Assessment of patterns and related factors in using social media platforms to access health and oral health information among Sri Lankan adults, with special emphasis on promoting oral health awareness.

BACKGROUND: Social media has evolved beyond its conventional purpose of communication and information sharing to become a potent tool for disseminating health and oral health awareness. This study seeks to assess the patterns and related factors of using social media platforms to access health and oral health information among Sri Lankan adults, with special emphasis to promotion of oral health awareness. METHODS: In March 2023, individuals aged ≥ 18 years residing in Sri Lanka, who are users of social media participated in this electronic questionnaire-based survey. Statistical analyses of the collected data were done using the SPSS version 21 software, with a p-value of < 0.05 set to determine the level of statistical significance. RESULTS: A total of 421 persons participated in this survey. Majority (68.4%) belonged to the age category of 18 to 30 years, and 55.5% were females. WhatsApp (96.8%) was the most frequently used social media platform across all age groups and both genders. Statistically significant differences were identified between genders in the usage of Telegram, Twitter, and Viber within the 18-30 years age category, with a higher percentage of males using these platforms (p ≤ 0.05). Similar significant differences were observed in the 31-40 years age group for WhatsApp and Telegram (p ≤ 0.05). Among 95.4% of online health information seekers, YouTube (74.9%) was the most popular platform. One-quarter of the respondents preferred social media platforms, and 22.3% preferred websites for obtaining oral health information. Furthermore, 74.9% had positive opinions on obtaining oral health information via social media, while only 17% reported pleasant experiences with social media platforms for oral health promotion. In assessing the reliability of oral health information on social media, 48% relied on the quality of the information. The most preferred source of oral health information was short videos from professionals (43.1%). Additionally, 69.5% reported changes in their oral health behaviours after accessing information through social media. CONCLUSION: Social media is a viable platform for promoting public oral health awareness in Sri Lankan; hence, workable strategies need to be employed, to further ensure its effective and wider use in a culturally and socioeconomically diverse country like Sri Lanka.

Virtual reality-based simulation learning on geriatric oral health care for nursing students: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: There is a great need for training and education in the nursing curriculum to improve nurses' knowledge and skills to provide oral health care. METHODS: A pilot study was conducted to evaluate the use of a virtual reality (VR)-based Oral Health Care Learning System to train geriatric oral health care among nursing students. Fifty undergraduate nursing students were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 25) and control (n = 25) groups. The experimental group received the VR-based simulation training on geriatric oral health care and the training was implemented twice at two weeks apart from March to November 2021. The control group did not receive the training intervention. Knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy of geriatric oral health care as well as the intention to assist oral health care for older adults were assessed at the beginning, second, and fourth weeks. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the effectiveness of the VR-based simulation training. RESULTS: After the first round of training, students in the experimental group had significantly greater improvements in knowledge and self-efficacy of geriatric oral health care than in the control group. After the second round of training, students in the experimental group had significantly greater improvements in knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy of geriatric oral health care as well as the intention to assist oral health care for older adult than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The VR-based simulation training was effective to improve undergraduate nursing students' knowledge, attitudes and self-efficacy of geriatric oral health as well as the intention to assist oral health care for older adults. The VR-based simulation learning system is an effective tool to provide practice experiences to build confidence and skills and to bridge the gap of understudied geriatric oral health content in entry-level nursing curricula. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05248542; registration date 21/02/2022).

Association of lifestyle behaviors and oral health care needs: Mediating effects of inflammatory markers.

