Choosing the scientific journal for publishing research work: perceptions of medical and dental researchers.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: With the increasing demand to publish due to 'publish or perish' culture among research and academic institutions, the choice of a journal for publishing scientific articles becomes very important. A publication with many citations and high impact factor can propel researchers in their academic careers. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of medical and dental researchers in India about the important criteria to consider while selecting scientific journals for publishing their research. METHODS: 206 faculty staff members from three medical and five dental institutions were selected through convenience sampling. The study participants completed a questionnaire with 24 closed ended questions on various factors related to journal selection for publication. Factors such as publication frequency, journal citation, indexing, peer-review, impact factor, publication fees, acceptance or rejection rate, publishing house, previous submission and online submission process were considered. The responses were recorded using a Likert scale. Cronbach's alpha as a measure of internal consistency or homogeneity was 0.909. Descriptive statistics and Mann-Whitney U test were employed for comparison of responses among study participants. RESULTS: The mean weight of 24 criteria on a scale of 0 to 4 varied between 2.13 and 3.45. The results showed that indexing of journal (3.45±0.74), online submission (3.24±0.83), impact factor (3.11±0.91), peer-review process (3.0±1.02) and publication fees (2.99±1.11) were among the most important criteria to consider in journal selection. CONCLUSIONS: Of the 24 factors considered by health researchers for journal selection, the most important were Journal indexing, online submission, impact factor, peer-review and publication fees. Compared to dental researchers, medical researchers perceived open access and peer-review process as significantly more important criteria.

Utilization of mobile dental vans at post graduate dental institutions in India.

BACKGROUND: Mobile Dental Van (MDV) removes the barrier of accessibility and improves the care of underserved populations. Dental institutions across India, providing postgraduate training in dental public health organize and conduct MDV programs as part of their curriculum. AIM: To describe the structure, conduct and utilization of MDV programs in consideration to duration of use by the academic institutions for oral health care delivery in rural areas. METHODS: Hundred postgraduates in Public Health Dentistry representing 27 dental institutions of India completed a 40 item questionnaire on MDV program and utilization. Descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The mobile dental van programs were more curative with limited orientation towards preventive services. The institutionally sponsored programs with experience of more than 10 years had better organized setup and adequate emergency management system together with electricity, water and storage facilities. Chair side assistants were employed in 90 percent of newer programs compared to only 50 percent of older programs. Dental hygienists were helping the dentists in only 60 percent of programs. CONCLUSIONS: The utilization of MDV in treating rural underserved is indispensable, but revenue and high productivity is difficult to achieve as lower socioeconomic patients are predominantly served. MDV programs operational in postgraduate institutions have to improvise on correcting the shortcomings regarding the facilities and manpower to improve the utilization of the programs.

Impact of fixed orthodontic appliances on quality of life among adolescents' in India.

CONTEXT: Malocclusion can seriously impair quality of life and they may affect various aspects of life, including function, appearance, interpersonal relationships and even career opportunities. OBJECTIVES: To assess and determine various factors that may influence the impact of orthodontic treatment on the quality of life of adolescents. STUDY DESIGN: Cross sectional study in adolescents of Moradabad was conducted on 109 males and 113 females (n=222) adolescents having a fixed orthodontic appliance, aged 13 to 22 years (mean 17.5±1.5). A pre-structured questionnaire designed by Mandall et al, with nine conceptual impact sub-scales to highlight the problem faced by the patient in daily life after wearing the appliance was used to collect the data. Unpaired t-test was used to determine the statistical significance and the influence of variables were analysed using multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Factors which demonstrated high impact were oral hygiene (Mean=3.42; SD=0.78) followed by time constraints (Mean=3.23; SD=0.72) and physical impact (Mean=3.00; SD=0.61). Gender difference showed statistical significance in social impact (p=0.009), time constraints (p=0.001) and travel or cost implications (p=0.009). Internal reliability of the questionnaire ranged from low to good (Cronbach's alpha 0.29-0.81). Test-retest reliability ranged from an intra-class correlation coefficient 0.09-0.42. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who had been comprehensively informed about their treatment had greatest levels of satisfaction and compliance with treatment. Younger patients showed an earlier adaptation to treatment with fixed appliances which influenced the treatment to be started at the earliest possible age. Key words:Impact, malocclusion, quality of life.

