disabilities (p = 0.000). Conclusion: Elastomeric tooth brushing aids are feasible and effective in improving tooth brushing skills and reducing the debris index of children with disabilities.

Investigation of Oral Candida Colonization in COVID-19 Patients With Dysgeusia

Background The mechanism of dysgeusia in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is also still debated. Although excess of Candida in the oral cavity can cause changes in the sense of taste, it is not known whether there is a relationship between Candida colonization on the surface of the tongue and dysgeusia occurred in COVID-19. We aimed to evaluate the frequency and species distribution of Candida colonization on dorsum the tongue in patients with dysgeusia after COVID-19, in addition various factors that may be associated with dysgeusia and colonization. Methods This case-control study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital for 3 months. Participants were divided into the following 3 groups: patients with dysgeusia who have had COVID-19 confirmed with PCR; patients with no dysgeusia who have had COVID-19 in the last 3 months; and healthy volunteers. Scraping samples from the surface of dorsum the tongue were obtained from all participants and used for direct microscopic examination and fungal culture. Results A total of 201 participants were analyzed. Any association between dysgeusia and the frequency of Candida colonization or species distribution did not observe. However, the vaccination with mRNA vaccine and tooth brushing habits reduced the frequency of dysgeusia. The frequency of Candida colonization on dorsum the tongue was significantly higher in the participants who smoke or have dentures (P &lt; 0.05), independently COVID-19. Conclusions The results of this study may be useful to explain of the factors affecting dysgeusia or Candida colonization.

Tooth brushing time table media as an effort to increase the independence of brushing teeth in preschool children

Background: Based on the Basic Health Research in 2018, in Banten province, the population who have dental problems in the form of damaged teeth, cavities or pain in the 3 - 4 year old group with a percentage of 36.4% and the 3 - 4 year old group who do tooth brushing care with the correct time is only 1.1%. Therefore, it is necessary to provide dental health education to children using methods and learning media that are tailored to child development. One of the methods used is by monitoring toothbrushing using toothbrush time table media. Objective: analyzing toothbrush time table media as an effort to increase the independence of brushing teeth in preschool children Methods: This study used a quasi experiment with pretest and post test design, conducted on 77 students as respondents obtained using the total sampling technique. The type of data used is primary data, which is data obtained directly by measuring the level of children's tooth brushing independence. The instrument used was a tooth brushing independence checklist sheet. Results: The results of the study before and after using the toothbrush time table media on 77 respondents, with the category needing guidance as many as 64 students (83.1%), became excellent toothbrushing independence as many as 60 students (77.9%), and the mean of toothbrushing independence with the results of 47.9, namely the category needing guidance changed to 87.9 with an excellent category, with independence p-value of 0.001 (p &lt;0.05). Conclusion: The tooth brushing time table media can increase the independence of tooth brushing in preschool children

Serum vitamin D level and female teenage caries experience: a cross-sectional study in Iran

Aims: This study aimed to assess Serum Vitamin D level and female teenage caries experience. Methods: This study evaluated 330 healthy female Iranian students between 13 to 19 years residing in Rey city. A questionnaire collected their demographic information. They underwent clinical dental examination to determine the number of decayed (D), missing (M) and filled (F) teeth (DMFT index). The nutritional status was evaluated using the food frequency questionnaire(FFQ) by assessing the consumption of cariostatic, cariogenic, remineralizing, sticky foods and carbohydrates. The serum samples were collected to measure the serum vitamin D level using high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Data were analyzed by multiple logistic regression and independent samples t-test. Results: The mean DMFT was 5.34±3.94. Of all, 69.3% had severe vitamin D deficiency, 20.3% had moderate vitamin D deficiency and 10.4% had normal level of vitamin D. Cariostatic agents consumption had a significant inverse correlation with DMFT (P=0.006). An increase in serum level of vitamin D by more than 10.27 ng/mL was associated with a reduction in prevalence of dental caries by 22%. Increased consumption of cariostatic agents by more than 89.30 g/day decreased the prevalence of dental caries by 32%. No significant association was noted between the prevalence of dental caries and level of parent’s education, consanguinity of parents, level of income, place of residence, frequency of tooth brushing, dental flossing, and dental visits (P&gt;0.05). Conclusions: While the serum vitamin D level had no significant effect on DMFT, the nutritional regimen seemed to play a more important role in caries control.