OBJECTIVE: Mounting evidence indicates that modifiable risk factors such as lifestyle behaviors may be involved in the occurrence of oral diseases. However, existing research doesn't come to a unanimous consent. This study aims to evaluate the association between lifestyle behaviors and oral health care needs. METHODS: This study used the nationally representative dataset from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from March 2017 to 2020 pre-pandemic. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate lifestyle behavioral factors that influence oral health care needs. Mediation analysis was performed to explore the roles of inflammatory markers in the relationship between physical activities and oral problems. RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, multivariate analysis indicated that flossing (OR = 0.590, 95% CI, 0.510-0.682, P < 0.001), moderate alcohol consumption (per week: OR = 0.717, 95% CI, 0.588-0.873, P < 0.001; per month/year: OR = 0.794, 95% CI, 0.669-0.942, P = 0.008) and participation in recreational activities (vigorous recreational activities: OR = 0.548, 95% CI, 0.462-0.648, P < 0.001; moderate recreational activities: OR = 0.629, 95% CI, 0.549-0.721, P < 0.001) significantly reduced oral health care needs. In addition, sleep duration of 7-9 h was associated with lower oral health care needs compared to less or more sleep duration (<7 h or > 9 h) (OR = 0.851, 95% CI, 0.741-0.976, P = 0.021). Mediation analysis suggested that white blood cell (WBC) counts and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations acted significant mediating roles in the association between recreational activities and oral problems. CONCLUSIONS: The possible beneficial effects of healthy lifestyle behaviors on oral health will guide individuals to develop good habits, thereby reducing the burden of oral diseases.

Dental Care Among Adults Age 65 and Older: United States, 2022.

Oral health is associated with overall health, especially in older adults (age 65 and older). Chronic conditions in older adults may affect oral health, and poor oral health may increase the risk of certain chronic conditions (1-3). Poor oral health has also been associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk (4). Several factors, including chronic conditions, health status, race, and income have been associated with reduced dental care use among older adults (5-9). This report describes the percentage of older adults who had a dental visit in the past 12 months by selected sociodemographic characteristics and chronic conditions using the 2022 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). .

Dental caries, oral hygiene status and deleterious habits among migrant construction workers of Belagavi, India.

Background: Occupation significantly influences oral health, with factors like the work environment, stress levels, access to dental care, and job-related habits playing crucial roles. The oral health of construction workers, especially migrant workers, is a noteworthy concern. Understanding the oral health of this population is crucial for enhancing their quality of life through various means. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of dental caries, oral hygiene status, and deleterious habits in this occupational group of Belagavi district, Karnataka. Materials and methods: Study design was cross-sectional in nature. Before commencement of the study a pilot study was conducted. Multi-stage random sampling technique was employed, and 610 participants were recruited for the study. Trained and calibrated examiners recorded WHO dentition status and treatment needs (2013) and Oral Hygiene Index Simplified (OHI-S). Collected data was analyzed using descriptive analysis, chi-square, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of dental caries among construction workers was significantly high (81%), and poor oral hygiene was observed among 36.9% of them. The prevalence of smoking, the tobacco chewing habit, and alcohol consumption among the construction workers was found to be 21.6%, 59.9%, and 37.3%, respectively. The dependence of OHI-S and DMFT on predictors (age, gender and deleterious habits) was found to be 21.5% and 39.6%, respectively. Conclusions: Migrant construction workers in Belagavi had a high caries prevalence, poor oral hygiene status, and a high prevalence of deleterious habits such as tobacco use. These results emphasize the necessity of awareness and dental health education programs to improve the oral health of construction workers.

Factors associated with oral health care behavior of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A hospital-based, cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Oral healthcare behavior determines oral health status and the incidence of oral diseases. People with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at-risk of having low oral healthcare behavior and disease-related oral health. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the oral health status and factors associated with oral healthcare behavior among people with T2DM in Thailand. METHODS: In total, 401 people with T2DM participated in the study based on their attendance at a non-communicable disease clinic at sub-district health promotion hospitals in Bueng Kan, a north-eastern province in Thailand. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain variables of interest. Linear regression analysis at the 95% confidence interval (CI) was applied. RESULTS: The majority of participants were female (73.8%). More than three-quarters had more than 20 permanent teeth (77.6%), a decay missing filling tooth index was 10.6 teeth/person. Many participants had four permanent occlusal pairs (69.6%), had tooth decay (74.6%), and some participants had tooth filling (32.2%). Statistically significant factors associated with oral healthcare behavior were: having complications associated with diabetes mellitus (Beta = -0.097, 95%CI = -1.653, -0.046), oral health literacy (Beta = 0.119, 95%CI = 0.009, 0.150), educational level (Beta = 0.123, 95%CI = 0.103, 0.949), oral healthcare attitude (Beta = 0.258, 95%CI = 0.143, 0.333), and oral health services (Beta = 0.430, 95%CI = 0.298, 1.408). CONCLUSIONS: People with T2DM had good oral health status. People with T2DM with low oral health literacy, low attitude, and low level of oral health services were at a higher risk of poor oral healthcare behavior.

