Dental student readiness to treat special care patients upon graduation.

INTRODUCTION: There has been a global increase in patients with special needs. Undergraduate dental curricula need to adjust to meet the needs of these patients. This study aimed to identify how confident final year dental students felt about treating patients with special needs upon graduation and evaluate the influence that the curriculum had on their preparedness based on competencies outlined by the International Association for Disability and Oral Health (iADH). METHODS: A questionnaire was administered to final year dental students at two different Universities in Scotland and in Spain to: (1) evaluate how prepared students felt when treating patients with special needs and (2) assess the competencies outlined by iADH. RESULTS: The response rate was 18.4% (30/163 students). Overall, 83.3% of the students (n = 25) perceived they would benefit from more practical sessions with patients with learning and physical disabilities to improve their clinical management of these patients. 53.3% (n = 16) didn't feel that had the knowledge to properly treat all special care dentistry (SCD) patients upon graduation (scored 5 or 6 on the IADH competency framework). 83.3% of the students (n = 25) felt that the mode of teaching should be problem-based complemented with small group seminars. CONCLUSION: Students from both Universities agreed that more clinical practice might be required for them to further their skills to treat special needs patients upon graduation, which correlates with the need to have more practical sessions to consolidate competency 4 (communication skills with SCD) and competency 6 (clinical management of patients requiring SCD).

Can Alcohol Intake from Mouthwash be Measured in Epidemiological Studies? Development and Validation of Mouthwash Use Questionnaire with Particular Attention to Measuring Alcohol Intake from Mouthwash.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the mouthwash use questionnaire to determine the lifetime exposure to alcohol from mouthwash and verify that it was suitable for use in general population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data were available from three consecutive studies, all collecting information on mouthwash use. In addition, supermarkets and online stores were screened for the brands of mouthwash they sold. Alcohol content of mouthwash was identified from various sources, including laboratory measurements. Alcohol-containing mouthwash use was converted to glasses of wine equivalent. RESULTS: Mouthwash was used by 62% of the participants, and the main benefits reported were refreshment of bad breath (75%), elimination of bacteria (68%) and reduction of plaque formation (47%). Majority mouthwashes used by the participants contained alcohol (61%). Life-time exposure from alcohol in mouthwash was relatively small for most of the study participants: 79% had rinsed for less than one year with alcohol equivalent of one glass of wine per day. There was substantial agreement in mouthwash reporting between different occasions (Kappa > 0.62). CONCLUSIONS: The questionnaire can be used to investigate mouthwash use in the general population and to measure alcohol intake from mouthwash.

Mouthwash use in general population: results from adult dental health survey in grampian, Scotland.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the pattern of mouthwash use and to investigate the associated factors in general population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An Adult Dental Health Survey was conducted on 3,022 residents of Grampian region of Scotland (adjusted participation rate 58.2%). Participants received a questionnaire consisting of questions on oral health and behavioural factors. RESULTS: The majority of participants (38.1%) have never used mouthwash, 17.5% used mouthwash less than once a month, 19.4% used mouthwash once every few days and 25.1% used mouthwash daily. Prevalence of use decreased with age (P < 0.001). Woman were more likely to use mouthwash than men (P = 0.004). Mouthwash use decreased with decrease in the level of deprivation (P < 0.001). Never-smokers were less likely to use mouthwash (40.3%) compared to smokers (53.1%) or those who stopped smoking (46.5%) (P < 0.001). Mouthwash was used by smaller proportion of people drinking alcohol on daily basis (36.6%), than by abstainers (42.2%) (P = 0.012). There was a positive relationship between flossing or brushing pattern and mouthwash use (P < 0.001). There was statistically significant relationship between mouthwash use and reasons for the last dental visit (P = 0.009). When compared to healthy individuals, mouthwash was used by higher proportion of people reporting that they had gum disease (P = 0.001), ulcers (P = 0.001), oral infections or swelling (P = 0.002) or other problems (P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Mouthwash use in general population is associated with socio-demographic, health and behavioural factors.