The effect of diabetes mellitus on oral health-related quality of life: A systematic review and meta-analysis study.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is related to variable dental and oral complications like xerostomia and periodontal problems. Therefore, diabetes can affect the oral status and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). A systematic review of evidence can determine the association between diabetes and OHRQoL. so, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of diabetes on OHRQoL. Methods: After determining the PECO and eligible criteria, a comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase without any restriction. Further searches were performed in Google Scholar and reference lists of selected articles. Two independent reviewers carried out paper selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. A meta-analysis was conducted using a "random effect model" and the standardized mean difference of OHRQoL with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was reported as estimating pooled effect size. Results: After screening 237 identified records, three case-control and ten cross-sectional studies met eligibility criteria. Two cross-sectional studies were excluded in the quality assessment phase and the rest of the studies have a low or moderate risk of bias. The pooled standardized mean difference between the case and the control groups was 0.148 (95% CI: -0.045 to 0.340). Conclusion: Diabetes mellitus has no statistical significant association with OHRQoL. Nevertheless, based on the articles' review, it seems that diabetes can lead to functional limitations, physical pain, and psychological discomfort. Also, complications of diabetes adversely affect wellbeing. Hence dentists can play an essential role in the awareness of persons with diabetes about these problems and improve their OHRQoL. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022303038, identifier CRD42022303038.

Oral health knowledge, attitude, and performance of the parents of 3-12-year-old autistic children.

Background: This study aimed to assess the oral health knowledge, attitude, and performance of the parents of autistic 3-12-year-old. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study evaluated 50 parents of autistic 3-12-year-old in Isfahan city. The oral health knowledge, attitude, and performance of the parents were evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire with closed questions, after confirming its validity and reliability. Data were analyzed using independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, regression analysis, and Cronbach's alpha (α =0.05). Results: Of children, 32 (64%) were males and 18 (36%) were females. A total of 28 (56%) fathers and 22 (44%) mothers participated in this study. The mean age of the children and parents was 8.12 ± 2.4 years and 39.6 ± 6.8 years, respectively. The mean age at the time of diagnosis of autism was 4.08 ± 1.33 years. Of all children, 24 (46.2%) had a previous dental history. The mean scores of the knowledge and attitude of the parents were 5.2 ± 1.7 out of 11, and 16.1 ± 3.1 out of 30, respectively. Of demographic variables, order of child birth had a significant correlation with attitude of the parents, and those with one single child had significantly higher attitude score (P = 0.03). Conclusion: The oral health knowledge, attitude, and performance of the parents of autistic children in Isfahan city were lower than expected, which calls for knowledge enhancement strategies in this respect.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of failure to take history as a barrier of reporting child abuse by dentists in private and state clinics.

BACKGROUND: Since the symptoms of child abuse and neglect often manifest in the orofacial region, the dental team has a key role in identifying children subjected to abuse. This study was aimed to explore the prevalence of failure to take history as a barrier to reporting child abuse by dentist around the world. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, ProQuest, Cochrane, and ISI databases were searched for the cross-sectional articles in English languages on barriers to reporting child abuse and lack of knowledge about referral procedures by dentists since 1985 using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). The full-texts of all included articles were obtained and assessed for quality according to Newcastle-Ottawa Scale adapted for cross-sectional studies. The qualified articles were then studied thoroughly and results were extracted. Data were analyzed by Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software using meta-analysis and random effects model. Heterogeneity was determined by Q-test and I-square index. RESULTS: A total of 17 articles were included in the meta-analysis. The prevalence of lack of knowledge about referral procedures as a barrier was determined according to the meta-analysis of the number of relevant articles and was (55%, confidence interval: 0.48, 0.62). CONCLUSION: The analysis of various studies revealed lack of information about referral procedures as an important barrier to report child abuse by dentists.

Autistic children's parents and hospital dentistry.