A theory of oral healthcare decision-making in Appalachia.

INTRODUCTION: People make oral healthcare decisions regardless of having partial information, misinformation, sources that deliberately mislead, or information that is culturally influenced. This is particularly true in the Appalachian culture where oral healthcare decision-making practices are not well understood by researchers and dental professionals. Despite efforts to improve dental care utilization, the Appalachia region remains low in oral healthcare utilization. There is a need for a theory to identify concepts in decision-making when seeking oral healthcare. The theory could be useful in creating oral health interventions. The study objective is to develop a theory to identify concepts that influence oral healthcare decision-making in Appalachia (OHDA). METHODS: The researchers used a grounded theory qualitative study design to explain data for a theory of OHDA. Participants from Appalachia, in 20-minute interviews, provided insights into concepts that influence OHDA from August 22, 2017 to May 26, 2022. Notes/memos were written during and after the interviews and coding was conducted after the interviews. Open coding categories emerged through constant comparison of responses. RESULTS: Five overarching concepts that embody OHDA were discovered: Affect (Level of Pain/Emotion/Stress involvement), Awareness, Trust/belief, Resources, and Risk Perception. All participants discussed the impact of social media toward these concepts. CONCLUSION: To influence a person's OHDA, public health officials and researchers need to address the person's affect, level of awareness, trust/belief, available resources, and risk perception. Social media is very important in awareness concerning oral health information. These factors are important to consider for similar research in oral healthcare utilization at the population level.

Use of oral health care services by family caregivers and care recipients: the LENTO intervention.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the impact of an individually tailored preventive oral health intervention on the use of oral health care services by older family caregivers (FCs) and their care recipients (CRs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A randomized controlled six and 12-month oral health intervention study included FCs and CRs aged ≥65 years living in Eastern Finland. The participants were randomly assigned to an intervention (FCs n = 53, CRs n = 47) and a control (FCs n = 39, CRs n = 35) group. Individually tailored oral health interventions for the FCs provided by a dental hygienist focused on oral hygiene and self-care. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the impact of intervention on the change in the use of oral health care services. RESULTS: The intervention had no significant effect on the use of oral health care services by the FCs or their CRs. Traditional factors such as female gender, a higher number of teeth, toothache, no dental fear, and higher morbidity were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with an increased use of oral health care services in the FCs, but not among the CRs. CONCLUSIONS: Individually tailored preventive oral health intervention showed no effect on the use of oral health care services. To promote oral health among the elderly, specific interventions focusing on use of oral health care services are needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04003493.

Oral health and nutritional status in care-dependent, community-dwelling older adults in Zurich, Switzerland.

The aim of this study was to assess the oral health status (OHS), Oral health impact profile (OHIP-G-14), and the nutritional status (NS) in community-dwelling, dependent older adults. Information on OHS including DMF(T), plaque (PI) and gingival (GI) indices, community-periodontal-index-for-treatment-needs (CPITN), OHIP-G-14, maximum bite force (MBF), chewing efficiency [subjective (SA) and quantitative (VoH) assessments] were collected. NS was obtained by Mini-nutritional assessment (MNA) and body mass index (BMI). Cognitive status was evaluated by the mini-mental state examination (MMSE). 240 elders (mean-age = 81.5 ± 8.9y; men =85, women =155) were recruited. Average number of teeth, functional occlusal units and DMF(T), were 18.8 ± 8.9, 7.7 ± 3.5, and 22.3 ± 5.3 respectively. Mean PI, GI, CPITN and OHIP-G-14 were 1.8 ± 0.8, 1.2 ± 0.8, 1.9 ± 1.1, and 8.0 ± 12.0, respectively. MBF, VoH, SA were 219.6 ± 193.6, 0.3 ± 0.2, and 3.3 ± 1.4, respectively. MNA and BMI were 22.9 ± 4.7 and 25.5 ± 5.3, respectively. Number of teeth reduced significantly with age (P < 0.001), cognitive decline (P < 0.001). Oral hygiene significantly deteriorated with cognitive decline (P < 0.001). OHIP scores were negatively affected by increasing cognitive decline (P < 0.001). MNA deteriorated in women (P = 0.026), with increasing age (P = 0.015), and advancing cognitive decline (P < 0.001). BMI reduced with advancing age (P = 0.003) and in women (P = 0.016). Based on the findings of this study, it may be concluded that advancing age and cognitive decline, negatively impacted the oral health, oral function, oral health-related quality of life, and the nutritional state of care-dependent community-dwelling older adults.

