What non-clinical factors influence the general dentist–specialist relationship in Canada?

Abstract Background The general dentist–specialist relationship is important for effective patient care and the professional environment. This study explores the non-clinical factors that may influence the general dentist–specialist relationship in Canada. Methods A cross-sectional web-based survey of a sample of general dentists across Canada was conducted (N ≈ 11,300). The survey collected information on practitioner (e.g., age, gender, years of practice) and practice (e.g., location, ownership) factors. Two outcomes were assessed: not perceiving specialists as completely collegial and perceiving competitive pressure from specialists. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted. Results A total of 1328 general dentists responded, yielding a response rate of 11.7%. The strongest associations for perceiving specialists as not completely collegial include being a practice owner (OR = 2.15, 95% CI 1.23, 3.74), working in two or more practices (OR = 1.69, 95% CI 1.07, 2.65), practicing in a small population center (OR = 0.46, 95% CI 0.22, 0.94), and contributing equally to the household income (OR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.26, 0.84). The strongest associations with perceiving medium/large competitive pressure from specialists include having a general practice residency or advanced education in general dentistry (OR = 2.00, 95% CI 1.17, 3.41) and having specialists in close proximity to the practice (OR = 2.52, 95% CI 1.12, 5.69). Conclusion Practitioner and practice factors, mostly related to business and dental care market dynamics, are associated with the potential for strained relationships between general dentists and specialists in Canada. This study points to the need for dental professional organizations to openly discuss the current state of the dental care market, as it has important implications for the profession.

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Evaluation of knowledge among general dentists in treatment of traumatic injuries in primary teeth: A cross-sectional questionnaire study

European Journal of Dentistry ◽

10.4103/ejd.ejd_357_16 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (02) ◽

pp. 232-237 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Dhanalakshmi Ravikumar ◽

Ganesh Jeevanandan ◽

E M. G. Subramanian

Keyword(s):

Primary Teeth ◽

Years Of Experience ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Traumatic Injuries ◽

Validated Questionnaire ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Chi Square Test ◽

General Dentists ◽

General Dentist

ABSTRACTObjective: The purpose of the present study was to assess the knowledge of General dentist regarding the management of dental traumatic injuries of primary teeth. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 general dentists were selected and a validated questionnaire was distributed among the dentist to assess their knowledge on treatment strategies regarding traumatized primary teeth. Statistical Analysis: Data were entered into SPSS version 20.0 for percentages. The correct answers were tested in relation to the dentists' years of experience using the Chi-square test. Results: Analyzing the questionnaire for knowledge, 49% of dentists answered accurately regarding avulsed primary teeth, 36% of dentists answered appropriately regarding crown and root fractures, and 55% of dentists gave appropriate answers regarding luxation injuries. Chi-square test showed a statistically significant difference only for 2 questions in relation to the dentist's years of experience (P < 0.05). Conclusion: There is a lack of consistency in the knowledge among general dentist regarding traumatic dental injuries of primary teeth. There is a need to create awareness and education regarding traumatic injuries of primary teeth.

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Effect of Buccal Corridors Width on Smile Quality and Esthetics

Journal of The Pakistan Dental Association ◽

10.25301/jpda.303.204 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 30 (03) ◽

pp. 204-208

Author(s):

Hina Siddiqui ◽

◽

Sadia Rizwan ◽

Syed Shah Faisal ◽

Syed Sheeraz Hussain

Keyword(s):

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Width Ratio ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Analog Scale ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

