Bibliometric Analysis of Context, Trends, and Contents of Digital Health Technology Used in Dental Health.

Digital tools and apps are revolutionizing healthcare and provide creative answers to urgent problems. Through teamwork and the incorporation of digital technologies, dentistry has experienced a remarkable revolution. A large body of scholarly research backs up this trend. The context, trends, and content of digital health technology in oral and dental health are examined in our bibliometric analysis. Using targeted keywords and synonyms, an organized searching technique was used in the Scopus database, yielding 1942 articles that were extracted into a CSV file. To acquire insights into the content, trends, and context, visualization using VOSviewer 1.6.18 and a variety of analyses-including coauthorship, citation, cooccurrence of author keywords, bibliographic coupling, and cocitation-were executed. The analysis revealed that the USA and the UK contributed to a significant quantity of the literature, with newer contributions coming from nations like India. Cone Beam Computed Tomography, Dental Caries, and Artificial Intelligence were prominent keywords. It is important to note that BMC Oral Health was associated with a sizable number of the papers. This bibliometric analysis provides insightful information about the context, content, and trends of digital health in the field of oral and dental health. By implementing the right technology, policymakers can use this information to increase oral health, encourage dental literacy, and improve access to dental treatment. It is vital to take into account the wide variety of technologies and their classifications based on dental services and contextual variables.

Comparative Evaluation of Oral Health and Behavior Changes in Children after Motivational Interviewing and Traditional Method of Oral Health Education among Mothers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Aim: To analyze the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) compared to traditional health education among mothers in improving children's oral health and behavioral changes. Review methods: The search strategy was framed using relevant MeSH terms and free text terms in PubMed, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar for the articles published in the English language between 1st January 2000 and 31st December 2020. Only randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, and clinical trials comparing MI with traditional health education were included. Cochrane risk of bias (ROB) tool was used for the quality assessment of the included studies, and Review Manager 5.3 software was used for computing results. Results: A total of 9 studies were included for qualitative synthesis and 5 for quantitative synthesis from an initial search of 3,708 articles. The cumulative mean difference for dental caries was -1.03 [95% confidence interval (CI)-1.37-0.70] p < 0.00001, for frequency of toothbrushing Pooled odds ratio was 1.69 (95% CI-0.68-4.25) p = 0.26 and for in-between snacking was 0.83 with (95% CI-0.48-1.44) p = 0.51. A significant difference was present in dental caries among children with mothers in the MI group, while no difference was present in in-between snacking and frequency of toothbrushing between both the groups. Conclusion: Motivational interviewing (MI) prove to be significantly effective in reducing newer dental caries for shorter duration; however, long-term effectiveness could not be assessed. Clinical significance: Motivational interviewing (MI) can be considered an effective and feasible method for oral health education to mothers, which will, in turn, improve the oral health of their children. Protocol registration: International prospective register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO) under registration code. CRD42021224278. How to cite this article: Karande PH, Shetty VB, Vinay V, et al. Comparative Evaluation of Oral Health and Behavior Changes in Children after Motivational Interviewing and Traditional Method of Oral Health Education among Mothers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2023;16(3):464-473.

Effectiveness of Oral Health Educational Methods among School Children Aged 5-16 Years in Improving their Oral Health Status: A Meta-analysis.

