Comparison of Implant-Retained Overdenture and Conventional Complete Denture: A Survey Study to Measure Patients' Satisfaction and Quality of Life in Dental School Clinics.

Patient satisfaction and quality of life are integral to assessing oral health care quality. For many Americans still using conventional complete dentures (CDs) or implant-retained mandibular overdentures (IODs), it remains essential to consider improving their oral health outcomes and quality of life. Due to inexperienced student dentists providing dental care to dental school patients, patient grievances are generally considered a problem. Patient feedback and satisfaction have proven valuable resources for monitoring and improving patient safety. While CDs and IODs are the 2 leading treatment options for edentulism, more comparative studies in the literature need to compare their outcomes in a school setting. The research question that guided this comparative analysis was, "Is patient satisfaction and quality of life affected by the type of prostheses and provider?" A validated questionnaire was mailed to 520 individuals selected from records of patients who had received treatment for edentulous mandible at a student prosthodontic clinic at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry from 2014 to 2016 with at least 1 year of follow-up time. A validated questionnaire for edentulous patients based on the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-19) was used. In addition, information on patients' oral health-related quality of life, including questions related to the edentulous patients' satisfaction with their dentures, was collected. The response rate was 33% (N = 171). The study's findings confirm previous findings, suggesting that IODs may significantly impact oral health-related quality of life. Data show that 76% of the IOD group reported improvement in experience when using the implants to retain the mandibular denture. However, there were no statistically significant differences in the OHIP scores between overall CD and IOD patient groups. Males with IODs had lower physical pain, limitations, and disability scores than males with CD. However, females with IODs reported more significant concerns associated with a social disability and handicap domains. Comparing users who had experiences with both treatment options, this study discerned essential characteristics that contribute to increased patient satisfaction with IODs and identified significance in outcomes by gender. These findings guide prosthodontic practitioners' patient care practices and identify a continuing need to discuss CD and IOD treatment protocols within dental school curricula.

ERGONOMIC PRACTICE IN DENTAL CLINICS AND MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AMONG DENTISTS IN GEORGIA.

The dental profession is associated with occupational health problems. The working environment of a dentist is associated with ergonomic risk factors that can significantly reduce the dentist's working ability and even cause the termination of his/her professional activity. Numerous studies have been conducted in different countries (Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Australia, etc.) to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in dentists, though no studies related to the principles of ergonomics in dentistry have been carried out in Georgia. The study aimed to assess the ergonomics of the working environment of dentists in Tbilisi (capital city of Georgia) clinics and to identify the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among them. An observational descriptive study was conducted in April-July 2023 in Tbilisi. A special questionnaire of 40 questions was designed based on international experience. The survey was conducted by random sampling in selected dental clinics. Dentists were asked to fill out the questionnaire during their free time between patient appointments. Those who agreed to participate were provided with electronic versions of the questionnaire. Five hundred dentists were invited to participate in the survey, of whom 314 (62.8%) agreed to fill out the questionnaire. A total of 291 fully completed questionnaires were used for the descriptive statistical analysis. Our study shows that in Tbilisi clinics dentists work on average for 5-6 days (48.8% - 6 days, 37.1% - 5 days) or 40-48 hours a week. A majority of respondents said their workplace met the requirements of ergonomics (it had a good lighting, the chair had a back, instruments could be easily reached), yet most of them rarely lean on the backrest, never or rarely use the hand rest method, and never or rarely do light physical exercise during breaks. The survey shows that 53.6% of dentists most frequently suffer from pain in the back, followed by pain in the neck (50.9%), shoulders (47.9%) and lower back (47.1%). Most of them said they had to work less because of the pain. Introduction of the principles of ergonomics in dental profession is vital for preventing occupational musculoskeletal disorders. It is important to provide continuing professional development programs and information booklets for dentists and thematic online webinars for the management of dental clinics in Georgia.

