Identifying common factors of functioning, participation and environment amongst adults requiring specialist oral health care using the International Classification of Functioning, disability and health

Age related impairments in ingestion from a large population based-sample

OBJECTIVES

Epidemiological data regarding the evolution of problems related to mastication and swallowing with age are lacking. This study aims to (i) describe changes in oral function with age, using data from a large French population, (ii) validate online, self-report uses of an ICF questionnaire in older persons, and (iii) assess whether impairment is related to avoidance of certain foods, xerostomia, body mass index (BMI) and oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL).

METHODS

Volunteers aged ≥18 years with internet access completed a series of questionnaires on sociodemographic, anthropometric and oral health characteristics (oral function, Xerostomia Index (XI), OHRQoL, reasons for avoidance of certain food). Oral function was assessed using items derived from the International Classification of Functioning (ICF). Five ICF items related to ingestion function and six items related to activities and participation were used. A validation study was undertaken to identify those with poor chewing ability and low salivary flow amongst older participants reporting impairment.

FINDINGS

39 597 individuals were included. The prevalence of individuals with impairment for ICF items related to ingestion function and oral activity (eating, drinking and speaking), and the percentage of participants with poor OHRQoL increased significantly with age (p < 0.001). Each ICF item was significantly associated with OHRQoL (p < 0.001), XI (p < 0.001), BMI (p < 0.001) and avoidance of certain food due to chewing or swallowing difficulties.

CONCLUSION

Overall, 21.5% and 13.5% of the study population had chewing and/or biting impairments respectively, which might affect food selection and consumption. These findings raise individual and population-based issues. Further studies are needed to assess whether impairment in oral function might increase frailty in older individuals, and also to compare data with those from other countries.

Implant-supported prostheses in patients with special needs: A systematic literature review of protocols and outcomes

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Implant-supported prostheses for individuals with special needs have been considered high-risk because of the prevalence of poor oral hygiene and parafunction in this population; however, systematic evidence on protocols and outcomes is scarce.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize implant procedures and outcomes for the special needs population.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) methodological framework. Data collected included patient information, location and number of implants, surgical and prosthetic procedures, behavior support techniques, postoperative follow-up, complications, and criteria for outcome assessment. Survival rates were pooled for quantitative analysis, and a separate analysis pooling data from groups of special needs patients that present similar risks was undertaken.

RESULTS

The qualitative analysis included 79 studies involving 759 patients and 2269 implants. The quantitative analysis included 65 studies concerning 666 patients with special needs and 1886 implants. The overall weighted implant survival rate was 95.4%, with a mean follow-up duration of 40.7 ±29.5 months.

CONCLUSIONS

In individuals with special needs considered suitable for implant-supported prostheses by their clinician, implant survival rates were similar to those reported in the general population. (J Prosthet Dent xxxx;xxx:xxx-xxx).

Correlation of dental pain and pain catastrophizing with oral health status among physically disabled

Background

Physical disability results in impaired mobility, leading to increased dependency on others and may also have a negative impact on ones general and oral health. Moreover, such individuals could be at a greater risk of being prone to chronic pain conditions. A person's ability to cope with pain is a consistent and one of the most important predictors of clinical outcome. Catastrophization is known to be a maladaptive coping behaviour that could negatively influence such outcomes.

Material and Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 229 physically disabled individuals at Home for Disabled, Bansilalpet, Secunderabad. Extent of Physical disability was measured using Barthel index of Activities of Daily Living (ADL), type and severity of dental pain was assessed using the short form McGill Pain Questionnaire and catastrophizing using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). Dentition status and periodontal status were assessed using the World Health Organization assessment form.

Results

Caries prevalence of the population was 39.7% with a mean DMFT score of 2.8±4.09. Pain catastrophizing showed positive significant (p<0.05) correlation with sensory pain(r=0.182), visual analog scale(r=0.168), pain severity(r=0.161) and DMFT (r=0.4). It had significant negative correlation with ADL and bleeding gums.

Conclusions

In this study it was apparent that irrespective of the dependency levels, dentition status had a significant effect on pain catastrophizing level of the individuals. Key words:Disability, Oral Health, Catastrophizing.

Factors Associated With Regular Dental Care in People With Spinal Cord Injury: A Secondary Analysis of Data From the FRASCI Study

Background

Oral health and regular dental care are critical to overall health. Research has found associations between oral health and infections, respiratory disease, and poor quality of life in the general population. While risks for all are increased in people with spinal cord injury (SCI), there is limited information on dental care after SCI.

Objectives

The purpose of this analysis was to examine factors associated with regular dental care in people with SCI.

Methods

We analyzed data from 348 individuals with traumatic and nontraumatic SCI who were enrolled in the Fracture Risk after SCI (FRASCI) study. The dataset included two variables on dental care, as well as demographics, injury-related characteristics, and secondary conditions. Bivariate relationships were determined using two-sided t tests and chi-square tests.

