Spatial ability and anatomy learning performance among dental students.

PURPOSE: Spatial perception is an essential skill for professional dentists. The objective of this study was to observe the spatial ability, as well as anatomy module grades, of dental students at a dental education center in Indonesia and relate these to gender and cohort. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out where dental students in years (cohorts) 1, 2, 4-6 were invited to take the Revised Purdue Spatial Visualization Test (PSVT-R) and the redrawn Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotation Test (MRT) in order to assess spatial ability. In addition, the 1st- and 2nd-year dental students carried out gross anatomy assessments. Spatial ability test results were compared using an independent t-test to detect gender differences, one-way analysis of variance to inspect cohort differences, and correlation relative to anatomy module scores. RESULTS: A total of 326 dental students voluntarily participated. Statistically significant gender differences were found in both spatial ability tests in the overall sample (PSVT-R: p<0.001; MRT: p=0.001). When the 1st- and 2nd-year dental students were pooled, significant gender differences were detected, in which males scored higher than females in both spatial ability tests (PSVT-R: p<0.001; MRT: p=0.003). In anatomy, however, females scored higher than the males (p=0.005). In addition, there were weak to moderate, but significant correlations between spatial ability tests and anatomy scores. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that spatial ability may not be the only factor predicting the academic performance of dental students. However, dental students with low spatial ability scores may need supplementary educational techniques when learning specific spatial tasks.

Psychometric analysis and reliability of the dental treatment motivation scale for Indonesian pregnant women.

This study aimed to obtain the results of psychometric analysis and reliability of the dental treatment motivation scale (DTMS), which was adapted cross-culturally for pregnant women in Indonesia. A descriptive survey was conducted with 149 pregnant women at a maternal clinic in Bandung City, Indonesia, in December 2020. Convenience sampling was chosen as the sampling technique after the inclusion and exclusion criteria had been fulfilled. Two English experts initially translated the DTMS questionnaire from English into Indonesian and the translated questionnaire was then reviewed by four expert panels, which were modified afterwards. The validity test was carried out using the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and goodness of fit index (GFI). The internal reliability analysis used Cronbach's alpha, and the test-retest was conducted using Pearson's correlation coefficient. The psychometric analysis results were obtained from four testing stages. The first stage was the initial eigenvalue assessment, and the cumulative percentage value was >60%. The second stage was the exploratory factor analysis, with a loading factor of >0.3. The third stage consisted of the confirmatory factor analysis, forming two components of the factor structure (intrinsic and extrinsic motivations). Finally, the fourth stage was the GFI assessment, which showed the good fit model with a value of 0.903. Very high internal consistency reliability ranged from 0.985 to 0.990; the test-retest p-value of Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.000. In conclusion, the Indonesian version of the DTMS proved to be a reliable and valid instrument to measure Indonesian pregnant women's motivation to seek oral health treatment.

Psychometric analysis and reliability of the dental treatment motivation scale for Indonesian pregnant women

Abstract: This study aimed to obtain the results of psychometric analysis and reliability of the dental treatment motivation scale (DTMS), which was adapted cross-culturally for pregnant women in Indonesia. A descriptive survey was conducted with 149 pregnant women at a maternal clinic in Bandung City, Indonesia, in December 2020. Convenience sampling was chosen as the sampling technique after the inclusion and exclusion criteria had been fulfilled. Two English experts initially translated the DTMS questionnaire from English into Indonesian and the translated questionnaire was then reviewed by four expert panels, which were modified afterwards. The validity test was carried out using the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and goodness of fit index (GFI). The internal reliability analysis used Cronbach's alpha, and the test-retest was conducted using Pearson's correlation coefficient. The psychometric analysis results were obtained from four testing stages. The first stage was the initial eigenvalue assessment, and the cumulative percentage value was >60%. The second stage was the exploratory factor analysis, with a loading factor of >0.3. The third stage consisted of the confirmatory factor analysis, forming two components of the factor structure (intrinsic and extrinsic motivations). Finally, the fourth stage was the GFI assessment, which showed the good fit model with a value of 0.903. Very high internal consistency reliability ranged from 0.985 to 0.990; the test-retest p-value of Pearson's correlation coefficient was 0.000. In conclusion, the Indonesian version of the DTMS proved to be a reliable and valid instrument to measure Indonesian pregnant women's motivation to seek oral health treatment.

Risk Factors for Early Childhood Caries Based on Identification of Veillonella spp. Using RT-PCR

Abstract Objective: To identify the occurrence of Veillonella spp. in children using real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and to determine its role as a risk factor for ECC in children aged 2-3 years. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted and samples from 87 children aged 2-3 years, who lived in selected villages in the Bandung City area, Indonesia, were collected. Examination for dental caries was performed using standard checks for decay, missing, and filled surfaces (dfms), and saliva samples were taken. Microbiological examination was performed using RT-PCR with primers consisting of one primary set for Veillonella spp. and one universal primary set for 16S rDNA. We performed statistical testing using the Mann Whitney rank-sum test. Results: A total of 87 children were sampled, and an ECC prevalence of 71.3% was found, with a mean dmfs of 7.1 (± 9.1). The proportion of Veillonella spp. in caries-free children was 2.13 ± 2.30, while in children with ECC, it was 3.29 ± 6.83. Conclusion: The proportion of Veillonella spp. in children with ECC was higher than in caries-free children; therefore, Veillonella spp. may be a risk factor for ECC.

Nutritional status, dental caries and tooth eruption in children: a longitudinal study in Cambodia, Indonesia and Lao PDR.

BACKGROUND: Untreated dental caries is reported to affect children's nutritional status and growth, yet evidence on this relationship is conflicting. The aim of this study was to assess the association between dental caries in both the primary and permanent dentition and nutritional status (including underweight, normal weight, overweight and stunting) in children from Cambodia, Indonesia and Lao PDR over a period of 2 years. A second objective was to assess whether nutritional status affects the eruption of permanent teeth. METHODS: Data were used from the Fit for School - Health Outcome Study: a cohort study with a follow-up period of 2 years, consisting of children from 82 elementary schools in Cambodia, Indonesia and Lao PDR. From each school, a random sample of six to seven-year-old children was selected. Dental caries and odontogenic infections were assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and the pufa-index. Weight and height measurements were converted to BMI-for-age and height-for-age z-scores and categorized into weight status and stunting following WHO standardised procedures. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations were analysed using the Kruskal Wallis test, Mann Whitney U-test and multivariate logistic and linear regression. RESULTS: Data of 1499 children (mean age at baseline = 6.7 years) were analyzed. Levels of dental caries and odontogenic infections in the primary dentition were significantly highest in underweight children, as well as in stunted children, and lowest in overweight children. Dental caries in six to seven-year old children was also significantly associated with increased odds of being underweight and stunted 2 years later. These associations were not consistently found for dental caries and odontogenic infections in the permanent dentition. Underweight and stunting was significantly associated with a lower number of erupted permanent teeth in children at the age of six to seven-years-old and 2 years later. CONCLUSIONS: Underweight and stunted growth are associated with untreated dental caries and a delayed eruption of permanent teeth in children from Cambodia, Indonesia and Lao PDR. Findings suggest that oral health may play an important role in children's growth and general development. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was restrospectively registered with the German Clinical Trials Register, University of Freiburg (trial registration number: DRKS00004485 ; date of registration: 26th of February, 2013).