COMMUNITY DENTISTRY AND ORAL EPIDEMIOLOGY

Assessing motivational interviewing integrity in the Toddler Oral Health Intervention study
van Spreuwel PCJM, Voets E, Bruijning J, van Loveren C, van der Heijden GJMG and Jerković-Ćosić K
The Toddler Oral Health Intervention (TOHI) was launched in 2017 to promote oral health prevention at well-baby clinics, with a focus on parents with children aged 6-48 months. This study aims to evaluate the integrity of motivational interviewing (MI) as one of the core intervention pillars in the TOHI study.
Long-Term Oral Health Effects of Traumatic Events Among World Trade Center Health Registry Enrolees, 2003-2020
Akinkugbe AA, Midya V, Crane MA, Garcia DT, Clark US and Wright RJ
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disabling mental health condition arising from experiencing serious traumatic events. This study investigated if PTSD secondary to the World Trade Center terrorist attack on 11 September 2001 (9/11) is associated with self-reported doctor's diagnosis of periodontitis and count of missing teeth.
Examination of dental utilization of newly resettled adult refugees in Washington state enrolled in dental medicaid program
Seminario AL, Tabatabaiepur S, Wang Y, Okunseri C, Weatherspoon DJ and Roberts F
To assess dental utilization of resettled adult refugees in Washington (WA) state and the demographic factors associated with dental utilization.
Hospital Dental Admissions and Caries Experience Among Children With Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: A Population-Based Record Linkage Cohort Study
Schluter PJ, Bowden N, Dacombe J, McLay L and Lee M
Within Aotearoa | New Zealand, rates of largely preventable severe caries and dental hospitalisations among children are increasing and inequalities exist. However, little population-based empirical evidence exists describing this oral health burden among children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs). This study aimed to estimate and compare the rates of dental hospital admissions in a near-national population of children aged ≤ 14 years with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, intellectual disability or any NDD after accounting for key confounding variables. Caries status for these children was derived from an oral health screening at 4 years and also examined.
Process Evaluation of a Secondary School-Based Digital Behaviour Change Intervention to Improve Toothbrushing: The BRIGHT Randomised Controlled Trial
El-Yousfi S, Innes N, Kellar I, Fairhurst C, Ainsworth H, Chestnutt I, Day P, Dey D, Pavitt S, Robertson M, Whiteside K and Marshman Z
The aim was to conduct a process evaluation of a multicomponent behaviour change intervention to reduce dental caries in secondary school children in the UK. The intervention was evaluated in the BRIGHT randomised controlled trial which investigated clinical and cost-effectiveness. The trial involved 4680 participants from 42 schools with a follow-up period of 2.5 years. Schools with an above-average proportion of free school meal (FSM) eligibility, an indicator of low household income, were recruited. The intervention, an oral health classroom-based session (CBS) delivered by school staff and twice-daily text messages aimed to improve toothbrushing frequency with fluoride toothpaste.
Poverty Dynamics and Caries Status in Young Adolescents
Carbajal Rodriguez G, van Meijeren-van Lunteren AW, Wolvius EB and Kragt L
To investigate whether timing, accumulation and trajectories of poverty are associated with dental caries in young adolescents.
A Systematic Review of Dental Antibiotic Stewardship Interventions
Teoh L, Löffler C, Mun M, Agnihotry A, Kaur H, Born K and Thompson W
Antimicrobial resistance is a significant threat to global health. Antimicrobial stewardship is reducing inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing to counter it. Dentists prescribe ~10% of all antibiotics worldwide, yet up to 90% of antibiotic prescriptions by dentists are inappropriate. The aim of this systematic review was to update a 2017 review evaluating the effects of antibiotic stewardship interventions in dental settings, using the international consensus on core outcomes for dental antibiotic stewardship.
A Data-Driven Approach Identifies Subtypes of Caries From Dental Charting
Haworth S, Kastenbom L, Persson P, Fries N, Esberg A, Jönsson D and Johansson I
The objectives were to: (i) assess the accuracy of dental data for adults obtained from the Swedish Quality Register on Caries and Periodontitis (SKaPa); (ii) explore whether Latent Class Analysis (LCA) can identify groups of people based on caries data; and (iii) characterise the dental, medical and behavioural characteristics of people in the LCA-derived classes.
Social Relationships and Tooth Loss in Adults Aged 60 Years and Older: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Yoshida-Kohno E, Fueki K, Wanigatunga AA, Cudjoe TKM and Aida J
To systematically assess current evidence on the extent to which social relationships are associated with tooth loss in adults aged 60 years and older.
Navigating Disparities in Dental Health-A Transit-Based Investigation of Access to Dental Care in Virginia
Kim J, Karki S, Brickhouse T, Vujicic M, Nasseh K, Wang C and Zhang M
To identify vulnerable areas and populations with limited access to dental care in Virginia, the study aimed (1) to calculate travel time and accessibility scores to dental care in Virginia using a transit-based accessibility model for all dental clinics and dental clinics participating in the Medicaid dental program and (2) to estimate factors associated with accessibility to dental clinics participating in the Medicaid dental program in Virginia.
