Attitude and performance in controlling dust particles from dental prosthesis and appliance adjustment: a survey of dentists and dental assistants.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the attitude and practices of dentists and dental assistants in managing dust particles generated during dental prostheses or appliances grinding and polishing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were collected from 207 dentists and 125 dental assistants through an online questionnaire. The questionnaire included adjusted prosthesis types, self-protective methods, types and frequency of protective device use, and reasons for non-frequent use. RESULTS: Protective grinding devices, including dust protective boxes and mounted plastic sheets, were commonly used for substantial acrylic resin adjustments, while air blowing was preferred for minor adjustments. Post-COVID-19, there was a 3-fold increase in the use of protective grinding devices among dentists and a 1.3-fold increase among dental assistants. During try-in procedures, dentists commonly rinsed prostheses with water rather than using disinfectants. Non-frequent users adopted self-protection methods, such as face shields and air filters. Surgical drapes and high-volume evacuators were used for patient's protection. CONCLUSION: Despite an increased tendency of the use of protective grinding devices following COVID-19, a significant number still report infrequent use. Identified protective devices in this study have drawbacks not fully meeting dentists' expectations. Invention of a more user-friendly device is necessary to ensure regular use, preventing potential toxicity from dust particles.

Cross-Cultural Validation of the Thai Oral Health Impact Profile for Temporomandibular Disorders.

OBJECTIVES: The Oral Health Impact Profile for Temporomandibular Disorders (OHIP-TMDs) is a validated condition-specific outcome measure to help guide decision-making in the management of the condition. There is no Thai version of OHIP-TMDs, and therefore the original English version needs cross-cultural adaptation translation, and validation with a Thai population to reduce the anomalies due to language and cultural differences. This study aimed to develop the Thai-language version of OHIP-TMDs, perform a cross-cultural adaptation to Thailand, and assess its content validity, internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity. METHODS: The original English version of OHIP-TMDs was forward and backward translated into Thai language using the International Network for Orofacial Pain and Related Disorders methodology (INfORM) protocol for cross-cultural adaptation. The Content Validity Index (CVI) was performed by 5 orofacial pain (OFP) specialists to establish content validity. The OHIP-TMDs-T was then tested in 2 groups of Thai dental patients including 110 TMD patients and 110 control participants. The internal reliability and test-retest reliability (n = 30) were investigated in the TMD group using Cronbach alpha coefficient and intraclass correlation coefficient (2-way mixed effect model), respectively. The difference in OHIP-TMDs-T score between the TMD group and control group was investigated for known group validity. RESULTS: Cronbach alpha and intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.942 and 0.797, respectively. The CVI collected from the OFP specialists was 0.92. There was a statistical difference in the OHIP-TMDs-T overall score between the TMD group (95% CI, 40-46) and control group (95% CI, 2.0-3.4) (Z = 9.060, r = 1, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The OHIP-TMDs-T is a valid and reliable tool for evaluating the quality of life and the impact on oral health in Thai patients with TMD.

Occlusal splint and combined multiwave locked system laser therapy demonstrated differential patient-reported outcomes and clinical parameters: A randomized controlled trial in patients with temporomandibular disorder.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact of occlusal splint plus laser therapy (OS + LT) compared with OS alone on the patient-reported outcomes and clinical parameters of patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMDs). METHODS: Twenty-three patients with TMDs were randomly assigned to two treatment approaches: OS and OS + LT (multiwave locked system). The two outcomes were clinical parameters (mouth-opening distances, number of muscles and TMJs with pain) and patient-reported outcomes (pain score and oral health-related quality of life [OHRQoL] determined using the 14-item oral health impact profile [OHIP-14]). The outcomes were measured at four time points: baseline, 2 weeks, 1 and 3 months after treatment. According to DC/TMD Axis I classification, the participants were diagnosed as having pain only and pain with intraarticular joint disorder. Adjusting for age and sex, the outcome changes were analysed using generalized estimating models at a 5% significance level. RESULTS: The pain-free mouth-opening distance of the patients who received OS + LT continuously increased from 2 weeks to 3 months. However, the value was significantly increased at 3 months in patients who received OS alone. The unassisted mouth-opening distance significantly increased after 3 months in both groups. In both treatment approaches, the number of muscles and TMJs with pain, as well as the pain and OHIP-14 scores gradually decreased from baseline to 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: The patients who received OS and OS + LT demonstrated better OHRQoL and clinical parameters during 3 months after treatment. An improvement in the pain-free mouth-opening distance at 2 weeks was found only in OS plus LT group; however, this difference may not be clinically significant.

Pain Duration and Intensity Are Related to Coexisting Pain and Comorbidities Present in Temporomandibular Disorder Pain Patients.

AIMS: To investigate the relationships between three pain parameters (duration, intensity, and frequency), the number of pain sites and comorbidities, and the risk of having coexisting pain and/or comorbidities in patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD) pain. METHODS: The sample consisted of 198 outpatients attending the Dental Hospital of Chulalongkorn University. TMD pain was determined using the Diagnostic Criteria for TMD. Pain lasting 3 months or longer was defined as chronic pain. Pain intensity was reflected using a 0- to 10-point numeric rating scale, and pain frequency was assessed with the percentage of pain days over a 2-week period. The number of pain sites was evaluated using the Widespread Pain Index. The presence of comorbidities was assessed with a validated diagnostic questionnaire. The associations were analyzed using Spearman rho test, multiple linear regression, and logistic regression, with a significance level of P ≤ .05. Age and gender were analyzed as confounders. RESULTS: The number of pain sites was related to pain duration, pain intensity, and age. The number of comorbidities was associated with pain duration. Neither pain frequency nor gender were related to the number of pain sites or comorbidities. When the pain duration reached 1 month, patients had a 1.045-times higher probability of pain beyond the orofacial area (odds ratio [OR] = 1.045; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.024 to 1.066; P = .001) and a 1.028-times higher probability of comorbidities (OR = 1.028; 95% CI = 1.005 to 1.05; P = .008). For an increase of 1 score on the numeric rating scale, patients had a 1.206-times higher probability of pain presence beyond the orofacial area (OR = 1.206; 95% CI = 1.068 to 1.344; P = .026). CONCLUSION: High pain intensity and long pain duration increase the probability of having coexisting pain and comorbidities in TMD pain patients.