Explore the vast range of titles available.

Background Among several potential transmission sources in the spreading of the COVID-19, dental services have received a high volume of attention. Several reports, papers, guidelines, and suggestions have been released on how this infection could be transmitted through dental services and what should be done. This study aimed to review the guidelines in order to develop a practical feasibility protocol for the re-opening of dental clinics and the reorientation of dental services. Methods This study systematically reviewed the published literature and the guidelines of international health care institutions on dentistry and COVID-19. We searched Pubmed, Web of Science, and SCOPUS electronic databases using MESH terms. The recommendations identified were tested with a convenience sample of experienced practitioners, and a practical step-by-step protocol is presented in this paper. Results To the date this paper was drafted, 38 articles were found, of which 9 satisfied our inclusion criteria. As all the nine studies were proposed in a general consensus, any elective non-emergency dental care for patients with suspected or known COVID-19 should be postponed for at least 2 weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only urgent treatment of dental diseases can be performed during the COVID-19 outbreak taking into consideration pharmacological management as the first line and contagion-reduced minimally invasive emergency treatment as the secondary and final management. Conclusions While the currently available evidence has not demonstrated a clear and direct relationship between dental treatment or surgery and the possibility of the transmission of COVID-19, there is clearly the potential for transmission. Therefore, following the protective protocols in the COVID-19 crisis is of utmost importance in a dental setting.

Background Improving access to health services is a way towards achieving universal health coverage (UHC) in oral health. The purpose of this review was to map the determinants of access to dental services within a UHC framework. Method Scoping review methods were adopted for the review. PUBMED, Scopus, ISI Web of Science and ProQuest were searched for academic literature on determinants of access to dental services in OCED countries. Articles published in the last 20 years were included. No restriction was placed on study methods; only articles in English language were included. Qualitative synthesis was conducted, along with a trend analysis and mapping exercise. Result A total of 4320 articles were identified in the initial search; 57 articles were included in the qualitative synthesis. The results indicate 7 main themes as the determinants of access to dental services: family condition, cultural factors, health demands, affordability of services, availability of services, socio-environmental factors, geographical distance. Defined determinants of access to dental services, family condition, cultural factors and geographical access to dental services can fill the population axis of the UHC cube. Health demands and affordability of services fill the gap of financial protection as another axis of the UHC cube and finally, availability of dental services and socio-environmental factors are aligned with the appropriateness of services, the third axis of the UHC cube. Conclusion According to the results, family condition and cultural, health demands, affordability and availability of services, social environment, and geographic factors can affect dental health access and equality. Socio-cultural determinations also need to be considered in applied planning. Addressing these factors to improve access to dental services can pave the way for achieving universal health coverage in oral health and should be considered in different levels of policymaking.

Background It is widely accepted that oral health plays an important role in overall health. Both dental and medical students are expected to possess good oral health awareness and work together for public oral health promotion especially in developing countries like China. The aim of this study was to assess the oral health knowledge, behavior and status of dental and medical undergraduate students in the first (fresh) and third year (before specialized courses) study. Methods A self-administered structured questionnaire with 13 questions was designed based on oral health knowledge, behavior and status and a cross-sectional study was conducted among the 1st, 3rd year dental students (1DS, 3DS) and medical students (1MS, 3MS) of Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, in the period of September–December 2017. The data was analyzed by chi-square test using IBM SPSS Statistics v. 21.0. Results The oral health behavior, consciousness and status of the 1st, 3rd year medical and dental students were not optimistic. Dental freshmen were slightly superior to the medical ones in terms of the brushing methods and the awareness of oral disease-systemic disease relationship. The junior dental students showed highly significant improvement than their counterparts, mainly in the items about frequency of brushing teeth, brushing methods of vertical scrub or Bass technique (66.3%), usage of floss or mouth wash (49.7%), causes of caries, periodontal diseases and system diseases (56.9–83.4%). The rates mentioned above were 36.1, 15.8%, 26.7–43.6% among 3MS, respectively. In terms of oral health status, significant differences were only observed in junior students. The prevalence rates of bad breath, gum bleeding, and tooth discoloration among 3DS were obviously lower than those of 3MS. However, only a total of 17.2% junior students had a good oral health, including 23.8% dental students and 11.4% medical students. Conclusions Our study provided a new understanding of oral health knowledge, behavior and status among dental and medical students, which may help to promote the reform of oral health education and establish a model for clinicians and dentists to work together for improving oral health.