General Dentists ◽

Smile Esthetics ◽

Post Hoc ◽

Buccal Corridor ◽

General Dentist

OBJECTIVE: To assess the perception of buccal corridor width on smile esthetics by Orthodontic residents, General dentists and Laypersons. METHODOLOGY: A smile photograph was taken of an adult female. The image was modified to obtain five different buccal corridor widths and were assessed by different evaluators grouped into general dentist, orthodontic resident and laypersons who rated the attractiveness of each smile by means of a visual analog scale (VAS). Sample size was 97 participants to rate the picture. Non-probability purposive sampling was done The data was analyzed and mean and SD were calculated for the scores of rating. ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test was applied to compare the different ratings of buccal corridors in three groups. The data of this cross sectional study was collected from general population belonging to different communities, general dentists and orthodontic residents of different dental colleges of Karachi, Pakistan from August 2019 to March 2020. RESULTS: There were 97 participants who responded to the images. Highest scores were obtained for Image 1 having buccal corridor width ratio of 16% followed by image no. 3 having buccal corridor width ratio of 10% and lowest scores were obtained for Image no. 6 having least buccal corridor widths ratio that is 34% followed by image no 5 having 26% buccal corridor widths. Among the groups of participants, the highest scores were given by laypersons for all images. Significant differences were observed between evaluation of groups of Orthodontic resident and layperson in most images. CONCLUSION: There was a remarkable influence of buccal corridor width on smile esthetics, with the 16% ratio group being rated as the most attractive by all three groups. KEYWORDS: Buccal corridors, Smile, esthetics, Attractiveness

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Exploring the knowledge, awareness and practices of COVID-19 among dentists in Bangladesh: A Cross-sectional Investigation.

Journal Of Oral Research ◽

10.17126/joralres.2021.035 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Mohammad Tawfique Hossain Chowdhury ◽

◽

Ehsanul Hoque Apu ◽

Sujan Kanti Nathc ◽

Ashek Elahi Noor ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Care Professionals ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Postgraduate Education ◽

Professional Organizations ◽

Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Good Practices ◽

Registration Number ◽

Postgraduate Qualification ◽

Social Media Platforms

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unpre-cedented strike on humanity around the world . The scenario in Bangladesh is getting worse day by day, and every aspect of the society is observing its impact. Health care professionals are at a greater risk of contracting the disease while caring for patients. Objective: The research objective is to explore knowledge, awareness, and practices of registered dentists regarding COVID-19 epidemiology and transmission during the rapid outbreak of this highly contagious virus in Bangladesh. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted among the dentists who were enrolled with their valid unique Bangladesh Medical and Dental Council (BMDC) registration number. A structured questionnaire was distributed among the dentists through different social media platforms. A total of 184 dentists participated in the survey between March and April 2020. Both descriptive analysis and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed. Results: The dentists' mean age was 31.75 years, with a standard deviation of 6.5 years. About 29.3% of dentists completed their postgraduate qualification, and 76% of them were engaged in private practice at the time of data collection. Compared to the dentists with undergraduate education, the dentists with a postgraduate education are three times (OR=3.1, 95%CI 1.2-7.9 and over 5 times (OR=5.3, 95% CI: 1.2-23.3) more likely to have) better knowledge and practices toward COVID-19 respectively. Dentists aged 26-30 years are less likely to have good practices than the younger dentists (OR: .1; 95% CI: .01-.5). However, dentists with less than five years experience are 10.3 (1.6-68.9) times more likely to have good practices compared to the dentists with more experience. Conclusion: Majority of the dentists from Bangladesh have shown good knowledge, awareness, and practice regarding COVID-19. We recommend that the healthcare authorities, professional organizations, and hospitals coordinate, and conduct mandatory advanced infectious disease training for all the practicing dentists in the country.

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May VelScope Be Deemed an Opportunistic Oral Cancer Screening by General Dentists? A Pilot Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9061754 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 1754 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stefania Leuci ◽

Noemi Coppola ◽

Anna Turkina ◽

Maria Eleonora Bizzoca ◽

Gianfranco Favia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Oral Cancer ◽

