Breathing out dental fear: A feasibility crossover study on the effectiveness of diaphragmatic breathing in children sitting on the dentist's chair

Feasibility, acceptability, and perceived effectiveness of weighted blankets during paediatric dental care

BACKGROUND

Weighted blankets are one method to provide deep pressure touch sensations, which are associated with a calming effect on the nervous system. Weighted blankets have been reported to elicit a calming effect during stressful dental encounters and routine prophylactic visits in older adolescents and adults. Preliminary research suggests that weighted blankets are safe and feasible for children in both hospital and home settings; this, however, has not yet been examined in a paediatric dental environment.

AIM

To examine the feasibility, acceptability, and perceived effectiveness of a weighted blanket during paediatric dental care.

DESIGN

This cross-sectional study examined child, caregiver, and dentist-reported responses to survey questions asking about their experience with the weighted blanket during care (n = 20 each per child and caregiver group, n = 9 dentists).

RESULTS

The use of a weighted blanket is feasible, acceptable, and appropriate as reported by caregivers and dentists (means ≥ 4.70 on the Feasibility of Intervention, Acceptability of Intervention, and Intervention Appropriateness Measures). Few problems were described, and all groups overwhelmingly responded with enthusiasm, noted the blanket's potential for future use, and perceived that a weighted blanket improved care (means ≥ 4.10).

CONCLUSIONS

Study findings support the feasibility and acceptability of using a weighted blanket during a routine, noninvasive paediatric dental care.

Evaluating the Correlation Between Prosthodontic Interventions and Chest Infections: A Comprehensive Research Analysis

BACKGROUND

There is growing interest in the relationship between prosthodontic therapies and outcomes related to systemic health, particularly respiratory infections. Respiratory infections are a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, particularly among vulnerable populations such as immunocompromised individuals. The World Health Organization reports that lower respiratory infections are among the top causes of death worldwide, underscoring the importance of understanding their potential link to prosthodontic procedures. Dental operations, such as prosthodontic therapies, may alter the mouth flora and thus affect respiratory health.

OBJECTIVE

This research aimed to investigate the relationship between prosthodontic procedures and chest infections.

METHODOLOGY

This research was an observational prospective cohort study conducted from January 2023 to December 2023 at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) located in Islamabad, Pakistan. One hundred thirty individuals in the cohort, who were at least 18 years old, had a range of prosthodontic procedures, such as total edentulous solutions and tooth restoration. Electronic health data were used for participant selection to minimize selection bias and guarantee diverse representation. Comprehensive evaluations of cardiovascular health, immunological state, pulmonary function, and medical histories were all part of the data-gathering process. Structured questionnaires and interviews were also used to get patient feedback. Using SPSS Statistics software (version 27; IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), statistical analysis was performed to examine the relationships between prosthodontic treatments and chest infections using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.

RESULTS

PIMS hosted 130 participants in this research, which found that 29 patients, or 22% of the total, had chest infections after surgery. Chest infection rates were 15.15% (five out of 33) in the 18-39 age group, 21.21% (14 out of 66) in the 40-59 age group, and 32.26% (10 out of 31) in the 60+ age group, according to age-specific analysis. Complete edentulous solutions (38 cases, 29.23%) and tooth restoration (55 cases, 42.31%) were the most frequently performed procedures. Compared to tooth restoration (n=15; 55.17%), complete edentulous solutions (n=8; 27.59%) had increased infection risks, according to logistic regression. Following prosthodontic procedures, respiratory health measures improved: respiratory rate dropped to 17.8/min, oxygen saturation rose to 98.1%, and frequency of coughing fell to 1.9/day.

CONCLUSION

This research highlights the need for careful post-operative respiratory surveillance by elucidating the strong associations between prosthodontic procedures and chest infections.

Dentophobia-latent Component Factor Analysis of Dental Concerns Assessment Scale

BACKGROUND: Dentophobia (DF) is unreasonable, irrational, excessive, and socially limiting fear of specific situations related to dental care. The condition is part of the ultimate and pathological cluster of dental anxiety. AIM: Objectives of the present study are: (1) Identification of latent factors in the psychological manifestation of dental fear, anxiety, and phobia and (2) comparison of these factors with the degree of manifestation of the psychological construct and gender differences. METHODS: A cross-sectional online-based survey was conducted. The primary sociological information is collected through a direct individual survey including 32 items divided into four sections. Statistical data processing includes descriptive statistics, non-parametric hypothesis tests, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis for detection and verification of latent factors, internal validity analysis. DISCUSSION: The presence of a latent factor conditionally describing “pain related fear” is a possible reason for the overlap of DF with other panic disorders related to medical care described in the literature. A study performed for a wider and diverse population sample would produce more credible findings from which to draw more accurate conclusions. CONCLUSION: This study provides a better understanding of how to identify patients who are prone to, or already suffer from dental anxiety and allows dentists and health-care professionals to provide better health. The analysis of this study discovered a significant difference between latent factors from the construct encompassing the pain related fear and social fear.