Background: It is difficult to perform dental procedures in autistic children, and parental involvement is necessary for successful hospital dental services. Therefore, in order to promote oral health in autistic children, this study was aimed to explore the knowledge, attitude, and performance of autistic children's parents with respect to hospital dentistry. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with the parents of 100 autistic children aged 2-6 years selected from among the children of Isfahan autism treatment centers. A self-administered questionnaire, including parental demographic information and 22 items on the assessment of knowledge, attitude, and performance of autistic children's parents regarding hospital dental procedures under general anesthesia, was completed by 100 parents. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using Chi-square test. Results: A total of 100 parents of autistic children, with an average age of 37.4 ± 6.1 years, were recruited in this study. The results showed that 56%, 50%, and 3% of parents had poor knowledge about dental hospital services, dental complications, and hospital dentistry rules, respectively. Further, 51% of parents believed that general anesthesia was dangerous to their children. In addition, 69% of children had little or no cooperation with the dentist. There was also a significant relationship between the knowledge, attitude, and performance of autistic children's parents regarding hospital dentistry and the parents' age and sex. Conclusion: This study showed that autistic children's parents had poor knowledge, attitude, and performance with respect to hospital dentistry.

Dental team and infection control for the COVID-19: (A short review of the current guidelines).

BACKGROUND: In December 2019, a series of unusual pneumonia has been reported in Wuhan, China. This pneumonia was related to beta-coronavirus cluster which was named COVID-19. The aim of this study is to review the published paper on COVID-19 protections guide lines and attempt to summarize different suggested guide lines in order to help dental/oral healthcare to have better protection against COVID -19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electronic literature search was conducted via google scholar, PubMed, and dental associations' of different countries' website using the key word "COVID-19, Dental team, Guide lines and Recommendation".A total of seven guidelines were found suitable to be included in this review. CONCLUSION: Individuals with 'possible' or 'confirmed' COVID-19 should not be seen for routine dental care. Multi-step approach should begin before the patient arrives on the office and includes guidance regarding their arrival and it should be completed duration of the affected patient's presence in the practice. Accurate travel history, fever or history of fever, acute respiratory infection and severe respiratory infection without fever requiring hospitalization should be checked by staff via patients telephoning to make an appointment and finally the primary infection control goal is to prevent transmission of disease. These treatment guidelines are based on very limited evidence from the literature and should be revised as soon as more evidence about the infection control advices for dental team regarding COVID-19.

The Effect of Dental Fluorosis on the Quality of Life of Female High School and Precollege Students of High Fluoride-Concentrated Area.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Colored and deformed fluorotic teeth may affect the quality of life (QOL). The present study, therefore, evaluates the effect of dental fluorosis on the QOL of female high school and precollege students of Behbahan district in 2014. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred 15-18-year-old female students with dental fluorosis were selected from the high schools of Behbahan district by random cluster sampling technique. Dental fluorosis was measured clinically using Dean's index after analyzing the drinking water of the affected district. The effect of dental fluorosis on the QOL was then evaluated through a questionnaire. The data from Dean's index, condition-specific oral impact on daily performance (CS-OIDP) questionnaire, and the mean score of QOL questionnaire were analyzed in SPSS version 20 using Pearson's and Spearman's correlation analyses (α = 0.05). RESULTS: The mean values of age and the QOL regarding appearance were 16.5 years and 61.5 ± 20.8 from 100, respectively. Spearman's correlation showed a positive correlation between CS-OIDP total score and the severity of fluorosis (P = 0.0001, r = 0.342). Spearman's correlation also showed a negative correlation between the QOL and the severity of fluorosis (P < 0.001, r = -0.496) so that by increasing the severity of fluorosis, the QOL was decreasing. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the severity of fluorosis is associated with increasing the dissatisfaction and decreasing the QOL.

Evaluation of Visual Pedagogy in Dental Check-ups and Preventive Practices Among 6-12-Year-Old Children with Autism.

This study was aimed to evaluate the impact of visual pedagogy in dental check-ups and preventive practices among children with autism aged 6-12. In this randomized double-blind clinical trial, the cooperation of 40 children with autism age 6-12. The selected children were equally divided into two groups of case and control (n = 20). The obtained data were analyzed by statistical tests, including Chi square and independent t test. The results of Cochran showed a significant increase in children's cooperation with regard to fluoride therapy in the case group by repeating the visit and training sessions (p ≤ 0.001). The findings of this study demonstrated, visual pedagogy was merely effective in the case of fluoride therapy in the case group.

Quality Assessment of Information About Pit and Fissure Sealants in Persian Websites in 2012.

