Epidemiology and incidence of oral squamous cell carcinoma in the Iraqi population over 5 years (2014-2018).

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common and life-threatening neoplasms worldwide, and is responsible for approximately 90% of all oral malignancies. Aim: This study was aimed at providing updated information on oral squamous cell carcinoma in all Iraqi governorates for the 5-year period from 2014 to 2018, including the annual incidence and demographic variables. Materials and Methods: The total number of oral squamous cell carcinoma cases in Iraq, along with associated demographic information (age, sex, and site), for the 5-year period from 2014 to 2018 was obtained. The statistical analysis consisted of descriptive analysis, including frequency, percentage, and mean ± standard deviation. A χ 2 test was performed to compare frequencies between male and female patients, among age groups, and among different OSCC sites. The χ 2 test was also used to assess the association of each OSCC site with age and sex. The significance threshold was set at p < 0.05, and the confidence interval was set at 95%. The incidence rate of oral squamous cell carcinoma for each year was calculated by dividing the number of OSCC cases per year by the population of Iraq, then multiplying the result by 100,000. Results: A total of 722 cases were recorded. Statistically, oral squamous cell carcinoma was found to be more prevalent in males and individuals over 40 years of age. The tongue was the most common site of occurrence. Lip squamous cell carcinoma cases were high in males. The incidence rate of oral squamous cell carcinoma was estimated to be 0.4 per 100,000 people. Conclusion: Males and older people are at relatively higher risk of developing oral cancer. The tongue is the most affected site, but any site in the oral cavity may be involved. Further exploration of the causes of oral malignancy in Iraq is necessary to improve prevention strategies.

A clinical and demographic analysis of oral pemphigus vulgaris: A retrospective cross-sectional study from 2001 to 2021.

Background and Aims: Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune vesiculobullous mucocutaneous disorder with life-threatening consequences. Early detection and adequate care are crucial for a good prognosis. This study aimed to determine the demographic data, clinical features, and the prognosis of patients with oral pemphigus vulgaris. Materials and Methods: From 2001 to 2021, all diagnosed oral pemphigus vulgaris cases were extracted. Each patient's demographic and clinical data were gathered. Patients were called via phone to assess the prognosis, treatment type, and specialty of the physician who provided the diagnosis and therapy. Results: The majority of the patients had only oral lesions with higher prevalence in female who also expressed severe pain than male. Only 14 of 29 patients responded phone calls. Except for one, all patients were in active disease. More than half of those respondents said pemphigus negatively affects social behavior and food intake. Correct diagnosis and treatment were decided by dermatology, oral medicine, and maxillofacial surgery specialists. Conclusion: Oral pemphigus vulgaris was prevalent in females. Severe pain was common in females and older people. Even with effective therapy, the prognosis was poor. Medical and dental professionals had little knowledge of pemphigus vulgaris. Patients frequently report poor quality of life.

EVALUATION OF THE PATIENTS' SATISFACTION WITH PRIVATE DENTAL CLINICS SERVICES: A QUESTIONNAIRE-BASED STUDY.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: To evaluate patient satisfaction with dental care services at Iraqi private dental units. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: Online questionnaires were sent to 1600 Iraqi people. The questionnaires were composed of four sections: the first section was involved with gathering the demographic information of the participants, and the remaining three sections consisted of twenty-one questions to evaluate the responders' satisfaction with regard to the dentist, treatment, and the dental clinic. RESULTS: Results: The final total of responses was 427 after using the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The distribution of the participants according to the obtained demographic data was as follows: (male 45.4% and female 54.6%), (above 40y 41.7% and less or equal to 40y 58.3%), (employed 52.9% and not employed 47.1%), (postgraduate 29.3%, college graduate 55.7%, and undergraduate 15%), and (enough and exceeding income 4.9%, enough income 51.8%, and less than enough income 43.3%). Only the educational level and the income level appeared to have an effect on the degree of patient satisfaction. Most of the participants complained about the high treatment fees and the long wait in the clinic before receiving treatment. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The current study is the first conducted in Iraq to assess dental patient satisfaction. The satisfaction levels differed among the participants, which indicates the need to benefit from the evaluation of patients to improve the quality of treatment service in dental clinics. Future research should be conducted to precisely identify the factors that lead to increased satisfaction of dental patients with their treatment experiences.