Background: Oral health is an essential component of health throughout life. Two major oral diseases, dental caries and gingival conditions are prevalent in young population. School-based oral health education (OHE) programs with recognized technology and traditional lecturing could be strategic in promotion of oral health behavior in developed and developing countries. Aim: The aim of the study is to summarize existing evidence in order to evaluate the effectiveness of OHE programs in school children aged 5-16 years in improving their oral health status. Methodology: Clinical trials with school children between 5 and 16 years were included. Eligible studies were those which had outcomes as caries, plaque and gingival indices, and oral hygiene status. Articles published from 2010 to 2019 in English language from PubMed, Directory of Open Access Journal (DOAJ), and Google Scholar were searched. Forty-one articles were identified and relevance was determined by examining title and full article. Nine articles were included for qualitative synthesis and seven were eligible for meta-analysis. The risk of bias was assessed by Cochrane Handbook. A meta-analysis was done using Review Manager 5.3 software. Results: After the meta-analysis results for cumulative mean difference was found as 0.05 (-0.17, 0.27), -0.37 (-0.74, 0.00), -0.20 (-0.33, -0.07), and -0.17 (-0.73, 0.38) for plaque status, Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S), debris status, and dental caries, respectively showing a significant difference favoring the experimental group than traditional group. Conclusion: Interventions given by various aids like lectures, albums, models, flipcharts, leaflets, E-programs, games, drawings, and presentations proved effective in improving oral hygiene status and dental caries, but no reduction in plaque levels and gingival inflammation as compared to oral health talk/counseling by dentists. How to cite this article: Gurav KM, Shetty V, Vinay V, et al. Effectiveness of Oral Health Educational Methods among School Children Aged 5-16 Years in Improving their Oral Health Status: A Meta-analysis. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2022;15(3):338-349.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Salivary Biomarkers in Detecting Early Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Biopsy is the gold standard for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) diagnosis. Salivary biomarkers provide promising complementary alternative diagnostic adjunct for its simple non- invasive collection and technique and to screen large population. OBJECTIVE: To summarize and compare the existing evidence on diagnostic accuracy of salivary biomarkers with their estimation method in detecting early oral squamous cell carcinoma. METHODS: The review protocol is registered under PROSPERO(CRD42021225704). PubMed, Google Scholar, EBSCOhost were searched from 2000 to 2020 to identify the screening potential of eight salivary biomarkers: mRNA, miRNA, DUSP100, s100P, IL-8, IL-1B, TNF-a and MMP-9. True-positive, false-positive, true-negative, false-negative, sensitivity, specificity values were extracted or calculated if not present for each study. Quality of selected studies was evaluated based on QUADAS 2 tool. Meta-analysis was performed using a bivariate model parameter for the sensitivity and specificity and summary points, summary receiver operating curve (SROC), confidence region, and prediction region were calculated. RESULTS: Eighteen studies were included for qualitative synthesis and out of that 13 for meta-analysis. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated with AUC. For mRNA it was 91% and 90% with 0.96 AUC, miRNA had 91% and 91% with 0.95 AUC for PCR. IL-1B had 46% and 60% with 0.61 AUC, S100p had 45% and 90% with 0.57 AUC for ELISA. IL-8 had 54% and 74% for ELISA and 89% and 90% for PCR with 0.79 AUC and DUSP1 had 32% and 87% for ELISA and 76% and 83% for PCR with 0.83 AUC respectively. CONCLUSION: Early detection of OSCC was best achieved by screening for salivary mRNA and miRNA estimated by PCR. Further investigation is required into salivary RNA as novel biomarkers and these salivary biomarkers may be potentially used for non-invasive diagnosis of early OSCC.

Effectiveness of Audio and Audio-Visual Distraction Aids for Management of Pain and Anxiety in Children and Adults Undergoing Dental Treatment- A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis.

Dentists have a wide variety of techniques available to them such as tell -show-do, relaxation, distraction, systematic desensitisation, modelling, audio analgesia, hypnosis, and behaviour rehearsal. There is no concrete research as systematic review and meta-analysis indicating which explains the most effective distraction technique. AIM: To summarize effectiveness of audio and audio-visual (AV) distraction aids for management of pain and anxiety in children undergoing dental treatment. STUDY DESIGN: Literature search: PubMed/MEDLINE, DOAJ, Science Direct from June - July 2020 with randomized control clinical trials conducted on children with audio and AV distraction aids as intervention and those which had anxiety and pain as outcomes were searched. Fifty articles were identified and relevance was determined. 14 studies were included for qualitative synthesis and 05 were eligible for meta-analysis. Cochrane handbook used to assess the risk of bias. The meta analysis conducted using review manager 5.3 software. RESULTS: Meta-analysis, cumulative mean difference for audio and AV distraction techniques was calculated with main outcomes as pulse rate, O2 level, Vehman's picture and clinical test. These findings showed significant difference favoring the intervention (audio and AV) group when compared with control but indicating more effectiveness of AV distractions. CONCLUSION: Different audio-visual aids assist in reducing pain and anxiety in children but using audio distraction aids when audio-visual aids are not available could be acceptable way for distracting and treating children.

Effect of 0.4% Triphala and 0.12% chlorhexidine mouthwash on dental plaque, gingival inflammation, and microbial growth in 14-15-year-old schoolchildren: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

CONTEXT: A strong correlation exists between plaque and dental caries and periodontal diseases. Ayurvedic drugs have been used since ancient times; oral rinses made from these are used in periodontal therapy. Triphala is one of these with wide spectrum of activity. AIMS: To assess and compare the effect of 0.4% Triphala and 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash on dental plaque, gingival inflammation, and microbial count of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Lactobacilli from dental plaque sample of 14-15-year-old schoolchildren of Pune city during 90 days supervised use. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A randomized, controlled, double-blind, parallel-group clinical trial was conducted among 72 schoolchildren aged 14-15 years. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Children were divided into two study groups: Group A with 0.4% Triphala mouthwash (n = 36) and Group B with 0.12% CHX mouthwash (n = 36). The plaque Index (Loe H [1967]), gingival index (Loe H and Silness J [1963]), and microbial analysis were recorded at baseline, 30 days, and 90 days interval. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Statistical analysis was done using unpaired t-test for group-wise comparison and one-way analysis of variance test, followed by Tukey's post hoc test for intragroup comparison. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The results showed that 0.4% Triphala and 0.12% CHX have similar inhibitory effect on plaque accumulation, gingivitis, and growth of S. mutans, S. sanguinis, and Lactobacilli. CONCLUSION: Herbal mouthwash proved to be helpful in reducing plaque microbial counts, plaque, and gingival inflammation and opens new arenas in the field of herbal dentistry and chemical plaque control.