OBJECTIVES: Despite the increasing use of Internet, there is no supervision over the accuracy and quality of the information provided in the web. To deal with this problem, health specialists should take part in planning, publishing and supervision of online health-related information. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of information related to pit and fissure sealants in Persian websites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, Persian websites providing information about fissure sealants were found using Google search engine. The searched keywords according to the MeSH database were "patient education" and "fissure sealant". After applying the exclusion criteria, 37 websites out of 500 initial links remained in the study. These websites were evaluated based on a researcher-made checklist. The validity and reliability of the checklist were evaluated and confirmed. Descriptive analysis was applied to report the results of our study using SPSS version 11.5. RESULTS: The average score for the quality of information was 22.46 out of 38. The minimum scores were 16 and 30 and belonged to Pezeshkanemrooz.com and Asa85.blogfa.com , respectively. The results showed that 62.2% of the answers were scored 2-4 and 37.8% were scored 1; therefore, the overall quality of the published content was rated to be moderate for 62.2% and low for 37.8% of the websites. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the quality of information related to fissure sealant provided in Persian websites was good; however, the information given was mostly incomplete and could be improved. The main problems were doubtful credibility and outdated information.

The Effectiveness of Home Water Purification Systems on the Amount of Fluoride in Drinking Water.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Water purification systems for domestic use have drawn significant attention over the past few years. This can be related to the improvement of public health and concern for water contamination. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether home water purification systems eliminate the essential materials such as fluoride besides filtrating the heavy ions and other unwanted particles out of water. MATERIALS AND METHOD: In this experimental study, six most frequently used commercial brands of water purifiers were evaluated and compared. Specimens were collected right before and after setting up the device, and 6 months later. Then, spectrophotometry (the Harrison device) was performed to compare fluoride clearance by each home water cleaner device. RESULTS: Based on the data collected from all water purification devices in different locations, the amount of fluoride was significantly different before and right after using home water purifier and six months later (p= 0.001 and p= 0.00, respectively). CONCLUSION: The filtration of water significantly decreased its fluoride concentration. The fluoride content of purified water was approximately as much as zero in some cases.

The comparison of salivary level of estrogen and progesterone in 1(st) , 2(nd) and 3(rd) trimester in pregnant women with and without geographic tongue.

BACKGROUND: Geographic tongue (GT) was first reported as a wandering rash of the tongue in 1831; however, its etiopathogenesis remains unclear. Increased prevalence of GT has been documented in the pregnancy. The aim of this study was to compare the level of salivary estrogen and progesterone in pregnant women with and without GT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This analytical-descriptive study consisted of 26 pregnant women (13 with GT, 13 without GT) with an age range between 18 years and 45 years. The estrogen and progesterone level was measured during 1(st) , 2(nd) and 3(rd) trimester of pregnancy. Saliva sampling was performed to determine the level of sex hormones. The samples were stored at -80°C and determined by Eliza method. The results were analyzed by t-test and repeated measure ANOVA (α = 0.05). RESULTS: The mean level of estrogen for control and case group was 49.4and 52.33 in the 1(st) , 71.05 and 74.12 in the 2(nd) and 109.1 and 112.16 in the 3(rd) trimester respectively. The mean level of progesterone was 0.72 and 0.72 in the 1(st) , 1.14 and 1.21 in the 2(nd) and 1.3 and 1.28 in the 3(rd) trimester of pregnancy for the control and case groups respectively. Even though, there was no significant difference regarding the level of sex hormones between case and control groups (P < 0.05), but the difference between the level of these hormones during 3 trimesters of pregnancy was significant in each group (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The level of sex hormones is not the only etiologic factor of GT in pregnant women, but other factors such as genetic potential, human leukocyte antigen marker and stress may aggravate the incidence of this lesion.

Portable dental chairs and their role in assisting the community outreach program- a qualitative approach.

OBJECTIVE: Certain conditions limit the independence of deprived people. However, those conditions do not limit the right of these people to receive dental care. Portable dental units may make it possible for the deprived and elderly to receive the care they deserve in more areas. This study aimed to explore dentists' perceptions of the use of portable dental units in community outreach programs as a precursor to our quantitative study in the future. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted by one interviewer, seven dentists, two specialists, and 11 final-year dental students who had experience with portable dental units in Isfahan, Iran. The qualitative research method was chosen first due to the rarity of information readily available about the units and second due to their specialist application; with which only certain members of the dental community have experience. RESULTS: Participants described a range of observations they had made whilst using the portable dental units in different locations. The qualitative data were primarily concerned with the range of ideas the interviewers distinguished as relevant when describing the portable dental units. The predominant view most noted within interviews was that the portable units are very useful for the community outreach programs, with two subcategories of serviceability and access to oral health. Other factors mentioned were the competence of the portable dental unit and the factors affecting each individual patient. CONCLUSION: Our findings illustrate a number of features that may enhance the reputation of portable dental units, due to their useful nature.