Removable dental prostheses and difficulties with chewing among frail individuals: Results from the Swiss SAPALDIA cohort.

Oral healthcare among the frail is an underestimated geriatric care element. While neglected oral health (OH) is a well-established risk factor for frailty, frailty can be a risk factor for subsequent OH problems. The cross-sectional investigation nested into the SAPALDIA sub-cohort of citizens aged 52 years and older, aims to stimulate longitudinal research into aspects that accelerate poor OH among frail individuals. The hypothesis investigated was that (pre-) frail individuals are more likely to have missing teeth replaced with removable dental prostheses (RDP) resulting in difficulties with chewing. The study included 1489 participants undergoing geriatric assessments and oral examination. The main predictor was frailty status (non-frail; pre-frail; frail), based on Fried's frailty phenotype. The main outcomes of interest were non-functional dentition (presence of ≤ 19 natural teeth), presence of any RDP and self-reported difficulties with chewing. Pre-frailty and frailty were not associated with the presence of ≤ 19 natural teeth, but were associated with a higher RDP prevalence. The presence of at least one complete denture (CD) had 1.71 fold and 2.54 folds higher odds among pre-frail and frail, respectively, compared to non-frail individuals. Frail individuals with CD reported chewing difficulties 7.8 times more often than non-frail individuals without CD. The results are in line with the hypothesis that (pre-) frail individuals may be more likely to have tooth loss restored by RDPs. Future longitudinal research needs to assess potential barriers to oral hygiene and fixed dental prostheses among (pre-) frail and to study their oral health-related quality of life.

Development of a nomogram for identifying periodontitis cases in Denmark.

Although self-reported health outcomes are of importance, attempts to validate a clinical applicable instrument (e.g., nomogram) combining sociodemographic and self-reported information on periodontitis have yet to be performed to identify periodontitis cases. Clinical and self-reported periodontitis, along with sociodemographic data, were collected from 197 adults. Akaike information criterion models were developed to identify periodontitis, and nomograms developed based on its regression coefficients. The discriminatory capability was evaluated by receiver-operating characteristic curves. Decision curve analysis was performed. Smoking [OR 3.69 (95%CI 1.89, 7.21)], poor/fair self-rated oral health [OR 6.62 (95%CI 3.23, 13.56)], previous periodontal treatment [OR 9.47 (95%CI 4.02, 22.25)], and tooth loss [OR 4.96 (95%CI 2.47, 9.97)], determined higher probability of having "Moderate/Severe Periodontitis". Age [OR 1.08 (95%CI 1.05, 1.12)], low educational level [OR 1.65 (95%CI 1.34, 2.23)], poor/fair self-rated oral health [OR 3.57 (95%CI 1.82, 6.99)], and previous periodontal treatment [OR 6.66 (95%CI 2.83, 15.68)] determined higher probability for "Any Periodontitis". Both nomograms showed excellent discriminatory capability (AUC of 0.83 (95%CI 0.75, 0.91) and 0.81 (95% CI 0.74, 0.88), good calibration, and slight overestimation of high risk and underestimation of low risk. Hence, our nomograms could help identify periodontitis among adults in Denmark.