Predictive Value ◽

Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Potentially Malignant ◽

General Dentists ◽

Sensitivity Specificity ◽

Histopathological Results ◽

General Dentist

Early diagnosis of oral cancer through visual inspection followed by histopathological confirmation is a pivotal step for reducing rates of morbidity and mortality. There are several auxiliary devices used to improve oral examination. The purpose of this cross-sectional pilot study is to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the Visually Enhance Lesion Scope (VelScope) system when it is used by the general dentist after a yearly oral medicine training. Thirty-five patients with oral lesions were evaluated with clinical and VelScope examination by two general dentists, one of which trained with a specific course. A comparison of the histopathological results, clinical examination, and VelScope made by both dentists was performed through statistical analysis. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) for detecting oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) are 53.3%, 65%, 53.3%, 76.5% for unskilled dentist, 73.3%, 65%, 61.1%, 76.5% for skilled clinician. When both examiners use VelScope the values are 53.3%, 70%, 57.1%, 66.7% for unskilled general dentist (u-GD), 86.7%, 90%, 86.7%, 90% for skilled general dentist (s-GD). Improvement of a skilled general dentist for detecting malignancies is higher than inexperienced examiner when using VelScope. VelScope alone is unable to improve the general dentist’s ability to detect malignancies, but it could be a useful adjunctive device for clinicians when a focused training program is performed.

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Knowledge and awareness about MERS-CoV among the dental students in Chennai

International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.26452/ijrps.v11ispl1.3091 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽

pp. 847-851

Author(s):

Nithyanandham Masilamani ◽

Dhanraj Ganapathy

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Large Scale ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Educational Programs ◽

Dental Students ◽

Professional Organizations ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mode Of Transmission

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) induced by new ß coronavirus MERS-(CoV) had first been described in Saudi Arabia in September 2012. MERS-CoV communication inside the population is often identified with clustered households and cramped communal spaces. The purpose of the study is to assess the knowledge and awareness of MERS-CoV among dental students in India. This was a questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey of 100 dental college students in Chennai. The self-designed questionnaires contained ten questions focused on the knowledge and awareness of MERS-CoV amongst dental college students. Questionnaires were circulated through an online website survey planet. After the responses were received from 100 participants, data were collected and analyzed, .87% are aware of MERS-CoV through media 13% from professional channels. 84%are aware of the clinical manifestation of MERS-CoV. 81%Are aware of the mode of transmission of MERS-CoV. 76%are aware of the preventive measures against MERS -CoV.68%. Are aware of the incubation period of MERS-CoV. 74%aware of PCR as a diagnostic test for MERS-CoV. This study concluded that dental students had strong awareness and knowledge of MERS. Also, there are a few differences in information and behaviours that require change. Large-scale health educational programs on MERS also should be facilitated by professional organizations to expand their reach and to strengthen knowledge to have a positive impact on their behaviour.

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Factors Associated with Lower Cognitive Performance Scores Among Older Japanese Men in Hawaii and Japan

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-201084 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Naoko Miyagawa ◽

Takayoshi Ohkubo ◽

Akira Fujiyoshi ◽

Akihiko Shiino ◽

Randi Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Educational Attainment ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Subclinical Atherosclerosis ◽

Lifestyle Factors ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Japanese Men ◽

History Of ◽

Cardiometabolic Factors

Background: Few studies have compared factors related to cognitive function among people with similar genetic backgrounds but different lifestyles. Objective: We aimed to identify factors related to lower cognitive scores among older Japanese men in two genetically similar cohorts exposed to different lifestyle factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study of community-dwelling Japanese men aged 71–81 years included 2,628 men enrolled in the Kuakini Honolulu-Asia Aging Study based in Hawaii and 349 men in the Shiga Epidemiological Study of Subclinical Atherosclerosis based in Japan. We compared participant performance through Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) assessment in Hawaii (1991–1993) and Japan (2009–2014). Factors related to low cognitive scores (history of cardiovascular disease, cardiometabolic factors, and lifestyle factors) were identified with questionnaires and measurements. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of a low (< 82) CASI score based on different factors. Results: CASI scores were lower in Hawaii than in Japan [21.2%(n = 556) versus 12.3%(n = 43), p < 0.001], though this was not significant when adjusted for age and educational attainment (Hawaii 20.3%versus Japan 17.9%, p = 0.328). History of stroke (OR = 1.65, 95%confidence interval = 1.19–2.29) was positively associated with low cognitive scores in Hawaii. Body mass index ≥25 kg/m2 tended to be associated with low cognitive scores in Japan; there was a significant interaction between the cohorts. Conclusion: Cognitive scores differences between cohorts were mostly explained by differences in educational attainment. Conversely, cardiovascular diseases and cardiometabolic factors differentially impacted cognitive scores among genetically similar older men exposed to different lifestyle factors.