Background Dental fear and anxiety (DFA) is a major issue affecting children’s oral health and clinical management. This study investigates the association between children’s DFA and family related factors, including parents’ DFA, parenting styles, family structure (nuclear or single-parent family), and presence of siblings. Methods A total of 405 children (9–13 years old) and their parents were recruited from 3 elementary schools in Hong Kong. Child’s demographic and family-related information was collected through a questionnaire. Parents’ and child’s DFA were measured by using the Corah Dental Anxiety Scale (CDAS) and Children Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS–DS), respectively. Parenting styles were gauged by using the Parent Authority Questionnaire (PAQ). Results DFA was reported by 33.1% of children. The mean (SD) CFSS-DS score was 29.1 (11.0). Children with siblings tended to report DFA (37.0% vs. 24.1%; p  = 0.034) and had a higher CFSS-DS score (29.9 vs. 27.4; p  = 0.025) as compared with their counterpart. Children from single-parent families had lower CFSS-DS score as compared with children from nuclear families (β = − 9.177; p  = 0.029). Subgroup analysis showed a higher CFSS-DS score among boys with siblings (β = 7.130; p  = 0.010) as compared with their counterpart; girls’ from single-parent families had a lower CFSS-DS score (β = − 13.933; p  = 0.015) as compared with girls from nuclear families. Children’s DFA was not associated with parents’ DFA or parenting styles ( p  > 0.05). Conclusions Family structure (nuclear or single-parent family) and presence of siblings are significant determinants for children’s DFA. Parental DFA and parenting style do not affect children’s DFA significantly.

Background Early childhood caries is a common chronic childhood disease and maternal oral health is a risk factor. Improving the oral health behaviours of pregnant women/young mothers can positively influence the oral health of children and reduce their caries risk. Such preventative strategies have been undertaken by non-dental professionals producing mixed results encompassing various interventions across the perinatal period. However, no comprehensive review of these studies has been undertaken. The aim of this review was to assess the effectiveness of maternal oral health programs undertaken during the antenatal and/or postnatal period by non-dental health professionals to reduce early childhood caries. Methods A systematic search of five databases was undertaken using key search terms. Studies were included if they (a) involved quantitative study designs with a control; (b) were published in English; (c) reported on interventions delivered by non-dental professionals (d) delivered the intervention to expectant mothers or mothers with young infants up to 24 months; (e) measured outcomes when the child was under 5 years; (f) measured changes in oral health outcomes of children clinically and oral health behaviours of mothers or children. No restrictions were placed on the study quality and setting. Results Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and involved interventions delivered by diverse non-dental professionals across the antenatal ( n  = 1), postnatal ( n  = 6) and perinatal period ( n  = 2). Most studies were of low methodological quality ( n  = 6). The interventions focussed on oral health education ( n  = 8), dental referrals ( n  = 3) and oral health assessments ( n  = 1). Interventions conducted in either the postnatal or antenatal periods showed meaningful improvements in children’s clinical and mother’s behavioural oral health outcomes. The outcomes appear to be sustained when a suite of interventions were used along with referral reminders. There were mixed results from interventions across the perinatal period. Conclusions Non-dental professionals can promote maternal oral health by providing oral health education, risk assessment and referrals. Combining these interventions could provide a sustained improvement in oral health outcomes for children although current evidence is weak. More high-quality studies are needed to confirm these findings and determine whether the antenatal and/or postnatal period is best suited to deliver these interventions.

Background Dental caries is a significant public health problem and one of the most common chronic conditions affecting children. The potential for the non-dental workforce to improve children’s oral health is well documented. For well over a decade, there have been calls for pediatricians to address children’s oral health, but the incorporation of oral health screening, referral, and oral healthcare in pediatric practice remains underdeveloped. Developing action to strengthen the role of pediatricians’ in children’s oral health requires an understanding of their current knowledge and practice. In this scoping review, we aimed to comprehensively map what is known about the knowledge and practice of pediatricians regarding children’s oral health. Methods Arksey & O’Malley’s five-stage review process was used to comprehensively map studies undertaken on pediatrician’s knowledge and practice regarding children’s oral health. Key search terms were developed and a total of 42 eligible articles are included in the review. Results The studies were conducted in 19 countries. The majority (41/42) were quantitative, with over 90% using self-reported surveys. Only four studies used previously validated survey tools, with most adapting questions from previous studies. Observational designs were used in two studies and one used qualitative methods. Sample size ranged from 15 to 862. Oral health knowledge amongst pediatricians was reported to be mostly poor, with many gaps in key areas including age for first dental visit, dental caries and oral health risk assessments. Studies on the translation of oral health knowledge to practice were limited, with wide variation in rates of assessment. Few studies assessed actual practice. Conclusions This scoping review highlights growing international interest in the role of pediatricians in children’s oral health. Findings demonstrate that pediatricians have limited knowledge and understanding in critical areas, including; initial clinical signs of dental caries, recommended age for first dental visit, etiology of dental caries and recommended use of fluorides. Barriers for pediatricians include inadequate education and training, time constraints in practice and lack of referral pathways. Development of a validated tool to assess knowledge and practice is needed. This review provides a starting point to guide future research and areas for systematic reviews.