Supporting post-pandemic recovery: a qualitative study of the capabilities, opportunities and motivations to deliver oral health behaviour change messages to parents of young children in community settings.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated vulnerabilities and inequalities in children's oral health, and treatment activity virtually ceased during periods of lockdown. Primary care dentistry is still in the post-pandemic recovery phase, and it may be some years before normal service is resumed in NHS dentistry. However, opportunities to support the dental workforce through offering some preventative care in outreach settings may exist. This has the additional benefit of potentially reaching children who do not routinely see a dentist. The aim of this research was therefore to explore views around upskilling practitioners working in early years educational and care settings to support families of pre-school aged children to adopt and maintain preventative oral health behaviours. METHODS: Using the Capability, Opportunity and Motivation model of behaviour (COM-B) to structure our data collection and analysis, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 practitioners (dental and non-dental) and analysed the data using deductive framework analysis. RESULTS: The data were a good fit with the COM-B model, and further themes were developed within each construct, representing insights from the data. CONCLUSION: Early years practitioners can reach vulnerable children who are not usually brought to see a dentist, and have the capability, opportunity and motivation to support the oral health behaviours of families of children in their care. Further research is needed to identify training needs (oral health and behaviour change knowledge and skills), acceptability to parents, and supporting dental practice teams to work in partnership with early years settings.

Change in oral health-related behaviours of children before and after dental treatments under general anaesthesia.

This study evaluated the behavioural changes pertaining to children's oral health before and after the dental general anaesthesia (DGA), with particular focus on the factors associated with these changes. The records were collected for the children who received DGA from July 2015 to November 2016, and relevant questionnaires were obtained from their parents/guardians for the information prior to and after the DGA. The questionnaire included Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) and Dental Subscale of Children's Fear Survey Schedule (CFSS-DS) to investigate the changes in Oral Health-related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) and dental fear. The DGA impact on children's oral hygiene habits and oral health-related behaviours was assessed by analysing the data. The chi-square test and Mann-Whitney test were employed to evaluate the differences. Total of 141 patients (89 before DGA and 77 after DGA, 25 being common) participated in this study. There were 60 children below 5 years and 29 over 5 years before DGA, while 41 children below 5 years and 36 over 5 years after DGA. Most parents/guardians were educated above undergraduate level (59.6% before DGA, 55.8% after DGA). More children lived with grandparents (61.8% before DGA, 54.5% after DGA) than only with parents (20.2% before DGA, 26.0% after DGA). In total, 73.0% (65/89) children before DGA brushed teeth more than twice a day. This proportion increased to 90.9% after DGA (70/77, p = 0.03). The eating difficulty decreased after DGA according to ECOHIS (p = 0.01). CFSS-DS score also decreased after DGA (p < 0.05). After DGA, children's oral hygiene habits and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) improved, children fear for dental treatment decreased, and parents became more attentive towards children oral health.

Maternal and child oral health barriers and solutions: Case studies from South Africa, Brazil, and Indonesia.

The World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA) has introduced a maternal oral health framework and launched its Global Maternal and Child Oral Health Initiative, advocating for maternal and child health as a strategic entry point for oral health to be integrated into primary healthcare systems. This article delves into maternal oral health initiatives in South Africa, Brazil, and Indonesia, exploring challenges and proposing context-specific solutions aligned with the WFPHA maternal oral health framework and its Global Maternal and Child Oral Health Initiative. The apartheid legacy in South Africa has led to the gross health inequalities, including oral health disparities characterized by maldistribution of dental facilities and dental professionals in the public sector. The proposed objectives focus on effective leadership, human resource capacity building, and integration of maternal and child oral health policy into existing health policies. Brazil faces challenges in reaching pregnant women, especially pregnant teens, due to workforce shortages. Brazil's Oral Health National Program mandates all pregnant women undergo at least one dental appointment, but a shortage of oral health teams persists and impedes timely access to dental care during pregnancy. Dental students' outreach to vulnerable pregnant teens can enhance the future oral health workforce's sensitivity to maternal oral health matters. In Indonesia, the Antenatal Care Innovative (iANC) Project has introduced a co-training model for midwives and oral health professionals addressing oral health needs of mothers and their spouses and fostering a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between oral health and maternal well-being. These country cases demonstrate the importance of tailored policies, health promotion, and care delivery interventions in maternal oral health. All cases highlight the importance of workforce training and distribution, fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration and future oral health workforce who can promote health beyond treatment delivery.