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A radiomic nomogram based on arterial phase of CT for differential diagnosis of ovarian cancer

Abdominal Radiology ◽

10.1007/s00261-021-03120-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yumin Hu ◽

Qiaoyou Weng ◽

Haihong Xia ◽

Tao Chen ◽

Chunli Kong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Artificial Intelligence ◽

Ovarian Cancer ◽

Clinical Data ◽

Arterial Phase ◽

Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Clinical Factors ◽

Good Discrimination ◽

Training Cohort ◽

Ovarian Cancers ◽

Radiomics Signature

Abstract Purpose To develop and validate a radiomic nomogram based on arterial phase of CT to discriminate the primary ovarian cancers (POCs) and secondary ovarian cancers (SOCs). Methods A total of 110 ovarian cancer patients in our hospital were reviewed from January 2010 to December 2018. Radiomic features based on the arterial phase of CT were extracted by Artificial Intelligence Kit software (A.K. software). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operation regression (LASSO) was employed to select features and construct the radiomics score (Rad-score) for further radiomics signature calculation. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to develop the predicting model. The predictive nomogram model was composed of rad-score and clinical data. Nomogram discrimination and calibration were evaluated. Results Two radiomic features were selected to build the radiomics signature. The radiomics nomogram that incorporated 2 radiomics signature and 2 clinical factors (CA125 and CEA) showed good discrimination in training cohort (AUC 0.854), yielding the sensitivity of 78.8% and specificity of 90.7%, which outperformed the prediction model based on radiomics signature or clinical data alone. A visualized differential nomogram based on the radiomic score, CEA, and CA125 level was established. The calibration curve demonstrated the clinical usefulness of the proposed nomogram. Conclusion The presented nomogram, which incorporated radiomic features of arterial phase of CT with clinical features, could be useful for differentiating the primary and secondary ovarian cancers.

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Comparison of adaptive versions of the Hong Kong-specific criteria and 2015 Beers criteria for assessing potentially inappropriate medication use in Hong Kong older patients

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02324-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Huanyu ZHANG ◽

Eliza L. Y. WONG ◽

Samuel Y. S. WONG ◽

Patsy Y. K. CHAU ◽

Benjamin H. K. YIP ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Hong Kong ◽

Older Patients ◽

Inappropriate Medication ◽

Female Gender ◽

Potentially Inappropriate Medication ◽

Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Beers Criteria ◽

Medical Conditions ◽

Cross Sectional

Abstract Background The Hong Kong-specific criteria have been established in 2019 to assess potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use in older adults and improve the local prescribing quality. The aim of this study was to compare the adaptive versions of the Hong Kong-specific criteria and 2015 Beers criteria for assessing the prevalence and correlates of PIM use in Hong Kong older patients. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014 using the Hospital Authority (HA) database. A total of 489,301 older patients aged 65 years and older visiting general outpatient clinics (GOPCs) during the study period were included in the study. Two categories of PIM use included in the Hong Kong-specific criteria and 2015 Beers criteria, i.e. PIMs independent of diagnoses and PIMs considering specific medical conditions, were adapted to assess the prevalence of PIM use among the study sample. Characteristics of PIM users and the most frequently prescribed PIMs were investigated for each set of the criteria. Factors associated with PIM use were identified using the stepwise multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results The adaptive Hong Kong-specific criteria could detect a higher prevalence of patients exposed to at least one PIM than that assessed by the adaptive Beers criteria (49.5% vs 47.5%). Meanwhile, the adaptive Hong Kong-specific criteria could identify a higher rate of patients exposed to PIMs independent of diagnoses (48.1% vs 46.8%) and PIMs considering specific medical conditions (7.3% vs 4.9%) compared with that of the adaptive Beers criteria. The most frequently prescribed PIMs detected by the adaptive Beers criteria were all included in the adaptive Hong Kong-specific criteria. The strongest factor associated with PIM use was number of different medications prescribed. Patients with female gender, aged 65 ~ 74 years, a larger number of GOPC visits, and more than six diagnoses were associated with greater risk of PIM use, whereas advancing age was associated with lower risk of PIM use. Conclusions The adaptive Hong Kong-specific criteria could detect a higher prevalence of PIM use than the adaptive Beers criteria in older adults visiting GOPCs in Hong Kong. It is necessary to update the prevalence and correlates of PIM use regularly in older adults to monitor the burden of PIM use and identify vulnerable patients who need further interventions.