A Survey of Systemic Antibiotic Prescription Patterns Amongst Iraqi Dentists.

OBJECTIVES: The misuse of antibiotic prescriptions is a common behavior amongst dentists worldwide. Over-prescription of these agents is associated with multiple adverse effects and risk of developing bacterial resistance. The aim of this study was to assess systemic antibiotic prescription patterns amongst dentists in Iraq. METHODS: A questionnaire-based survey was conducted in dental centres distributed in 12 Iraqi governates. The questionnaire was composed of two main sections: The first was dedicated to collecting demographic and work-related information, and the second section included questions seeking details about antibiotic prescriptions for different oral and dental conditions. RESULTS: A total of 481 valid questionnaires were considered in the final analysis. The numbers of correct and incorrect patterns of prescribing antibiotics for different dental/oral conditions were almost equal (49.6% and 50.4%, respectively). Amongst independent variables investigated, qualification of the dentist and work domain were found to have significant associations with correct prescribing patterns (odds ratio, 1.166 and 1.197, respectively). The majority of dentists preferred amoxicillin as the first-choice antibiotic, followed by "Augmentin" (43.7% and 35.5%, respectively), whilst clarithromycin was the lowest on the list. Azithromycin was the most recommended antibiotic (55.9%) in cases of allergy to penicillin. CONCLUSIONS: In general, antibiotics are prescribed for recommended conditions, but the prescription for nonrecommended conditions was also evident amongst Iraqi dentists. Correct pattern of antibiotic prescribing was significantly associated with specialists and those working in the academic field. Additionally, amoxicillin and its derivatives are the most preferred drugs.

Dentists' Practices and Attitudes Toward Using Personal Protection Equipment and Associated Drawbacks and Cost Implications During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, dentists have had to work under stressful conditions due to the nature of their work. Personal protection equipment (PPE) has become mandatory for work in the dentistry field. This study aimed to examine dentists' practices and attitudes regarding the use of PPE and the associated drawbacks and cost implications during the pandemic. Methods: A questionnaire-based survey was used and was divided into five sections dedicated to collect demographic variables and to examine the dentists' practices, attitudes toward PPE, drawbacks, and cost of using PPE. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare different sections of the questionnaire and linear regression was used to determine the predictors of the dentists' practices and attitudes toward PPE. Results: The mean of practices regarding use of PPE was 5.41 ± 1.71 (median 6), attitude toward using PPE scored 2.26 ± 0.90 (median 2), while the means of drawbacks and cost recorded equal scores of 5.22 ± 1.24 (median 5) and 1.68 ± 0.74 (median 2), respectively. The recently graduated dentists, those with postgraduate degrees and those working in the private sector demonstrated higher levels of practices on PPE than their counterparts. Regression analysis revealed that practices of PPE can be predicted on the basis of qualifications and work place, whereas attitude toward PPE is significantly influenced by qualification only. Conclusions: The study participants demonstrated satisfactory levels of practices and positive attitudes toward PPE. While complaints from using PPE and their cost were moderately affected.