Infant oral health: Knowledge, attitude and practices of parents in Udaipur, India.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the infant oral health (IOH) related knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of parents in Udaipur, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 470 parents visiting the Department of Pediatrics, Rabindranath Tagore Medical College and Hospital. A 32-item questionnaire covering socio-demographic characteristics and questions pertaining to KAP regarding IOH care was used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics, Student's t-test, one-way analysis of variance, and Scheffe's test were used for the statistical analysis (P ≤ 0.05). RESULTS: Majority of the parents had good knowledge regarding tooth eruption, but had a poor knowledge of cleaning (58.7%) and development of caries (48.5%). Parents in the age group of 25-30 years showed significantly higher mean knowledge (25.90 ± 3.93), attitude (15.71 ± 2.23), and practice (20.09 ± 2.50) scores. Female parents showed a significantly higher mean knowledge (21.45 ± 4.27) and attitude scores (14.97 ± 2.15) than the male parents. CONCLUSION: Parent's knowledge on IOH care was inadequate. Health professionals, who are the first to come into contact with expectant and new mothers, need to disseminate appropriate and accurate information about oral health-care for infants.

Comparative assessment of dentition status among poliomyelitis children in Udaipur, India.

To determine and compare the dental caries experience and treatment needs of children with Poliomyelitis at Udaipur, India. Total sample comprised of 344 children with Poliomyelitis (upper limb disability: 33.4%; lower limb disability: 33.7%; both upper and lower limb disability: 32.8%) in the age group of 12-15 years. Clinical examination included recording Dentition Status and Treatment Needs. Chi-square test, Analysis of variance (ANOVA), multiple logistic and stepwise linear regressions were used for statistical analysis. The mean decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) score (4.47 ± 3.09) was found to be highest among children with Poliomyelitis having both upper and lower limb impairment (p < .05). Stepwise and logistic regression analysis showed that the best predictors for dental caries were disability, socioeconomic status and snacks in between meals. A significant relationship of dental caries with limb involved in impairment draws immediate attention for a planned approach in improving the oral health.

Estimation of salivary and tongue coating pH on chewing household herbal leaves: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to evaluate saliva and tongue coating pH and also to assess the degree of tongue coating in healthy subjects before and after chewing herbal leaves (tulsi, mint, and curry leaf). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A double-blind, randomized, concurrent, parallel-group study was conducted among 60 volunteer subjects, who were randomly assigned into three groups of 20 each (tulsi, mint, and curry leaf) and were asked to chew five to six fresh leaves of the respective plants twice daily for 7 days. Salivary and tongue coating pH were measured by a digital pH meter and color pH indicators. Data were analyzed statistically using repeated measure analysis of variance and Student's t-test. RESULTS: Mean salivary pH values showed an increase immediately and 30 min after chewing the herbal leaves. A significant difference (P < 0.01) was observed between mint and curry leaf groups immediately after chewing and between tulsi and curry leaf groups (P < 0.05) 30 min after chewing the leaves. Tongue coating pH showed an increase toward alkalinity in all the groups. The assessment of tongue coating showed an increase in scores among tulsi and curry leaf groups, but this difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Chewing traditional medicinal plant leaves can be considered as safe, effective, and economical alternate options for maintaining good oral health.

Periodontal probing systems: a review of available equipment.

The periodontal pocket, one of the definitive signs of periodontal disease, is the most common parameter to be assessed by dental clinicians. Periodontal probes have been the instruments most commonly used to locate and measure these pockets. Regular use of periodontal probes in routine dental practice facilitates and increases the accuracy of the process of diagnosing the condition, formulating the treatment, and predicting the outcome of therapy. Advances in the field of periodontal probing have led to the development of probes that may help reduce errors in determining this parameter used to define the state of active periodontal disease. One such advance is the emergence of probes that purportedly assess periodontal disease activity noninvasively. The selection of periodontal probe depends on the type of dental practice: a general dental practitioner would require first- or second-generation probes, while third- through fifth-generation probes generally are used in academic and research institutions as well as specialty practices.

Moving beyond clinical appearance: the need for accurate histological diagnosis.

This study considered 120 cases of localized gingival overgrowths that had been clinically diagnosed, surgically excised, and submitted for histopathological examination from 2000 to 2006. Data regarding the patient's age and gender and the lesion's anatomical location, clinical diagnosis, and recurrence were retrieved from case records. The percentage of concurrence and discrepancy between clinical and histopathological diagnosis was calculated using a discrepancy index. In 46.60% of cases, the diagnoses were in total agreement; discrepancies were noted in 53.40% of cases. The diagnosis of peripheral giant cell granuloma showed a high discrepancy (88.89%). Recurrence was seen in five cases. The high discrepancy between the clinical and histopathological diagnosis of localized gingival overgrowths indicates the need for a confirmatory histological examination for diagnosis and complete management of the lesion.