SARS-CoV-2 detection in pediatric dental clinic wastewater reflects the number of local COVID-19 cases in children under 10 years old.

This was the first longitudinal study to analyze dental clinic wastewater to estimate asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection trends in children. We monitored wastewater over a 14-month period, spanning three major COVID-19 waves driven by the Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants. Each Saturday, wastewater was sampled at the Pediatric Dental Clinic of the only dental hospital in Japan's Saitama Prefecture. The relationship between the weekly number of cases in Saitama Prefecture among residents aged < 10 years (exposure) and wastewater SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection (outcome) was examined. The number of cases was significantly associated with wastewater SARS-CoV-2 RNA positivity (risk ratio, 5.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.72-16.67; Fisher's exact test, p = 0.0005). A sample from Week 8 of 2022 harbored the Omicron variant. Compared to sporadic individual testing, this approach allows continuous population-level surveillance, which is less affected by healthcare seeking and test availability. Since wastewater from pediatric dental clinics originates from the oral cavities of asymptomatic children, such testing can provide important information regarding asymptomatic COVID-19 in children, complementing clinical pediatric data.

Traumatic dental injuries among children attending the public after-hours emergency dental clinic in Bergen, Norway.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) among children who for 1 year attended a Norwegian public after-hours emergency public dental (EPD) clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 7-18-year-olds (n = 312) who presented at the EPD clinic, underwent a clinical dental examination, and consented to the disclosure of clinical information. Recording of TDIs was restricted to anterior permanent teeth. Potential TDI predictors were also analysed. RESULTS: Almost half (n = 148) of the children were assessed with TDIs in permanent teeth, showing a mean age of 11.0 (standard deviation [SD]: 3.5) years. Males constituted 54.7%. The children experienced TDIs often outside school hours (43.9%), and the majority (58.1%) were caused by falls/accidents. Sixty of them experienced only one TDI. The most common location was the maxillary central incisors. Assessment of TDIs according to severity, could only be done in 131 individuals, involving 253 TDIs. Of these, 81.8% were mild. The odds of visiting the emergency clinic for a TDI were higher (odds ratio [OR] = 2.64, confidence interval [CI]: 1.61-4.31) among children with previous TDIs and lower (OR = 0.28, CI: 0.12-0.68) among those with poor dental attendance. CONCLUSIONS: Traumatic dental injuries were a common reason for seeking emergency care. Milder injuries dominated and involved mostly one maxillary central incisor. Previous episodes of TDIs and attendance patterns seemed to be associated with seeking care for TDIs.

Occupational Noise Exposure in the Pediatric Dental Setting.

Purpose: To evaluate the noise levels recorded in a hospital-based pediatric dental clinic and evaluate the occupational exposure personnel have to potentially hazardous levels of noise. Methods: A SoundAdvisor™ Sound Level Meter Model 831C was used to gather 19 days of background sound data (equivalent continuous sound levels, measured as LAeq) in the open bay, quiet room, sedation suite, and operating room settings. A Spartan™ Wireless Noise Dosimeter Model 730 (Larson Davis) was utilized to capture data about personal noise exposure of pediatric dental residents over 81 clinic sessions. Personal noise exposure was compared to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) stand- ard. Results: Background A-weighted sound pressure level was significantly less for the open bay than in the operating room, quiet room, and oral sedation setting (P<0.05), while the operating room was significantly less than the oral sedation setting (P=0.038). Personal LAeq was significantly less for the open bay than the quiet room (P=0.007) and oral sedation settings (P=0.007). There was a significantly larger percentage of time above 80 dBA captured in the oral sedation suite compared to the open bay (P=0.010) or operating room (P=0.023). Conclusions: Daily occupational noise exposure did not exceed the thresholds set forth by OSHA. Sedation and quiet room treatment settings were noted to be the loudest pediatric dental clinical environments.

Medical history complexity of patients attending dental student restorative treatment clinics compared with dental emergency clinics.