Effectiveness of oral health educational interventions on oral health of visually impaired school children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of newer and traditional oral health education (OHE) methods in improving oral health knowledge, oral hygiene status and practices, plaque, gingival, and dental caries status of visually impaired children. METHODOLOGY: Comprehensive literature search was performed by using PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, Google scholar, and Open Gray from 2010 to 2020 for studies in English language. Two reviewers critically assessed the studies for eligibility criteria, and data extraction was performed. Quality assessment of selected studies was executed according to the study designs. A meta-analysis was carried out using Review Manager 5.3 software. RESULTS: Twenty-four articles were included for qualitative synthesis and out that 11 in meta-analysis. Cumulative standardized mean difference for plaque (Silness and Loe, 1964) and gingival index (Loe and Silness, 1963) was -0.45 (-0.88, -0.02, p = 0.04) and -0.54 (-1.10, 0.03, p = 0.06), respectively favoring newer OHE group as compared to traditional OHE group. Comparison of different newer OHE methods had similar effects on the oral health of visually impaired children. CONCLUSION: The study period of included studies was short-term, so long-term effectiveness could not be assessed, however newer OHE methods were effective in improving plaque and gingival scores over a short period.

Microbiological and Clinical evaluation of Neem gel and Chlorhexidine gel on Dental Plaque and Gingivitis in 20-30 Years Old Adults: A Randomized Parallel-Armed, Double-Blinded Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The etiological relationship between the plaque and the gingival inflammation has been long established. The long-term use of chemical antiplaque agents may lead to side effects such as teeth staining and alteration of taste. Therefore, natural plant extracts with potential antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity have been explored, which are equally effective and safe for long-term use. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate effect of neem gel and chlorhexidine (CHX) gel on dental plaque, gingivitis, and bacterial count of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli among 20-30-year-old school teachers in a city of western Maharashtra, over 90 days' usage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A double-blind, parallel armed, controlled, randomized clinical study was conducted among 60 school teachers of 20-30 years' age group for 90 days. The two study groups were as follows: Group A--2.5% neem gel (n = 30) and Group B--0.2% CHX gel (n = 30). The plaque scores were recorded by Plaque Index (Löe H. The gingival index, the plaque index and the retention index systems. J Periodontol 1967;38:610-6) and gingival scores by Gingival Index (Löe H, Silness J. Periodontal disease in pregnancy. Acta Odontol Scand 1963;21:533-51). Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli species count by conventional culture method was carried out at baseline, 30th day and 90thday. Considering P value <0.05 as statistically significant, intergroup comparison was performed using unpaired t test. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used followed by Tukey's post hoc test for intragroup comparison. RESULTS: The mean plaque, gingival scores, and microbial count of S. mutans and Lactobacilli showed significant reduction at 30th and 90th day in neem gel group as well as CHX gel group (P < 0.05). None of the parameter showed any significant change at 30th and 90th day (P > 0.05) on intergroup comparison. CONCLUSION: The neem gel showed significant decrease in dental plaque, gingival inflammation, and microbial counts, which was comparable to CHX gel proving to be a good herbal alternative. No side effects were reported for use of neem gel over considered period of time.

Comparative evaluation of two caries detection systems for detecting the prevalence of early childhood caries: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The early diagnosis of dental caries is very crucial to prevent tooth loss, which leads to serious consequences in preschool children. The aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic outcome by the World Health Organization (WHO) and WHO and early carious lesions (ECLs) (i.e., WHO + ECL) criteria for assessing early childhood caries (ECC) in preschool children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional, comparative study was conducted among 3-5 year old children (n = 358). Clinical examination was conducted using WHO and WHO + ECL criteria. The data were assessed using paired "t" test. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: There was statistically significant difference between the mean decayed, missing, or filled teeth recorded by the WHO + ECL and WHO (P < 0.05) method. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that WHO + ECL criteria were significant and more precise in assessing the presence of ECL in preschool children.

Students' perceptions of their education on graduation from a dental school in India.

This study was conducted with the purpose of assessing students' perceived learning experience at the time of graduation from a dental school in India. The domains appraised were undergraduate curriculum, student motivation and support services, institutional infrastructure, administrative services, components of teaching-learning programs, confidence level in carrying out specific clinical procedures, career choice, and postgraduate specialty preference after graduation. The authors surveyed forty-five dental interns at the end of their undergraduate course, a 100 percent response rate from the class. The results showed that over 95 percent of the graduates were satisfied with the curriculum and 60 to 95 percent reported that the various components of the teaching-learning process were adequate. Only 42 percent of the students were confident about setting up a practice; 65 percent wished to take a course on general dentistry; and 86 percent wanted to pursue postgraduate study. The principal conclusions were that although the program was satisfactory to the majority of participants, some areas of concern were identified that need improvement.