DENTAL CLINICS AS A COMMUNITY INVESTMENT

Background: Knowledge is considered to be essential for developing healthy practices and preventing the main oral diseases. In some developing countries, women were at higher risk to develop these diseases. This study was conducted to evaluate women’s dental knowledge and practices through a specific questionnaire and the relationship with patient’s educational level and the number of their children. Subjects and method: Women, aged from 25-35 years old, were selected to participate in the current study. They were attending dental clinics in the teaching hospital of Baghdad University. Each participant was instructed to answer questionnaire sheet which is previously prepared in Arabic language by the authors. The total number of women was divided into three groups according to women’s educational level and the number of their children. Results: The number of women that participated in the study was 150. Higher percent of them (58.7%) have received instruction on the use of dental floss but 60.0% had no information about fluoride. Dental floss was used by only 24.7% of women. Higher percent of women eat candies, chocolate bars and cookies in between meals. Significant association was reported between educational level and oral health information. Educational level didn’t influence patients’ health practices. Frequency of follow-up appointments and toothbrushes changes were higher among women with less number of children. Conclusion: The study revealed important gaps in oral health practices especially in diet control and the use of dental floss. There is a need for frequent dental educational programmes among women to promote the proper practices and to achieve good oral hygiene.

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Assessing the Level of Aerosol and Microbial Load In Dental Clinics

International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research ◽

10.31838/ijpr/2020.12.02.405 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (02) ◽

Keyword(s):

Microbial Load ◽

Dental Clinics

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Are Bank Merger Characteristics Important for Local Community Investment?

SSRN Electronic Journal ◽

10.2139/ssrn.3611721 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Bernadette A. Minton ◽

Alvaro G. Taboada ◽

Rohan G. Williamson

Keyword(s):

Local Community ◽

Bank Merger ◽

Community Investment

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Reducing Gingivitis Remotely using the iGAM mHealth app (part 2): Prospective Observational Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.24955 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Guy Tobias ◽

Assaf B Spanier

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Tooth Loss ◽

Prospective Observational Study ◽

Dental Clinics ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Observational Cohort ◽

Group 2 ◽

And Behavior ◽

Oral Hygiene Habits ◽

Group 1

BACKGROUND Gingivitis is a non-painful, inflammatory condition that can be treated with home remedies. Left untreated gingivitis can lead to tooth loss. Periodic dental examinations are important for early diagnosis and treatment of gum diseases. In order to contain the spread of the corona virus, governments, including in Israel, have restricted movements of their citizens which has caused routine dental checkups to be postponed. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine the ability of an mHealth app- iGAM to reduce gingivitis. METHODS A prospective observational cohort study was performed, 160 unpaid participants were divided into 2 equal groups and downloaded the iGAM app. Group 1 photographed their gums weekly for eight weeks. Group 2 photographed their gums at the time of recruitment and 8 weeks later. After photo submission, the participants received the message "It is recommended to read the information contained within the app regarding maintaining oral hygiene habits". A single blinded researcher examined the images and scored them according to the Modified Gingival Index (MGI). RESULTS The average age of group 1 was 26.77 (S.D. ± 7.43), and 28.53 (S.D. ± 10.44) for group 2. The majority were male (74.7% in group 1 vs. 66.7% in group 2), most participants described themselves as "secular", most were "single", non-smokers (74.7% vs. 78.4%) and did not take medications (85.3% vs. 78.4%). 126 subjects completed the study. A statistically significant difference (P <.001) was found in the dependent variable (MGI) in a linearly negative manner. As time passed, the gum condition improved, there were significantly lower gingivitis scores in group 1 (M = 1.16, S.D. ± 1.18) compared to group 2 (M = 2.16, S.D. ± 1.49), after eight weeks. Those with more recent dental visits had a lower MGI (p = .037). No association was found between knowledge and behavior, most participants were familiar with the recommendations for maintaining oral health, yet they only performed some. CONCLUSIONS A dental selfie taken once a week using an mHealth app (iGAM) reduced the signs of gingivitis and promoted oral health. During the current pandemic where social distancing recommendations may be causing people to avoid dental clinics, this app can remotely promote gum health. CLINICALTRIAL The protocol was approved by Hadassah research ethics committee (IRB, 0212-18-HMO)

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Challenges in prevention & control of COVID - 19 pandemic in dentistry: A review. (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.23434 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sameera Begum ◽

Riaz Abdulla ◽

Akhter Hussain

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Health Concern ◽

Front Line ◽

Public Health Concern ◽

College Hospital ◽

Dental Clinics ◽

Dental Procedures ◽

Spread Of Infection ◽

High Chance

UNSTRUCTURED The menace of COVID 19 pandemic has become a major public health concern all over the world. It is a pandemic outbreak that originated from Wuhan, Hubei province of China in December 2019. All healthcare professionals including dental surgeons are in the front line and a high chance of constantly getting infected. Droplet and aerosol transmissions are the utmost concern in dental clinics and dental college hospitals. Hence, COVID 19 has a high risk of spread through droplets and aerosols generated during dental procedures from infected patients. This review article highlights the dental perspective and discusses the various preventive measures undertaken to control the spread of infection in dental clinics and dental college hospital setups.

