Use of Social Media to View and Post Dentistry-related Information in Bahrain: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare-related information sharing via social media is on the rise following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Dental practices primarily use social media to search, share, and communicate health-related information. Considering the increasing trend of using social media, the primary aim of the present study was to identify the use of social media by dentists and laypeople to post and view dentistry-related content in Bahrain. METHODS: This questionnaire-based cross-sectional study included adult participants and dentists. A pretested validated questionnaire was administered. The chi-square test for association was used to assess the association between categorical outcomes. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In total, 249 adult participants and 53 dentists were included. A substantial majority (83.5%) of the participants reported that they always used social media to view dentistry-related content, and 69.8% of the dentists felt that patients who use social media have better oral health awareness. A longer duration of social media usage showed significant associations with particularly viewing dentistry-related content (p = 0.008) and contacting dentists directly through social media for consultation (p = 0.055). CONCLUSIONS: An extremely high percentage of the younger population in Bahrain is using various social media to discuss dentistry. This engagement should be wisely managed to promote dentistry-related information sharing, which can lead to increased awareness related to overall dental health. There is a definite need to enforce certain standard operating procedures in every country that will prevent the misuse of this technological advancement.

The variables associated with dental anxiety and their management in primary care dental clinics in Bahrain: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: 20-80% of adults presenting to a dental clinic experience anxiety. Negative past dental experiences and environmental factors such as the waiting area of a dental clinic or sound of a drill are commonly considered triggering factors for anxiety. Anxiety management strategies are considered a part of routine dental procedure, due to increased prevalence and compromised patient care. Hence the aim of the present study is to identify the prevalence and variables associated with dental anxiety and their management in patients visiting the primary care dental clinics in Bahrain. METHOD: Four hundred and eighty participants were included. A 3-part questionnaire deciphered the demographic characteristics of the participants, the dental procedure undertaken, the level of anxiety, and the management strategy used by the dentist. The pre and post-treatment MDAS scores were recorded. Paired t test, ANOVA and Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to test the level of significance between the variables and the mean MDAS scores. The p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The prevalence of dental anxiety was 23.7% with moderate anxiety, and 11.4% with high anxiety. Females presented with a higher mean MDAS both pre and post-treatment compared with males. A statistically significant difference between the pre and post-treatment MDAS scores were observed in educated patients less than 50 years of age. Those with unpleasant previous dental experience showed statistically significant difference. Analyses of anxiety management techniques showed that single techniques worked better than combination techniques. Rest and breaks combined with any other technique of choice showed significant reduction in the MDAS scores post treatment. CONCLUSION: To conclude, all patients attending the dental clinic present with some level of anxiety that necessitates the dentist to use anxiety management strategies. Non-pharmacological methods that are non-invasive must be the first choice. Rests and breaks, with any technique of choice provides the best possible anxiety management. It is possible to achieve the desired anxiety reduction in single visit to complete the planned dental intervention, other than in patients who are dental phobic.

Prevalence of periodontitis in obese patients in Bahrain: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Adult obesity has been associated with various systemic diseases and is an increasing problem in Bahrain. Recent evidence indicates a correlation between adult obesity and periodontitis. Hence the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of periodontitis in overweight/obese adults in Bahrain and to determine the factors associated with periodontitis in these obese adults. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted in overweight subjects attending Ministry of Health (MOH) Nutrition Clinics at primary health centers in Bahrain. After obtaining the institutional ethics approval, the demographic and anthropometric data, including Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) using World Health Organization (WHO) thresholds for severity of obesity, were recorded. Periodontal status was measured using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and the extent and severity of periodontal disease were categorized according to the number of sextants with CPI codes 3 and 4. RESULTS: A total of 372 participated with a mean age 44.0 (± 10.5) years for males, and 42.5 (± 11.2) years for females. Periodontitis was present in 361 (97%) of participants. Hypertension and diabetes were the most prevalent co-morbidities at 23.4% and 16% respectively. Mean WC was significantly greater in males at 114 cm (± 15.6) compared to females 109.5 cm (± 12.5) (p < 0.001). BMI was not associated with severity or extent of periodontitis but WC was weakly correlated in males but not in females (Spearman rho = + 0.2, p < 0.05). In the logistic regression model using overall WC to predict the severity of periodontitis, the adjusted OR was 1.02 (95% CI 1.00-1.04) and for age it was 1.05 (95% CI 1.00-1.07). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of periodontitis was high in this sample of overweight Bahrainis. BMI was not correlated with periodontitis but WC had a weak positive correlation. Implementation of periodontal health screening as a routine part of a nutrition clinic program is recommended.