Results

Over 60% of the sample received regular dental care twice per year, and 71% reported seeing a dentist within the past year. Those participants receiving regular dental care twice a year were more likely to be female, be working, have more than a high school diploma, have private insurance, and need a caregiver compared to those who do not receive regular dental care. In addition, these participants were more likely to have had pneumonia since their SCI and have had a urinary tract infection in the past year and since injury.

Conclusion

More data on oral health are needed to make conclusions about the impact of oral health on secondary conditions and quality of life in people with SCI.

Measuring oral health-How can the International Classification of Functioning help?

There is a need for a theoretically informed, contextualized approach to measuring oral health from a multidisciplinary perspective that goes beyond the commonly used clinical indices and sociodental measures. This commentary aims to discuss the potential for the WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) to provide a model for the development of indicators for oral health. It is suggested that the ICF might provide both a theoretical model and an operational classification for indicators of oral health. The ICF model states that human experience of physical, cognitive and social functioning is universal and, thus, can be described and qualified. Human function is given social and environmental context within the model at both an individual and population level. The ICF can not only capture data regarding oral health and function at the physiological level (e.g. chewing) but also at the social level (e.g. sharing meals). It is able not only to capture aspects of preventive behaviour (e.g. caring for teeth) but also aspects of social facilitation (e.g. economic self-sufficiency) or ability to fulfil a social role (e.g. remunerative employment). It also includes aspects of social environment, such as healthcare services or political, economic and legal systems. Case studies are given as examples of the potential use of the ICF in the oral health domain. Examples are also given of the first steps that have been made towards operationalization of the ICF in data collection and oral health research. The challenges of encompassing such a comprehensive model into a practical oral health measure are discussed.

Management of dental caries lesions in patients with disabilities: Update of a systematic review

The aim of this systematic review was to update an existing review on the management of dental caries lesions in patients with disabilities so as to provide an up-to-date summary of the evidence. Randomized clinical trials and cohort studies related to preventive and restorative programmes for dental caries among people requiring special care, published in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and German languages from February 1st 2011 to April 1st 2022, were retrieved from three databases ("updated review"). From the 1,105 titles identified using the search topic "Caries AND Disability", 17 papers informed in the analyses: 6 referring to caries preventive strategies and 11 related to restorative care strategies. Most of these studies targeted children and adults with intellectual/physical disability, although preventive and therapeutic strategies were also reported for frail older adults and onchohematological patients. Fluorides in tablets, gels or varnishes forms and the use of xylitol as a sugar substitute were reported as effective approach to prevent the onset of caries in high-risk groups. Minimally intervention treatment options such as the Hall technique, the ART approach and the use of SDF for arresting caries, were deemed suitable and effective strategies for treating existing lesions in-office. In conclusion, in the past decade (2011-2022) an increased number of articles reported strategies to prevent and manage caries among people requiring special care. Although an array of preventive and therapeutic strategies for dental caries exists, more and better-quality clinical evidence is needed to offer guidance to inform policy and practice for special care dentistry.

Development of a new tool for predicting the behavior of individuals with intellectual disability in the dental office: A pilot study

BACKGROUND

The dental treatment of individuals with intellectual disability can represent a considerable professional challenge.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a model for predicting the behavior of patients with intellectual disability in the dental office.

METHODS

The study group comprised 250 patients with Down syndrome (DS), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), cerebral palsy (CP), idiopathic cognitive impairment or rare disorders. We collected their demographic, medical, social and behavioral information and identified potential predictors (chi-squared test). We developed stratified models (Akaike information criterion) to anticipate the patients'behavior during intraoral examinations and to discern whether the dental treatment should be performed under general anesthesia. These models were validated in a new study group consisting of 80 patients. Goodness of fit was quantified with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). We developed a mathematical algorithm for executing the models and developed software for its practical implementation (PREdictors of BEhavior in Dentistry, "PREBED").

RESULTS

For patients with DS, ASD and CP, the model predicting the need for physical restraint during examination achieved a PPV of 0.90, 0.85 and 1.00, respectively, and an NPV of 0.66, 0.76 and 1.00, respectively. The model predicting the need for performing treatment under general anesthesia achieved a PPV of 0.63, 1.00 and 1.00, respectively, and an NPV of 1.00, 1.00 and 0.73, respectively. However, when validating the stratified models, the percentage of poorly classified individuals (false negatives + false positives) ranged from 24% to 46.6%.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the PREBED tool open the door to establishing new models implementing other potentially predictive variables.

Masticatory Adaptation to Occlusal Changes

This review deals with the frequent wide variability of masticatory capacity/incapacity. Neither researchers nor clinicians have taken sufficient account of this variability despite its implications for nutrition. Mastication in normal healthy oral conditions is first described, followed by a short presentation of the mechanisms of masticatory adaptation in the nervous system. Capacity, incapacity, and successful compensatory adaptation of mastication are then defined, along with the different methods used for their evaluation. Examples of adaptation needs are given, such as those concomitant with dental wear or occlusal changes. Finally, given its vital importance for deeply impaired mastication/deglutition function, the impact of masticatory adaptation processes on nutrition is examined.