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Gender Differences in Work Status during Early Career of Dentists: An Analysis of National Survey Cohort Data of 10 Years in Japan

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18052335 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (5) ◽

pp. 2335

Author(s):

Katsuo Oshima ◽

Tomoko Kodama ◽

Yusuke Ida ◽

Hiroko Miura

Keyword(s):

Gender Differences ◽

National Survey ◽

Early Career ◽

Work Status ◽

Work Setting ◽

Multiple Logistic Regression ◽

Dental Clinics ◽

Career Break ◽

Time Work ◽

Part Time

Few studies have evaluated gender differences in young dentists’ career focusing on career breaks and return to work. We created a cohort dataset for dentists registered in 2006 using the national survey between 2006–2016 (men, 1680; women, 984), and examined the work setting of dentists by gender 10 years after registration. The proportion of dentists on career break increased each survey year, and was more pronounced in women than in men (2006 to 2016, men, 11.2% to 14.2%; women, 7.9% to 31.0%). The proportion of those who had career breaks between 2006–2016 was 44.8% in men and 62.9% in women. In the multiple logistic regression for examining the associations between those who returned to work compared to those working continuously, in women, the odds ratios (OR) were significantly higher in those working in dental clinics (owner, OR: 5.39; employee, OR: 3.10), and those working part-time (OR: 2.07); however, in men, there was no significant association with part-time work. These results suggest during early career phase, female dentists are more likely than males to take career breaks and choose part-time on returning. These gender differences should be considered for ensuring adequate workforce in dentistry in the future.

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SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Oral Health: Therapeutic Opportunities and Challenges

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10010156 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 156

Author(s):

Christopher J. Coke ◽

Brandon Davison ◽

Niariah Fields ◽

Jared Fletcher ◽

Joseph Rollings ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Metabolic Diseases ◽

The United States ◽

Global Scale ◽

The Novel ◽

Periodontal Health ◽

Dental Clinics ◽

Dental Profession ◽

Patients Experience ◽

Taste And Smell

The novel corona virus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the disease it causes, COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease-2019) have had multi-faceted effects on a number of lives on a global scale both directly and indirectly. A growing body of evidence suggest that COVID-19 patients experience several oral health problems such as dry mouth, mucosal blistering, mouth rash, lip necrosis, and loss of taste and smell. Periodontal disease (PD), a severe inflammatory gum disease, may worsen the symptoms associated with COVID-19. Routine dental and periodontal treatment may help decrease the symptoms of COVID-19. PD is more prevalent among patients experiencing metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular risk. Studies have shown that these patients are highly susceptible for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress known to contribute to the development of PD and other metabolic diseases are highly elevated among COVID-19 patients. Periodontal health may help to determine the severity of COVID-19 infection. Accumulating evidence shows that African-Americans (AAs) and vulnerable populations are disproportionately susceptible to PD, metabolic diseases and COVID-19 compared to other ethnicities in the United States. Dentistry and dental healthcare professionals are particularly susceptible to this virus due to the transferability via the oral cavity and the use of aerosol creating instruments that are ubiquitous in this field. In this review, we attempt to provide a comprehensive and updated source of information about SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 and the various effects it has had on the dental profession and patients visits to dental clinics. Finally, this review is a valuable resource for the management of oral hygiene and reduction of the severity of infection.

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Site Visits Reveal Common Gaps in Instrument Reprocessing and Sterilization at Philadelphia Dental Clinics

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1017/ice.2020.1026 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. s389-s390

Author(s):

Tiina Peritz ◽

Susan Coffin

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Infection Prevention And Control ◽

Environmental Cleaning ◽

Department Of State ◽

Inappropriate Use ◽

Dental Clinics ◽

Point Of Use ◽

Policies And Procedures ◽

License Renewal ◽

And Control

Background: Most dental clinics lack resources and oversight related to infection prevention and control (IPC) practices. Few dental clinics undergo inspections by regulatory authorities unless the state licensing authorities receive a specific complaint. Many states, including Pennsylvania, do not have continuing IPC education requirements for dental providers. In 2018–2019, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH) received and responded to multiple complaints and concerns related to IPC practices at dental clinics. Complaints were investigated in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of State (PADOS). Methods: Unannounced site visits were conducted at 7 Philadelphia dental clinics from December 2018 through September 2019 as part of the public health responses. Clinic evaluations and observations by PDPH certified infection preventionists focused on (1) IPC policies and procedures, (2) staff IPC training, (3) hand hygiene, (4) personal protective equipment, (5) instrument reprocessing and sterilization, (6) injection safety, and (7) environmental cleaning and disinfection. The CDC and the Organization of Safety, Antisepsis and Prevention (OSAP) checklists were adapted for this purpose. Results: Most dental practices we visited were small, unaffiliated, owner-operated clinics. The most common gaps we identified were associated with instrument reprocessing and sterilization practices, including inadequate separation between clean and dirty work areas, limited space and availability of sinks, inappropriate use of glutaraldehyde products for instrument cleaning (n = 3, 43%), extended reuse of cleaning brushes (n = 5, 71%), sterilization or storage of sterilized instruments without appropriate packaging (n = 2, 29%), lack of spore testing or reviewing results (n = 2, 29%), and lack of documentation of sterilizer run cycles and maintenance (n = 7, 100%). Additionally, most clinics did not have well-developed IPC policies and procedures, and staff IPC trainings were neither documented nor conducted annually. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer was often not available at the point of use. Conclusions: In Philadelphia, dental clinics often lacked IPC support and oversight. Lapses across multiple key IPC domains were common. These findings suggest that public health may have a role in providing IPC support to unaffiliated dental clinics. Licensing entities can also serve a role in improving IPC practices by more widely mandating continuing IPC education as part of the dental license renewal process.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

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