Evaluation of factors influencing child abuse leading to oro-facial lesions in Isfahan, Iran: A qualitative approach.

BACKGROUND: Since child abuse and neglect are serious conditions which can potentially lead to inappropriate dental health, we conducted this qualitative study to define the factors influencing child abuse and neglect, which lead to oro-facial lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted by social services employees. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants to capture a range of experiences such as the physical abuse, sexual abuse, role of family in child abuse, age, and gender. RESULTS: Participants demonstrated a range of perceptions which lead to child abuse including hitting on the head and slapping. Often subsidiary to this view, several factors were mentioned that occasionally influenced child abuse. These factors appeared to be idiosyncratic but could be drawn together into three categories: Cultural lacks which includes poverty, cruelty of parents and addiction, psychological disorders, and separation in the family which was seen in most of the children. CONCLUSION: This study has identified a variety of factors influencing the incidence of child abuse. Therefore, dentists should meticulously pay attention to children who have these risk factors in order to discover child abuse events. Quantitative research would reveal the extent of these factors. Dentists' knowledge of their roles in managing cases suffering from abuse might need to be assessed to see if dentists need further education in this important area.

Evaluation of orofacial lesions relating child abuse, Esfahan, Iran: A quantitative approach.

BACKGROUND: Family violence, including child abuse, neglect, and domestic violence, is a public health problem. The aim of this study was to provide data on prevalence and factors of Orofacial lesions relating child abuse in Iran to lend evidence to support preventing child abuse. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The overall approach was a case-note review of children having child abuse note, recording by personnel of social services. Research ethical approval was sought from the Central social service organization. This study was conducted in Isfahan, Iran (2011). RESULT: The mean age of children, when abuse had been occurred was 8 years (SD = 1.68), and there were approximately an equal number of boys and girls. Children had a high physical experience (66.1%).Of these children, at least 60% sustained trauma to the face and mouth. Emotional abuse was 77.1%, neglect was 64.1%, and lower experience of sexual abuse which was 4.1%. There was a strong relationship between gender and abuser which shows girls have been affected by stepfathers (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Preliminary data suggest that there are strong evidence regarding the incidence of child abuse relating orofacial lesions which dentists should be aware of them. Future trials may draw on these useful baseline data to help their study design.

Effect of fluoridated dentifrices on surface microhardness of the enamel of deciduous teeth.

BACKGROUND: Surface microhardness is a physical property which access the effect of chemical and physical agents on hard tissues of teeth, and a useful way to examine the resistance of fluoride treated enamel against caries. The purpose of this study was to evaluate microhardness of enamel following pH-cycling through demineralization and remineralization using suspensions of dentifrices with different fluoride contents. METHODS: In this in vitro study 56 enamel blocks of primary incisors were soaked in demineralizing solution and four dentifrices suspensions including: Crest 1100 ppm F (NaF), Crest 500 ppm F (NaF), Pooneh 500 ppm F (NaF,) and Pooneh without fluoride. The means and percentage changes of surface microhardness in pre-demineralization, after demineralization and remineralization stages in four groups were measured. The findings of four groups in three stages were compared by, ANOVA, Tukey and paired t-tests. (α=0.05) RESULTS: Average surface microhardness changes of Crest 1100 ppm F, was higher than Crest 500 ppm F, Pooneh 500 ppm F, and Pooneh without fluoride. The percentages of surface microhardness recovery for Crest 1100 ppm F, Crest 500 ppm F, Pooneh 500 ppm F, and Pooneh without fluoride were 45.4, 35.4, 28.6, and 23.7 respectively. Demineralization treatment decreased the surface microhardness of enamel (P<0.05) and the surface microhardness recovery in all groups were significant (P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Surface microhardness of enamel after remineralization by Crest 1100 ppm F was higher than Crest 500 ppm F, Pooneh 500 ppm F, and Pooneh without fluoride.