Background This study aimed to evaluate the associations among oral health-related knowledge, attitudes, practice (KAP), self-rated oral health and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among Chinese college students. Methods Of the 2000 participants, 1751 (87.55%) students answered an online questionnaire between October 2019 and January 2020. The questionnaire included demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, and practice related to oral health, self-rated oral health, and OHRQoL. Structural equation modelling was applied to assess the associations among study variables. Results Among the total students, oral health-related knowledge and attitudes were satisfactory, while the oral health practice was not optimistic. The final model showed satisfactory fitness to the data. Oral health knowledge was associated with attitudes directly and positively. Attitudes toward oral health had a direct and positive effect on practice. Oral health knowledge had an indirect effect on practice through attitudes. Oral health practice was directly associated with self-rated oral health. Oral health knowledge, practice, and self-rated oral health all affected OHRQoL directly and positively, while attitudes had a direct negative impact on OHRQoL. Conclusions OHRQoL was influenced by oral health knowledge, attitudes, practice, and self-rated oral health. Our findings support the KAP theory. Limitations of the KAP model were also found.

Background This study aimed to design a gamified smartphone application (app) and assess its efficacy for education of mothers regarding oral healthcare of their children. Methods In this pretest–posttest controlled clinical trial, a simple app and a gamified version of it were designed to enhance the oral health knowledge and practice of mothers. The app contains information about early childhood caries, health diet, sugars, baby-oral hygiene, fluoride effect, fluoride toothpaste, tooth-brushing training video and regular dental visits. The opinion of experts and 3 mothers were obtained and both apps were revised accordingly. The intervention was implemented on mothers of preschoolers referring to the specialty dental clinic of Tehran School of Dentistry in 2019. The mothers were randomly allocated to the simple app or gamified app group. Before the intervention, all mothers filled out a questionnaire regarding oral health knowledge and practice, and their demographics were collected. The plaque index (PI) of children was also measured. The mothers filled out the same questionnaire 1 month after the intervention, and the PI of children was measured again. Paired t test and linear regression model were used for statistical analysis of the data. Results Totally, 58 mother and child pairs entered the study; 40% of children were boys. The mean age of children was 4.7 ± 1.2 years. The mean knowledge score of mothers in the pretest was 10.5 and 11.3 in simple app and gamified app group, respectively, which changed to 13.1 and 14.3, respectively in the posttest. The mean practice score of mothers was 4.4 and 4.8 in simple app and gamified app groups, respectively in the pretest, which changed to 8.5 and 8, respectively in the posttest. The mean dental plaque index of children in the pretest was 0.8 and 1 in simple app and gamified app groups, respectively, which changed to 0.5 and 0.5, respectively in the posttest. Children had better Plaque control in gamified app group ( P  < 0.05). Conclusion After 1 month, both apps effectively improved the oral-health knowledge and practice of mothers while oral hygiene as a result of plaque control was superior in children of mothers using the gamified app. Trial registration IRCT, IRCT20131102015238N2. Registered 24 February 2019—Retrospectively registered, https://fa.irct.ir/trial/36600 .

Background Dental diseases are prevalent among asylum seekers and refugees (ASRs). Despite significant treatment needs, access to dental care in host countries is often limited. The aim of this systematic review was to identify the barriers and enablers to dental care access for ASRs in host countries of very high development. Methods Five health and social care databases and eight grey literature sources of information were searched. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool was used to critically appraise included studies. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify common themes. These were then deductively organised according to Penchansky and Thomas’s modified access model. All review stages were conducted by two independent reviewers. Results Nine papers were included in the review. ASRs encounter significant challenges to accessing dental care in their host countries. These include affordability, communication difficulties, insufficient interpretation, limited knowledge of the healthcare systems and healthcare rights, and negative encounters with healthcare teams. The views and experiences of dental care teams providing care to ASRs were explored in only one study. Conclusions Both population and healthcare characteristics influence access to dental care for ASRs. Affordability, awareness and accommodation are most frequently described as barriers to dental access for this population. The diverse needs of this population need to be recognised by policy makers, commissioners and practitioners alike. Cultural competence needs to be incorporated into dental services and any interventions to improve access to dental care for this population. Registration PROSPERO- International prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42019145570).

Background The highly contagious nature of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2), besides the fact that dental procedures commonly generate blood and saliva droplets that could lead to the contagion have resulted in the closure of many dental clinics. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on dental practice by conducting an online questionnaire among the Iranian dental practitioners and finding their perspectives on the subject. Methods This report is based on a questionnaire that was conducted among Iranian dentists. The survey included questions that evaluate the dentists’ perceptions and attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on their personal life, financial status, and the quality of dental services for patients. Results Overall, 240 dentists contributed to this study (214 general dentists and 26 specialists). The majority of the participants (n = 170, 70%) did not perform non-emergency procedures during the pandemic. The dental practitioners have suggested several strategies to decrease the risk of contagion, such as reducing treatment sessions (n = 90, 37%), strict triage of patients (n = 156, 64%), and using personal protective equipment (n = 108, 45%). However, most of the dentists (n = 210, 87%) had problems, providing personal protective equipment during the pandemic. Moreover, 97% (n = 234) of the participants reported that they encountered a decrease in their financial income since the eruption of the pandemic. Conclusion Dental health care workers are at the highest risk of contracting COVID-19. Thus, dental practitioners ought to execute the standard protocols more cautiously during the pandemic. They could also lower their work hours and limit dental procedures to emergency treatments to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Besides, the public organizations should provide proper equipment for the dental practitioners to decrease the risk of contagion.