INTRODUCTION: Dental students should graduate from undergraduate programmes with the knowledge and skills to safely manage patients. This requires exposure to patients with a range of medical needs, which may impact the planning and delivery of care. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: We wished to establish the medical history complexity of patients presenting to student restorative clinics and compare them to patients attending a dental emergency clinic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We recorded the medical history data of 200 anonymised patients attending student restorative clinics and compared them to previously collected data from 200 dental emergency clinic patients. We collected basic demographic data (age/gender) and noted the number of medical disorders, amount of comorbidity and the number and types of medications for each patient. RESULTS: The age and medical complexity of patients were different, with fewer young patients seen in the dental restorative clinics. Patients attending restorative clinics were more likely to have multiple comorbidities and took greater numbers and types of medications than those seen in dental emergency clinics. CONCLUSIONS: For patients seen in student restorative clinics, medical histories are taken once at the beginning of care and the subsequent treatment plan is delivered over many appointments accounting for that medical history. Emergency clinic patients attend for single treatment episodes and their medical complexity is immediately relevant to the treatment offered. Students have multiple, single encounters with patients in emergency clinics. In both clinics, dental treatment plans need to be adjusted to account for patients' drugs and diseases, providing opportunities to consolidate human disease learning.

Impact of Delayed Dental Treatment during the COVID-19 Pandemic in an Undergraduate Dental Clinic in Southwestern Ontario, Canada - A Retrospective Chart Review.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the impact of a COVID-19 mandated lockdown on the type and frequency of dental services accessed at an undergraduate dental clinic in southwestern Ontario. METHODS: We retrieved anonymized sociodemographic (n = 4791) and billing data (n = 11616) of patients for 2 periods of 199 days, before (T1) and after (T2) lockdown. We applied descriptive statistics and used Student's t test to compare the type and frequency of dental services provided between the 2 periods. We mapped forward sortation area (FSA) codes of each patient. RESULTS: Of the 4791 patients seen collectively in T1 and T2, most (67%) sought care before the lockdown. In both periods, most patients were ≥ 60 years of age (51.8%), female (33.9%) and residing in an urban area (88.6%). Compared with T1, there was a significant increase in middle-aged adults (p = 0.002) and significantly fewer patients earning over CAD 100 000 (p = 0.021) in T2. A total of 11616 billable procedures were carried out during T1 and T2: in T1, most procedures were preventative, whereas in T2, most were related to urgent care. Significantly fewer males than females sought urgent care, regardless of time. Finally, mapping showed a decrease in patients from Toronto, central and northern Ontario and clustering of patients in southwestern Ontario. CONCLUSION: We noted an overall reduction in billed services following the COVID-19 lockdown. The decrease in both billed services and patients seen during T2 demonstrates the impact of COVID-19 on access to timely and definitive dental care during the first 2 years of the pandemic.

Relationship between Body Mass Index and Sarcopenia with Oral Function Decline in Older Japanese Patients Who Regularly Attend a General Dental Clinic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and sarcopenia with oral function decline in older patients as well as whether a combination of underweight BMI and sarcopenia was associated with decreased oral function in individuals with conservative restorative and prosthetic treatment for masticatory disorders. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study included 290 older Japanese patients who regularly attended a general dental clinic. A detailed examination of oral function, sarcopenia, and BMI according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 criteria was conducted for patients aged 65 years. This study used odds ratios as an epidemiological measure in the cross-sectional survey. RESULTS: Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that the number of remaining teeth and tongue pressure was associated with both ideal and overweight BMI in individuals with sarcopenia when compared to healthy individuals. The underweight BMI plus sarcopenia group was associated with tongue and lip motor function [ka] sound test, swallowing function, and the presence of oral hypofunction. DISCUSSION: Our findings indicated that various aspects of oral function were impaired in community-dwelling older adult Japanese patients with sarcopenia and underweight BMI. Notably, among older adults with sarcopenia, both obese and thin patients exist, suggesting that distinct pathophysiological mechanisms influence oral function. CONCLUSION: The above findings support the hypothesis that the coexistence of sarcopenia and underweight BMI is associated with poor oral function. Regular oral function assessments and weight measurements in general dental practice can aid the prompt identification of sarcopenia and reduced swallowing function and can facilitate early intervention. The presence of sarcopenia and impaired swallowing function should be considered in patients with underweight BMI, reduced [ka] sound, and low tongue pressure following a thorough oral function examination.

