A review of the effects of oral health media hype on clients' perception of treatment.

Objectives: Research shows that approximately 75% of people worldwide access the internet for health information. Lower calibre websites often use inaccurate claims to attract internet browsers. The objective of this review is to alert oral health care professionals (OHCPs) to the impact of oral health media hype on client perceptions of oral care. It also aims to provide OHCPs with tools to educate clients on how to identify credible oral health information online so that they can make informed oral health treatment decisions. Methods: A literature search was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar. The returns were screened using inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 12 (92%) identified that clients browse the internet to research oral health conditions and treatments. Eleven studies (85%) concluded that media outlets influence client perceptions of oral health care and treatment. All 13 studies (100%) found that OHCPs and organizations should better guide clients with tools to discern between evidence-based (EB) and non-evidence-based (NEB) online health information. Discussion: According to the literature, viewing NEB oral health information on the internet affects clients' perceptions of oral health care, which may lead to potentially harmful treatment decisions. Chairside education is effective in reducing the impact of oral health misinformation. Conclusion: OHCPs have the responsibility to address the impact of media hype on clients' perception of oral health care and to direct them to credible health information.

Objectifs: Les recherches montrent qu'environ 75 % des personnes dans le monde entier accèdent à l'Internet pour obtenir de l'information sur la santé. Les sites Web de moindre qualité utilisent souvent des déclarations inexactes pour attirer les internautes. L'objectif du présent examen est d'avertir les professionnels de la santé buccodentaire (PSB) sur l'effet du battage médiatique sur la perception des clients en matière de soins buccodentaires. L'examen vise aussi à fournir les outils nécessaires aux PSB pour enseigner aux clients comment trouver les informations crédibles sur la santé buccodentaire en ligne pour qu'ils puissent prendre des décisions éclairées en matière de traitements de santé buccodentaire. Méthodologie: Une recherche documentaire a été menée dans PubMed et Google Scholar. Les résultats ont été examinés à l'aide de critères d'inclusion et d'exclusion. Résultats: Treize études ont répondu aux critères d'inclusion, dont 12 (92 %) ont déterminé que les clients naviguent sur Internet pour effectuer des recherches sur des affections et des traitements de santé buccodentaire. Onze études (85 %) ont conclu que les réseaux médiatiques influencent les perceptions des clients en matière de soins et de traitements buccodentaires. Les 13 études (100 %) ont constaté que les PSB et les organisations doivent mieux guider les clients en leur offrant des outils pour faire la distinction entre l'information de santé en ligne fondée sur des données probantes (FDP) et celles non fondées sur des données probantes (NFDP). Discussion: Selon la documentation, consulter l'information sur la santé buccodentaire NFDP sur Internet affecte la perception des clients en matière de soins de santé buccodentaire, ce qui peut mener à des décisions de traitement potentiellement dangereuses. L'enseignement à la chaise est efficace pour réduire l'effet de la désinformation en matière de santé buccodentaire. Conclusion: Les PSB ont la responsabilité de traiter l'effet du battage médiatique sur la perception des clients en matière de soins de santé buccodentaire et de les diriger vers de l'information crédible sur la santé.

Resin Infiltration Therapy: A micro-invasive treatment approach for white spot lesions.

Purpose: The demand for esthetic dentistry has led to the development of new treatments for white spot lesions (WSLs). Microinvasive therapies, such as resin infiltration, have been used to treat demineralized enamel. Recently, resin infiltration using the active ingredient triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA), has been used to restore WSLs. The purpose of this narrative review is to evaluate the evidence on TEGDMA, an innovative resin that has been introduced, as an alternative dental material for treating WSLs.Methods: A review of the literature was conducted using key words pertaining to WSLs and resin infiltration including cosmetic dentistry; dental caries; dental materials; general dentistry; sealants; technology for patient care. Evidence was incorporated from biomedical data bases including PubMed and the Cochrane Library, which formed the framework for the review.Results: Based on the synthesis of the evidence, resin infiltration using TEGDMA is an effective alternative treatment option for WSLs. Studies suggest that the outcomes for micro-invasive procedures using resin infiltration may vary depending on the depth of the lesion.Conclusion: Resin infiltration, using TEGDMA, removes minimal amounts of enamel and preserves the hard tissue surrounding the WSLs. Additionally, TEGDMA restores the natural fluorescence, hardness, and texture of intact enamel. Future studies are needed to assess the long-term clinical effects of resin infiltration using this material on both permanent and primary dentition.