The Role of Nationality in Childhood Caries in Qatar
Spencer AJ, AlKhtib AO, Al Darwish MS, Mohame HGS, Mathew T, Al Mannai GA, Al Thani M, Abdulmalik M, de Vries J, Do LG and Chrisopoulos S
Childhood primary dentition caries prevalence and experience is higher among Qatari than non-Qatari nationality children in Qatar but only this bivariate association has been described.
How Do Persons With Disabilities and/or Complex Health Conditions Perceive Oral Health? A Qualitative Study
Bogner MS, Scambler S, Eschevins C and Faulks D
This qualitative study aimed to explore the experience and perception of the mouth, oral health, functioning and the social environment amongst adults with disabilities and complex health conditions.
The Association Between Cognitive Function and Oral Health in Home Dwellers and Nursing Home Residents: The HUNT Study
Asante EO, Eldholm RS, Kolberg M, Skjellegrind HK, Selbæk G, Mai XM, Chen Y and Sun YQ
To evaluate the relationships of cognitive function and care dependency with oral health in a Norwegian older adult population.
Association between overweight/obesity and dental outcomes in early childhood: Findings from an Australian cohort study
Leary SD, Ha DH, Dudding T and Do LG
Oral health is an important part of general health and well-being and shares risk factors, such as poor diet, with obesity. The published literature assessing the association between obesity and oral health in early childhood is sparse and inconsistent. The objective of this study was to investigate associations between overweight/obesity (measured by body mass index) and dental outcomes (caries, plaque index and gingival index) both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, taking account of potential confounding factors, based on data collected at age 2 and age 5 within the Australian Study of Mothers' and Infants' Life Events Affecting Oral Health (SMILE) birth cohort study.
Causal analyses in longitudinal observational studies in oral health: A scoping review
Dao ATM, Do LG, Stormon N, Dhanapriyanka M and Ha DH
Causal analysis including causal inference and causal mediation is pivotal to inform effective interventions. In modern epidemilogy, causal analysis involves four key steps: formulating causal questions, employing directed acyclic graphs (DAGs), conducting data management and selecting statistical strategies. Our objective was to conduct a scoping review to assess how longitudinal observational studies (LOSs) in dental field have integrated these four steps to contribute leverage evidence that inform oral public health interventions.
Trajectories of social class and adult self-perceived oral health
Aljubair R and Delgado-Angulo EK
To determine the effect of social mobility on self-perceived oral health (SPOH) by: (i)characterizing patterns of social mobility from birth to adulthood and (ii)assessing their influence on SPOH among British adults.
Efficiency of periodontal treatment to improve type 2 diabetes mellitus outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of economic evaluations
Sáenz-Ravello G, Castillo-Riquelme M, Cuadrado C, Gamonal J and Baeza M
To assess the efficiency of periodontal treatment (PT) in improving diabetes-related outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and periodontitis, providing an updated and comprehensive synthesis from economic evaluations (EE).
The declining affordability of dental care in New Zealand from 1978 to 2023
Gage R, Broadbent J, Leung W, Lee M and Sullivan T
In the early 2020s, nearly half of New Zealand adults reported that cost of treatment had prevented them from accessing dental care, with higher rates among Māori, Pasifika and individuals living in the most deprived areas. Unaffordable dental care may be explained by a rise in dental service fees over time relative to personal income, as documented in New Zealand between 1978 and 1993. However, there have been no contemporary estimates in New Zealand of how the affordability of dental care has changed. The aims of this study were to analyse the change in dental treatment fees and the personal income of New Zealanders from 1978 to 2023 and to explore differences in affordability of dental care by ethnicity.
Remoteness-attributable financial inequality in dental service utilization in Australian older adults: A Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition
Ghanbarzadegan A, Ju X, Sohn W and Jamieson L
Oral health is often overlooked in ageing health issues, despite its impact on overall health and quality of life. Older Australians, especially those in rural and remote areas, face difficulties accessing oral health services. The aim of the study was to investigate the factors that contribute to financial barriers to accessing dental services among the ageing population in Australia in relation to their residential location.
Caries lesions progression in adults: A prospective 2-year cohort study
Abdalla H, Allison PJ, Madathil SA, Veronneau JE, Pustavoitava N and Tikhonova S
Dental caries is one of the most prevalent chronic non-communicable diseases worldwide. There is a lack of evidence, especially in adult populations, documenting caries disease progression considering lesion severity, activity and tooth surface-level characteristics. The study aimed to investigate the extent to which primary active caries lesions in adults affect caries lesions progression compared with inactive caries lesions over a 2-year follow-up period, considering their severity, surface and tooth type.
Specifying a target trial protocol to estimate the effect of preconception treatment of periodontitis on time-to-pregnancy: A commentary and applied example
Bond JC, Heaton B, Garcia RI, Rothman KJ, Wise LA, Fox MP and Murray EJ
The target trial framework was developed as a strategy to design and analyze observational epidemiologic studies with the aim of reducing bias due to analytic decisions. It involves designing a hypothetical randomized trial to answer a question of interest and systematically considering how to use observational data to emulate each trial component.