Global oral health initiative: World Health Organization strategic action plan.

Dentistry today is a profession which is facing several challenges: -Oral health is less good than thirty years ago, especially in thelow social-economic level countries and emerging countries. -A reduced or poorly distributed number of professionals, which necessarily implies unequal access to care. -Multiple social determinants which are more and more impacting oral health. To tackle these challenges, WHO launched the WHO Global Oral Health strategy which it goal is to guide Member States to: -develop ambitious national responses to promote oral health -reduce oral diseases, other oral conditions and oral health inequalities -strengthen efforts to address oral diseases and conditions as part of universal health coverage; and consider the development of targets and indicators, based on national and subnational contexts, building on the guidance to be provided by the WHO global action plan 2023-2030 on oral health.

Findings from the 2019 nationally representative oral health survey for adults in Singapore.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to present key findings from the 2019 national adult oral health survey in Singapore (NAOHS). METHODS: A multi-stage stratified sampling method was used to recruit participants for a representative national adult oral health survey. A total of 12 212 households were randomly selected from the National Database on Dwellings in Singapore. Within each household eligible persons aged ≥65 years were automatically invited to participate while a Kish selection method was used to invite those between 21 and 64 years old. The survey comprised a face-to-face interview questionnaire and a clinical examination which recorded details of tooth loss, DMFT, DMFS and prevalence of periodontal disease according to the CPITN and the US CDC-AAP classifications. Weighted analysis was performed to adjust for oversampling, non-response and post-stratification. Multivariate regression with backward stepwise selection was carried out to identify predictors of chronic periodontal disease and untreated dental caries. RESULTS: Six hundred and sixty-three participants completed both the questionnaires and the clinical examination. The prevalence of edentulousness was 2.7%. Of participants, 34.8% presented with untreated dental caries with a higher proportion found in those who were aged ≥60 years, of Malay ethnicity, living in 1-2-room public housing and who only visited the dentist when there was a problem. Mean DMFS and DMFT indices were 24.7 and 7.9 respectively. Based on the CDC-AAP classification, the prevalence of moderate-severe chronic periodontitis was 56.9% and increased with age, with a higher proportion in males. Participants with untreated dental caries were more likely to have moderate or severe periodontal disease. CONCLUSIONS: Survey findings showed high prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease, at 34.8% and 77.6% respectively. A clear socio-economic gradient in the distribution of tooth loss, untreated dental caries and moderate-to-severe periodontitis was observed.

The antecedents of oral care in nursing facilities - a qualitative interview study among supervisor nurses.

OBJECTIVES: This qualitative study describes the views of supervisor nurses related to antecedents of oral care in Finnish nursing facilities. METHODS: In the six largest cities in Finland, 19 supervisor nurses were interviewed and asked five semi-structured questions related to the antecedents of oral care in the units. The interviews were analyzed using inductive content analysis. RESULTS: Qualitative content analysis revealed five main categories: awareness of nurses (3 categories, 9 subcategories), attitude and motivation (3 categories, 10 subcategories), supporting quality of life and health (4 categories, 11 subcategories), the meaning of oral health in the unit (3 categories, 10 subcategories), and the role of the supervisor nurse in oral health care (4 categories, 14 subcategories). The awareness of nurses regarding oral health was in most cases good. Nurses' attitudes towards oral health and their motivation to oral care vary but were mostly good. Nurses were aware that oral care enhances the quality of life. The role of the supervisor nurse in organizing oral care was crucial. CONCLUSIONS: The performed analysis identified five main categories to describe antecedents for oral care in Finnish nursing facilities. The categories that needed to be improved were knowledge and attitude, and motivation related to oral care.