Oral health awareness, attitude towards dental treatment, fear of infection and economic impact during COVID-19 pandemic in the Middle East.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of COVID-19 on oral hygiene (OH) awareness, attitude towards dental treatment, fear of infection and economic impact in the Middle East. METHODS: This survey was performed by online distribution of questionnaires in three countries in the Middle East (Jordan, Iraq and Egypt). The questionnaire consisted of five sections: the first section was aimed at collecting demographic data and the rest sections used to assess OH awareness, attitude towards dental treatment, degree of fear and economic impact of COVID-19. The answers were either multiple choice, closed-end (Yes or No) or 5-point Likert scale for the last four sections. RESULTS: A total of 3782 respondents completed the questionnaire. Overall, OH awareness was low (mean ±SD; 1.84 ± 1.03), while attitude towards dental treatment (5.04 ± 1.68) and economic impact (11.29 ± 4.37) were moderately affected. In addition, fear of infection showed moderately high level (14.04 ± 4.11). All subgroups of the demographic variables showed significant differences among them in relation to OH awareness and attitude towards dental treatment. The regression model suggested country, gender, age, education level, income level and fear as predictors for OH awareness (R2 0.036) and attitude towards dental care (R2 0.141). CONCLUSIONS: The pandemic negatively impacted the level of OH awareness. However, the attitude towards dental treatment was moderately affected. Increasing public fear and compromised economy influenced OH awareness and the attitude towards dental treatment.

Evaluation of technology-based learning by dental students during the pandemic outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019.

INTRODUCTION: Although technology-based learning (TB learning) has been accepted as an efficient educational tool in the field of dentistry, the evaluation of TB learning in non-prepared situations such as pandemics has not been fully investigated. This study aimed to evaluate different aspects of TB learning amongst undergraduate dental students during the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Dental students in selected Iraqi universities (University of Baghdad, University of Sulaimani and Dijlah University College) were invited to join the study. A questionnaire was created using a Google platform and answered by students. Satisfaction and attitude towards TB learning plus total evaluation scores for lecturers were examined. RESULTS: A total of 832 out of 1800 dental students participated in the study. The majority of participants have basic (40.7%) and intermediate (47.5%) computer skills, and more than half of them lack any experience in TB learning. The overall satisfaction and positive attitude towards TB learning were less than 50%. Students at final grade, with advanced computer skills and TB learning experience, showed higher satisfaction (OR: 3.031, 2.876, 3.644, respectively) and a more positive attitude (OR: 3.172, 3.035, 3.477, respectively) towards TB learning than those at earlier grades. Total evaluation scores for lecturers were higher amongst females (11.5 ± 5.8) than males (9.9 ± 7.2) as well as amongst participants at final grade (14.0 ± 6.2), with advanced computer skills (13.8 ± 6.1) and TB learning experience (16.2 ± 6.0). CONCLUSIONS: Dental students demonstrated low-moderate satisfaction and positive attitude towards TB learning and the quality of material presented to them. Integrating TB learning into the dental education curriculum is an essential step in enhancing the acceptance of TB learning in the future.

The oral health and periodontal diseases awareness and knowledge in the Iraqi population: Online-based survey.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate oral health (OH) and periodontal diseases (PD) awareness in the Iraqi population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This study was a questionnaire-based online survey of two weeks duration. The questionnaire was built using a Google platform and was distributed randomly via social media (Facebook and Telegram). The questionnaire consisted of a demographic data section and two other main sections for the evaluation of OH and PD awareness. Each response was marked with "1" for a positive answer and "0" for the other answers. For each respondent, answers were summed to give an overall score. The frequency of positive responses was used to determine the association of awareness with demographic data and the level of awareness into low, moderate, and high levels. RESULTS: A total of 1,465 were included in the final analysis after application of exclusion criteria. The respondents showed significantly higher levels of awareness about PD (mean ± SD = 3.66 ± 1.42) than OH awareness (mean ± SD = 2.19 ± 1.29). Analysis of data showed that OH awareness was mainly associated with high degree holders (OR 1.851) and age > 45 years (OR 1.730). However, PD awareness did not show any evident association with demographic variables investigated. In general, the respondents exhibited low levels of OH knowledge and low to moderate level of PD knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Despite limitations, this study revealed inappropriate levels of OH and PD awareness and knowledge in the Iraqi population and provided the baseline data necessary for the development of Governmental educational programs and health awareness campaigns which are highly suggested particularly focusing on the primary and high schools, in an attempt to improve the levels of awareness.