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Epilepsy as a Comorbidity in Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis—A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18083983 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 3983

Author(s):

Ella Nissan ◽

Abdulla Watad ◽

Arnon D. Cohen ◽

Kassem Sharif ◽

Johnatan Nissan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Proportional Hazards ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Categorical Variables ◽

Rank Test ◽

Control Group ◽

Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Positive Trend ◽

Continuous Variables ◽

Cross Sectional

Polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) are autoimmune-mediated multisystemic myopathies, characterized mainly by proximal muscle weakness. A connection between epilepsy and PM/DM has not been reported previously. Our study aim is to evaluate this association. A case–control study was conducted, enrolling a total of 12,278 patients with 2085 cases (17.0%) and 10,193 subjects in the control group (83.0%). Student’s t-test was used to evaluate continuous variables, while the chi-square test was applied for the distribution of categorical variables. Log-rank test, Kaplan–Meier curves and multivariate Cox proportional hazards method were performed for the analysis regarding survival. Of the studied 2085 cases, 1475 subjects (70.7%) were diagnosed with DM, and 610 patients (29.3%) with PM. Participants enrolled as cases had a significantly higher rate of epilepsy (n = 48 [2.3%]) as compared to controls (n = 141 [1.4%], p < 0.0005). Using multivariable logistic regression analysis, PM was found only to be significantly associated with epilepsy (OR 2.2 [95%CI 1.36 to 3.55], p = 0.0014), whereas a non-significant positive trend was noted in DM (OR 1.51 [95%CI 0.99 to 2.30], p = 0.0547). Our data suggest that PM is associated with a higher rate of epilepsy compared to controls. Physicians should be aware of this comorbidity in patients with immune-mediated myopathies.

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Factors Associated With Knee Pain and Heel Pain in Youth Soccer Players Aged 8 to 12 Years

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967119883370 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (11) ◽

pp. 232596711988337 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Toshiyuki Iwame ◽

Tetsuya Matsuura ◽

Naoto Suzue ◽

Joji Iwase ◽

Hirokazu Uemura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Knee Pain ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Heel Pain ◽

Older Age ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Clinical Factors ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Youth Soccer ◽

Study Participants

Background: Soccer is played by many children younger than 12 years. Despite its health benefits, soccer has also been linked to a high number of sport-related injuries. Purpose: To investigate the relationship between clinical factors and knee or heel pain in youth soccer players. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Study participants included 602 soccer players aged 8 to 12 years who were asked whether they had experienced episodes of knee or heel pain. Data were collected on age, body mass index, years of playing soccer, playing position, and training hours per week. Associations of clinical factors with the prevalence of knee or heel pain were examined by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Results: Episodes of knee and heel pain were reported by 29.4% and 31.1% of players, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that older age and more years of playing soccer were significantly and positively associated with the prevalence of knee pain ( P = .037 and P = .015 for trend, respectively) but did not identify any significant associations for heel pain. Conclusion: In this study of youth soccer players, knee pain was associated with older age and more years of play, but heel pain was not significantly associated with any factor.

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