Oral health status of pre-school children of incarcerated mothers in United Arab Emirates prison nurseries and oral health knowledge and attitudes of their caregivers

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 255-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Al Salami ◽  
M. Al Halabi ◽  
I. Hussein ◽  
M. Kowash
Author(s):  
Prakash Poudel ◽  
Rhonda Griffiths ◽  
Amit Arora ◽  
Vincent W. Wong ◽  
Jeff R. Flack ◽  
...  

This study assessed self-reported oral health status, knowledge, and behaviours of people living with diabetes along with barriers and facilitators in accessing dental care. A cross sectional survey of 260 patients from four public diabetes clinics in Sydney, Australia was undertaken using a 35-item questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS software with descriptive and logistic regression analyses. More than half (53.1%) of respondents reported having dental problems which negatively impacted their related quality of life. Less than half (45%) had adequate oral health knowledge. Only 10.8% reported receiving any oral health information in diabetes care settings, which had higher odds of demonstrating adequate oral health knowledge (AOR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.06–6.34). Similarly, 62.7% reported seeing a dentist in the last 12 months. Having private health insurance (AOR, 3.70; 95% CI, 1.85–7.40) had higher odds of seeing a dentist in the past 12 months. Dental costs were a major contributor to avoiding or delaying dental visit. Patients living with diabetes have unmet oral health needs particularly around the awareness of its importance and access to affordable dental services. Diabetes care providers can play a crucial role in this area by promoting oral health to their patients.


2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 726-730 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline Rogéria Freire deCastilho ◽  
Lucimara Teixeira das Neves ◽  
Cleide Felício de Carvalho Carrara

Objective: To assess the oral health knowledge of mothers of children with cleft lip and/or palate, analyzing the practical application of this information on the basis of the oral hygiene of the children and caries prevalence of mothers and children. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Pediatric Dentistry sector of the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies. Patients: Mothers (n = 300) and their children with cleft lip and/or palate, ages 3 years to 5 years 6 months. Materials and Methods: An interview with questions related to dietary habits and oral health knowledge and habits was conducted. Children and their mothers also were evaluated by intraoral clinical examination. Results: Of the mothers, 47.3% displayed poor oral health status (Group A) and 52.7% had a satisfactory oral health status (Group B). Children in Group A presented a mean dmft of 6.0, whereas children in Group B had a mean dmft of 5.6. No significant differences were observed between groups. Mothers demonstrated a reasonable knowledge on prevention of dental caries and oral hygiene. Conclusion: Even though the mothers interviewed had some knowledge on the causes and prevention of dental caries, other factors should be regarded as relevant in the caries process.


2018 ◽  
Vol 50 (10) ◽  
pp. 775-778
Author(s):  
Jennifer Forbes ◽  
Talia Sierra ◽  
Jared Papa

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine’s Smiles for Life: A National Oral Health Curriculum on the knowledge and attitudes of physician assistant students regarding oral health. Methods: Seventy-two didactic year physician assistant students from one physician assistant program were surveyed to assess their knowledge and attitudes regarding oral health prior to starting the Smiles for Life oral health curriculum. The students were electronically surveyed a second time 1 week after completing all online modules in the Smiles for Life oral health curriculum. Results: Precourse and postcourse survey response rates were 57% and 36%, respectively. The mean of the attitude statements increased from 3.20 on the precourse survey to 3.87 on the postcourse survey (P=.0012). The mean number of correct responses on the knowledge questions increased from 6.83 on the precourse survey to 9.85 on the postcourse survey (P<.0001). Conclusions: Statistically significant improvements in the attitudes toward oral health and oral health knowledge of physician assistant students after completion of the Smiles for Life curriculum were observed. This study illustrates the effectiveness of the Smiles for Life curriculum as an interprofessional educational experience. This curriculum can be completed online and does not require faculty expertise in oral health, thus removing previously cited barriers to incorporating oral health into the physician assistant curriculum.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 131
Author(s):  
Muhammad Azim Syahmi Kamaruddin ◽  
Norsamsu Arni Samsudin

