Knowledge, Attitude, and Barriers to Fluoride Application as a Preventive Measure among Oral Health Care Providers.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the knowledge, attitude, and possible barriers to fluoride application among oral health-care providers in Kuwait. METHODS: A validated self-administered questionnaire was distributed to a random sample of 291 dentists. The questionnaire included four categories: dentists' characteristics, knowledge of and attitude towards fluoride application, factors influencing decision-making on prescription of fluoride, and the clinician's perception of own knowledge. Means, group differences, and logistic regression were calculated. RESULTS: 262 completed the questionnaire (response rate of 90%). Half of the participants (49%) reported that water fluoridation is the best method for caries prevention in children. Majority of the participants (80%) acknowledged that topical fluoride prevents dental caries, but only 40% frequently use it in their practices. Fear of overdose was a concern in 57% of the participants. About 31% believed that caries is a multifactorial disease and cannot be prevented. In addition, 32% of the dentists who thought caries is multifactorial and cannot be prevented stated that restorations take precedence over preventive therapy. CONCLUSION: Despite the participants being in favor of topical fluoride application and believing in its effectiveness, certain barriers were apparent such as knowledge deficiencies, products labelling flaw, and lack of participation in effective continuing educational activities.

Factors associated with self-reported halitosis in Kuwaiti patients.

OBJECTIVES: Oral malodor is a common complaint of dental patients, yet limited data is available on the actual prevalence of this condition. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with self-reported halitosis in Kuwaiti patients. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of Kuwaiti adults using a 19-point self-administered structured questionnaire on self-perception of halitosis. Significant associations between self-reported oral malodor and sociodemographic, medical history, and oral hygiene variables were examined with multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1551 subjects participated (response rate=86.2%). The prevalence of self-reported halitosis was 23.3%. Use of the toothbrush less than once daily was the factor most strongly associated with self-perceived halitosis (OR=2.68; 95% CI=1.83-3.92; p<0.001). Other factors significantly associated with self-perceived halitosis included current or past smoking (OR=2.51), female gender (OR=1.54), being 30 years of age or older (OR=1.35), having high school education or less (OR=1.41), history of chronic sinusitis (OR=1.58) or gastrointestinal disorders (OR=1.73), never using miswak (OR=1.56), and never using dental floss (OR=1.33). CONCLUSION: Inadequate oral hygiene practices were the factors most strongly associated with self-reported oral malodor in this sample of Kuwaiti patients. Other factors with significant associations included history of gastrointestinal tract disorders, chronic sinusitis, older age, female gender, and lower education levels.