Analysis of hospital dental care for patients with special needs in Brazil.

This analytical cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the access of patients with special needs (PSN) in Brazilian municipalities to hospital dental care of the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS), based on data from the Hospital Information System of the Unified Health System (Sistema de Informações Hospitalares do SUS- SIH/SUS - SIH), from 2010 to 2018. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test was performed; the Poisson regression was used to verify factors associated with the variable total number of hospitalization authorizations with the main procedure of dental treatment for PSN ("Total de Autorizações de Internação Hospitalar" - AIH), the Spearman correlation test with a significance level of 5% was used to characterize the relationships between the Municipal Human Development Index per municipality - (Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano Municipal - HDI) and the Oral Health Coverage in the Family Health Strategy by municipality (Cobertura de saúde bucal na estratégia saúde da família por município - SBSF Coverage), and the relationship of the AIH with SBSF Coverage. A total of 127,691 procedures were performed, of which 71,517 (56%) were clinical procedures, such as restorations, endodontic treatments, supra and subgingival scaling, among others. Municipalities in the Midwest (PR=5.117) and Southeast (RP = 4.443) regions had more precedures than the others. A weak correlation was found between AIH and SBSF Coverage (r = -0.2, p < 0.001) and HDI and SBSF Coverage (r = -0.074, p < 0.001). Population size, region, health coverage, oral hygiene, and number of dentists in hospitals affected the availability of dental procedures in PSN.

Correlation between general quality of life and oral health related quality in the mixed dentition.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the convergence between the domains of the Autoquestionnaire Qualité de Vie Enfant image (AUQUEI) and the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ8-10) in the mixed dentition. A sample of 676 children aged 8 to 10 years responded to the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) questionnaires using the AUQUEI and the CPQ8-10, respectively. Clinical (dental caries and malocclusion) and socioeconomic variables were assessed. The validity of convergence between scores (total and per domain) of the two instruments was assessed by Spearman correlation analysis, considering that non-zero coefficient values represented a correlation between scores. The median was calculated to compare the scores of each questionnaire relative to the variables, and the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test was applied to determine statistically significant differences between the categories. A weak significant correlation (between 0.30 and 0.50) was observed between the domains and the total scores of instruments (p < 0.05), except for the leisure domain (p > 0.05). Participants with a lower family income had worse HRQoL (p < 0.05), and those with caries and malocclusion experience had worse OHRQoL (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the AUQUEI and CPQ8-10 instruments showed a weak correlation. Income and clinical variables had a negative impact on the AUQUEI and CPQ8-10, respectively.

Oral health-related quality of life in the LGBTIQ+ population: a cross-sectional study.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the associations between oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and socioeconomic and demographic variables, suicidal ideation, self-perception of oral health, and experiences of dental care in the Brazilian adult LGBTIQ+ population. A sample of 464 participants completed self-administered online questionnaires and provided information for OHRQoL assessment, using the OHIP-14 instrument at three hierarchical levels of explanatory variables: LGBTIQ+ identities; socioeconomic and demographic data and existential suffering; and self-perception of oral health and experience of dental care. The collected data were fitted to hierarchical multiple logistic regression models, in which the associations between each independent variable with the OHIP-14 prevalence outcome were analyzed. The OHIP-14-prevalence index showed that 33.2% of the participants answered 'frequently' or 'always', and the highest frequencies were obtained for the psychological discomfort (27.8%), psychological disability (18.3%), and physical pain (17.5%) domains. According to the adjusted final model, LGBTIQ+ individuals who were more likely to have their OHRQoL affected were those who were indifferent (OR=3.21; 95% CI: 1.26-8.20), dissatisfied (OR=10.45; 95% CI: 3.86-28.26), or very dissatisfied (OR=53.93; 95% CI: 12.12-239.93) with their oral health status, and also those who had or have difficulty accessing dental treatment (OR=2.06; 95% CI: 1.24-3.41) (p<0.05). It may be concluded that the OHRQoL of the investigated Brazilian LGBTIQ+ population showed associations with individual aspects and with access to dental services.