[The quality of dental care in children with permanent teeth trauma according to analysis of medical records in an emergency unit of a municipal dental clinic]. / Kachestvo okazaniya neotlozhnoi pomoshchi detyam s travmami postoyannykh zubov po dannym analiza dokumentatsii otdeleniya neotlozhnoi pomoshchi gorodskoi stomatologicheskoi polikliniki.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY: Was to assess the efficacy and timing of emergency dental care in children with permanent teeth trauma according to analysis of medical records in an emergency unit of a municipal dental clinic. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study involved 320 medical records of pediatric patients admitted to emergency dental care unit of a municipal dental clinic in 2021 because of maxillofacial trauma from which 221 records of children with acute dental trauma were extracted. The quality of documentation of the medical records, rationale for diagnosis and adequacy of emergency dental treatment were analyzed. RESULTS: No records included diagnosis code according to ICD-10. Trauma history was described in the majority of records by in 67% of them no trauma time was stated with proper precision. In 67.6% of permanent teeth trauma cases emergency aid was carried out inadequately. All patients with uncomplicated crown fractures were dismissed with no treatment. In complicated crown fractures needing pulp vitality preservation the pulp was devitalized or just anesthetized. Tooth replantation in avulsion cases was not performed. In 13.5% of records the treatment was not properly described. In 67.6% of records there were no recommendations for follow-ups. CONCLUSION: There is a strong need for the improvement of knowledge of traumatic dental injuries management among Russian pediatric dentists by elaboration and implementation of protocols for dental traumas treatment.

Oral Health Literacy and Tooth Loss and Replacement in Older Adults at a University Dental Clinic in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: Oral health literacy (OHL) is the ability of individuals to obtain, process, and understand oral health information and services, allowing them to make appropriate oral health decisions. The association between OHL and tooth loss and replacement have not been well understood. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to determine the association between OHL and tooth loss and replacement in a Colombia population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 384 older adults age 65 to 89 years from Pasto, Colombia was carried out. The number of lost and replaced teeth was assessed intraorally; sociodemographic and prosthetic characteristics were collected, and the Health Literacy in Dentistry questionnaire was used to evaluate OHL. Generalized linear models were estimated to assess associations between independent variables (including OHL) and the number of lost and replaced teeth. KEY RESULTS: There were 224 (58.3%) men and 160 (41.7%) women. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) number of lost and replaced teeth was 27.78 (4.03) and 12.53 (9.89), respectively. One hundred fifty five (40.4%) individuals had full removable dental protheses, 122 (31.8%) partial removable dental protheses, 68 (17.7%) fixed prosthetics, and 36 (9.4%) dental implants. OHL was 33.29 (6.59) and significantly positively associated with the number of replaced teeth (ß = 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52-0.78, p < .001), but not with lost teeth. CONCLUSIONS: OHL may foster individuals' capabilities to replace lost teeth, although we did not find it associated with reduced tooth loss, likely as tooth loss was highly common in this older population. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2024;8(1):e21-e28.].

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: The association between OHL and tooth loss and replacement has not been well understood. A study of 384 older adults was designed to evaluate the number of lost and replaced teeth and the association with OHL. We found that OHL may foster tooth replacement but was not associated with tooth loss itself.