Ramadan and Culturally Competent Care: Strengthening Tuberculosis Protections for Recently Resettled Muslim Refugees.

To improve latent tuberculosis infection treatment completion rates, Tarrant County Public Health began providing after-dusk home delivery of a 12-dose latent tuberculosis infection regimen of weekly rifapentine plus isoniazid administered via directly observed preventive therapy during Ramadan, a month of prayer and daytime fasting observed by Muslims. In unadjusted difference-in-difference logistic regression analyses (n = 148), Muslim patients had lower treatment completion rates than non-Muslim patients during Ramadan prior to program implementation (68.8% vs 95.4%), whereas rates were comparable postimplementation (95.7% vs 96.4%; difference-in-difference P = .011). Similar results were found after adjusting for age and gender (pre: 71.4% vs 94.8%; post: 95.5% vs 96.3%; P = .032). These findings provide evidence of the need for and effectiveness of programmatic innovations tailored to the varying cultural norms of the widely diverse populations served by public health authorities and suggest that culturally competent clinical care may advance population health goals.

Acculturation and the oral health of a nationally representative sample of Hispanic children in the United States: an analysis of 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health data.

BACKGROUND: Oral disease is a serious public health issue, and Hispanic children in the United States (US) are more likely than children of other racial/ethnic groups to experience dental caries. Although Hispanic children are a growing segment of the US population there is limited research on the association between acculturation and oral health outcomes in this population. This study examined the associations between household acculturation and pediatric oral health in the Hispanic population using a nationally representative sample of children. METHODS: Data from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children's Health were analyzed; analyses included Hispanic children ages 1 to 17. Household acculturation was assessed with a combination of language and parental nativity, while oral health was assessed via parents'/guardians' reports of children's dental caries. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between acculturation and oral health, adjusting for other demographic and social determinants of pediatric oral health. We assessed significance at the p < 0.05 level, and all analyses accounted for the survey's complex sample design. RESULTS: Analyses included 9143 Hispanic children. In total, 24.9% (95% CI: 22.9-27.0%) experienced dental caries, and there were significant associations between household acculturation and oral health. In unadjusted analyses, 32.0% (95% CI: 28.9-35.4%) of children in low acculturation households, 20.3% (95% CI: 16.0-25.4%) of children in moderate acculturation households, and 16.9% (95% CI: 14.2-20.0%) of children in high acculturation households experienced dental caries (p < 0.001). In adjusted analyses, children in high acculturation households were significantly less likely than those in low acculturation households to experience dental caries (p < 0.001; OR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.35-0.70). The difference between children in moderate and low acculturation households approached but did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.057; OR = 0.69; 95% CI: 0.48-1.01). CONCLUSIONS: A dose-response relationship was observed between household acculturation and the oral health of Hispanic children in the US. As acculturation increases, the likelihood of a child experiencing dental caries decreases. These findings suggest that public health and community-based interventions intended to reduce oral health disparities in Hispanic children would likely be most impactful if the acculturation levels of the children's households are considered during program development.

Exploring the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and oral health-related quality of life.

OBJECTIVES: Evidence indicates that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have destructive impacts on quality of life, health outcomes, and health-care expenditures. Studies further demonstrate a dose-response relationship between the number of ACEs and risk for experiencing chronic illness, such as oral diseases later in life. Research is scarce on the prioritization of contextualized public health interventions addressing this important threat. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 2011 to 2012 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) provided a nationally representative sample of children in the United States, ages 1-17 for dentate status (n = 61,530). The dependent variables identified untreated oral health-care needs and preventive dental utilization. The key independent variables included exposure to parental death, parental divorce, parental incarceration, mental health illnesses, domestic violence, neighborhood violence, and racial discrimination. Exogenous variables included age, sex, race/ethnicity, number of children in household, socioeconomic status proxies, health insurance status, and special health needs. The data, when adjusted for complex survey design, proportionately represent children in the United States. RESULTS: Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regressions revealed varying magnitudes of significance across diverse racial and ethnic profiles. Exposures to parental divorce and parental death particularly exhibited critical magnitudes of influence, compared to all other ACEs. CONCLUSIONS: In keeping with the Pareto Principle, exposure to certain ACEs, namely parental divorce and parental death, potentially introduces more profound social and health-related consequences later in life. Therefore, contextualized interventions should prioritize public health efforts to address households burdened with exposure to parental divorce and/or parental death.