Mothers play a very significant role in influencing the oral health status of the family. Many studies have highlighted the importance of good oral health during pregnancy. This study aimed to assess knowledge, self-perceived oral health status, and practices of antenatal mothers in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia. A total of 76 antenatal mothers visiting Obstetrics & Gynaecology specialist clinic at Hospital USM were involved in this cross-sectional survey study. The questionnaires contained items related to oral health knowledge, self-perceived dental problems, barriers to seeking dental care, oral hygiene habits, perceptions of oral health, and access to dental care. Majority (98.7%) agreed that their oral health was important as part of general health. About 58% of them had answered correctly regarding oral health knowledge. Most respondents had self-perceptions of having dental problems during pregnancy, including cavitated teeth (34.4%) and sensitive teeth (20.5%). Regarding practice, only 35.3% visited a dentist in the last six months. Time constraints (52.4%) and safety concerns regarding dental treatment (26.2%) were the main barriers to seek dental care. Many (90%) brushed their teeth at least twice daily with adult fluoridated toothpaste, while some used mouthwash daily (36.8%) and flossed their teeth (11.8%). Antenatal mothers had an average level of knowledge regarding oral health, experienced dental problems during pregnancy and lacked awareness of a regular dental visit. Hence, there is a need for more vigorous oral health promotion, which also include antenatal care providers, to improve oral health awareness among antenatal mothers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Asmaa Alkhtib ◽  
Abdul Morawala

Health-related behaviors are influenced by knowledge and awareness, with oral health being no exception. It is well-known that oral diseases are influenced by social determinants. There is an association between the oral health knowledge of mothers and the status of their children’s oral health. In Qatar, the knowledge and practices of oral health in preschool children have not been previously reported. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and related practices of mothers of preschool children about oral health in Qatar. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed by the principals of kindergarten to mothers of children attending 16 government kindergartens in Qatar. The questionnaire included 38 close-ended questions grouped into nine categories, addressing different aspects of knowledge and practices related to early childhood oral health. The questionnaire was constructed in English, before being translated into Arabic, which is the local language in Qatar. The questionnaire instrument was pre-tested on mothers with demographic characteristics matching the main population. These participants were not included in the main study. The questionnaire study was associated with a clinical epidemiological study to assess dental caries and enamel defects of the sampled children. The dmft caries index (decayed, missing and filled teeth) was used for that purpose according to the World Health Organization criteria. For the questionnaire administered to mothers with clinical survey variables, a binary logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the associations between the measures of oral health status (dmft, Dental index) and mothers’ oral health knowledge and practices. A total of 48% mothers thought that children should have their teeth brushed from the age of three years and 42% chose younger than two years as a starting age for brushing. More than half (54%) of the mothers thought that children should not have their teeth flossed. In general, no significant statistical association was found between dmft and any other variables, except for whether or not the child had visited the dentist. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association between the measures of oral health status (dmft, DI) and mothers’ oral health knowledge and practices. After controlling for the other independent variables included in this model, the test of the model was not statistically significant, which indicated that none of the variables represent a significant risk for occurrence of caries. The only exception was whether or not the child had visited the dentist (odds ratio = 2.51, 95% confidence interval 1.091–5.774). Despite the existence of good knowledge of oral health care, there were deficiencies in the oral health care provided to children. This may reflect that seeking dental care is either not very important or it is challenging to obtain access to a child-friendly dentist in the public health system in Qatar. The results of this study suggest that there is a need for an oral health promotion program to fill the gaps in knowledge for mothers regarding oral health care for young children.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reisha Rafeek ◽  
Visha Ramroop ◽  
Ramaa Balkaran ◽  
Anne Kowlessar ◽  
Arlana Bissoon ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The effects of physiological changes that occur during pregnancy on oral tissues have been well documented. The oral health status, practices, knowledge and periodontal status of pregnant women has not been studied before in Trinidad. The aim of this study is to report that of pregnant women in a maternity hospital in Trinidad.Methods A descriptive oral health survey involving a self-administered questionnaire was undertaken from a convenience sample of pregnant women who attended a maternity hospital in Trinidad. A simple oral health examination took place at the School of Dentistry clinic. Data included education and employment status, medical and dental history, frequency and reason for dental attendance, and the patients’ perceived oral health status, knowledge and practices. Examination included the Basic Periodontal Examination (BPE). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24.0 and ethical approval was obtained by the University of the West Indies Campus Ethics Committee.Results One hundred and sixty one pregnant women participated and 79.5% were between the ages 26 to 45. Fifty seven per cent attended high school and 58.1% were employed. Nearly 60% rated their oral health as average or good. The majority of women (91.9%) did not attend the dentist routinely. Almost half (46.0%) of the participants said safety concerns with dental treatment during pregnancy would prevent them from seeking care. 54.7% said the cost of dental treatment would act as a barrier to care. The majority had good oral health knowledge for flossing (97.5%) however 37.3% thought that dental care should be avoided during pregnancy unless it was an emergency. Nearly 60% had some form of periodontitis mild (34.2%) or moderate to severe (25.2%). Significant associations found between level of education and brushing, and also between age and smoking, use of mouthwash and BPE.Conclusions Although oral health knowledge in areas of tooth brushing, flossing and need for attending the dentist was good, in other areas there were serious misconceptions such as dental care should be avoided during pregnancy. Understanding oral health needs of pregnant women can guide oral health promotion and delivery of preventive care and potentially improve pregnancy outcomes.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document