Evaluation of the efficacy of hydroxyl radical (OH) release for disinfection of the air and surfaces in the dental clinic: an in vitro study / Evaluación de la eficacia de la liberación de radicales hidroxilo (OH) para la desinfección del aire y superficies en la clínica dental: un estudio in vitro

Background: Concerning about the quality of room air has increased exponentially. Specially in dental clinicswhere diary practice is characterized by the important generation of aerosols.Material and Methods: An in vitro model was used in which samples were collected from the surfaces and roomair of a dental clinic before and after the use of an OH˙ radical generator.Results: A total of 1260 samples were collected for bacteriological analysis and 14 samples for the detection ofSARS-CoV-2. Following OH˙ treatment, the tested surface samples showed a decrease in the number of colonyforming units (CFUs) of 76.9% in TSA culture medium. The circulating room air samples in turn showed adecrease in CFUs of 66.7% in Sabouraud medium and 71.4% in Mannitol agar medium. No presence of SARS-CoV-2 was observed on the surface of the face shield.Conclusions: The disinfectant technology based on the use of hydroxyl radicals (OH˙) is effective in reducing thepresence of moulds and yeasts and Staphylococcus in the air, and in reducing total aerobic bacteria on the testedsurfaces.(AU)

Emergency Department and Dental Clinic Perceptions of Appropriate, and Preventable, Use of the ED for Non-Traumatic Dental Conditions in Hot-Spot Counties: A Mixed Methods Study.

OBJECTIVES: Frequency of emergency department (ED) use for nontraumatic dental conditions (NTDC) is a well-researched community health concern. However, research predominately relies on ambulatory ED discharge records. This explanatory sequential mixed methods study reviewed NTDC ED use in hot-spot counties and assessed perceptions around preventable and appropriate use among EDs and dental clinics. METHODS: Tooth pain data (2015-2021) were drawn from State Medicaid, and the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics (ESSENCE). NTDC data were compiled using International Classification of Disease, Ninth and Tenth Revisions. Employing extreme case sampling, providers in counties with the highest per-capita NTDC ED use were interviewed. RESULTS: North Dakota experienced a decline in NTDC ED visits between 2017 and 2020, though the rate is now increasing. The greatest proportion of NTDC ED visits were among persons ages 20 to 34 and 35 to 44. ED and dental care staff have misconceptions around each other's roles in reducing NTDC ED visits, but unanimously suggest community-level prevention as a solution. CONCLUSIONS: NTDC ED use was perceived as "appropriate" care. However, there is consensus that improved access to, and utilization of, affordable and quality preventative dental care would reduce NTDC ED visits and improve overall community health, especially among populations experiencing greater inequities.

Current status of biomedical waste management practices and barriers among private Jordanian dental clinics: A cross-sectional investigation of the capital Amman.

Biomedical waste management (BMWM) is vital in facilitating safe providing of healthcare. Developing countries suffer from the impact of mishandled biomedical waste (BMW) on the general public in addition to healthcare practitioners. Thus, this study aims to investigate the awareness and compliance of dental facilities to BMW regulations. Through a questionnaire designed as per the WHO guidelines on BMWM, we randomly recruited a total of 421 dental facilities representative of Jordan's capital. Mean BMWM practice scores were relatively high for the studied sample (0.748 ± 0.12). Nonetheless, while collection, transportation and storage standards were acceptable, those pertaining to segregation and disposal demonstrated lack of compliance to BMWM safety measures. An alarming number of participants dispose of infectious waste (40%), extracted teeth (48.5%), expired pharmaceuticals (44.4%), liquid chemicals (53.2%), X-ray films (35.0%) and solutions (48.7%) in the general trash or draining system. Such is attributed to either lack of resources, lack of proper equipment or poor awareness with BMWM guidelines. Moreover, it appears that location of the clinic (p < 0.001), occupation (p = 0.026) and presence of regulatory instructions (p = 0.048) were associated with higher BMWM scores. Overall, dental practitioners require proper training in terms of handling hazardous dental, chemical and radioactive wastes. Moreover, regulatory bodies should actively enforce regulations and monitoring, update current compliance legislations and subsidize eco-friendly practices.

Evaluation of the efficacy of hydroxyl radical (OH˙) release for disinfection of the air and surfaces in the dental clinic: an in vitro study.

BACKGROUND: Concerning about the quality of room air has increased exponentially. Specially in dental clinics where diary practice is characterized by the important generation of aerosols. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An in vitro model was used in which samples were collected from the surfaces and room air of a dental clinic before and after the use of an OH˙ radical generator. RESULTS: A total of 1260 samples were collected for bacteriological analysis and 14 samples for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. Following OH˙ treatment, the tested surface samples showed a decrease in the number of colony forming units (CFUs) of 76.9% in TSA culture medium. The circulating room air samples in turn showed a decrease in CFUs of 66.7% in Sabouraud medium and 71.4% in Mannitol agar medium. No presence of SARS-CoV-2 was observed on the surface of the face shield. CONCLUSIONS: The disinfectant technology based on the use of hydroxyl radicals (OH˙) is effective in reducing the presence of moulds and yeasts and Staphylococcus in the air, and in reducing total aerobic bacteria on the tested surfaces.

Patient receptivity to receiving vaccinations in the dental clinic at a rural federally qualified health center.

BACKGROUND: More than 28 million people in the United States visited their dentists but not a physician in 2018, yet only a few states allow dentists to administer vaccines to patients, and those vaccines are limited to influenza, COVID-19, and human papillomavirus. METHODS: To assess the receptiveness of adult dental patients and caregivers of pediatric dental patients to receive necessary vaccines during their dental appointment, a survey was distributed to patients attending a dental visit at a rural federally qualified health center from June 28, 2021, through December 31, 2021. RESULTS: Among the responses from 643 adult patients and 625 pediatric caregivers, approximately one-half (54.2% and 49.9%, respectively) reported being receptive to receiving vaccines in the dental clinic, with 28.5% and 21.8% not being receptive to vaccines, respectively. Primary language, age group, number of children, and primary care center all were associated significantly with reported likelihood of receiving vaccines (P < .05). The most reported concern about receiving vaccines at a dental clinic was a preference for their primary care physician to provide all vaccinations, according to 22.2% of adult patients and 39.8% of pediatric caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' findings support efforts to administer vaccines during dental visits to improve immunization rates among adults and children. Ongoing communication with primary care physicians regarding administration of vaccines in the dental clinic could reduce concerns by adult patients and pediatric caregivers. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Strategies and policies that establish protocols to ensure the safe and effective administration of vaccines in dental visits should be implemented and supported.

Referral from well-child care clinics to dental clinics leads to earlier initiation of preventive dental visits: A quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND: An ealy first preventive dental visit for children is recommended no later than twelve months. However, still many children have their first dental visit relatively late. AIM: To evaluate whether active or passive referral by a well-child care (WCC) physician of babies for a first preventive dental visit leads to earlier initiation of dental care. DESIGN: From WCC clinics in two Dutch regions, 629 parents of babies participated. Parents received an active referral from a WCC physician for a dental visit for their babies (n = 204) or received care as usual (CAU) (n = 136) in one region and a passive referral (n = 143) or CAU (n = 146) in the other region. Active referral involved parents receiving a scheduled appointment at the dental practice, and passive referral involved parents making an appointment themselves. During the WCC visit, parents completed a baseline questionnaire. At age 2.5 years, parents received a follow-up questionnaire about dental attendance. RESULTS: Of the active referral intervention group, 59.3% had their first preventive dental visit in their first year compared with 3.7% in the CAU group (p < .001); for the passive referral group, 46.9% compared with 9.6% (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Referral of babies by WCC for their first preventive dental visit leads to earlier initiation of dental care. An active referral had a larger effect than passive referral.