Knowledge, attitudes, and practice behavior of dental hygienists regarding the impact of systemic diseases on oral health

Knowledge of the monkeypox 2022 outbreak among dental hygienists and students in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the knowledge of monkeypox infection among dental hygiene professionals and students in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among a convenience sample of dental hygiene professionals (n = 259). The questionnaire was developed based on previous literature, and descriptive analysis and a Chi-square test were performed.

RESULTS

A total of 159 dental hygienists responded to the questionnaire. Results indicated that only 1.7% had good knowledge, 7.7% had moderate knowledge and 90.6% had low knowledge of the monkeypox outbreak. The mean knowledge scores varied among dental hygiene students, practitioners and faculty members. Significant group differences were observed for some questions (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our study concludes that dental hygienists had moderate to low level of knowledge of the monkeypox infection and its implications for oral health and patient care, indicating a need for more education on the subject.

Assessment of Dental Patients' Awareness of the Correlation Between Systemic and Periodontal Diseases: A Questionnaire-Based Study

AIM

The correlation between periodontal diseases and systemic diseases has been proven. Considering the high prevalence of periodontitis, as well as the high prevalence of systemic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and anemia, in Saudi Arabia, patients visiting dental clinics need to be educated about this correlation. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and awareness levels of dental patients on the correlation between periodontal and systemic diseases and compare the awareness levels of the population based on their gender, educational level, and age group specifications.

METHODOLOGY

 The awareness level of patients was assessed using a questionnaire consisting of 18 questions about the correlation between periodontal and systemic health, along with demographic data (gender, age, and educational level). The questionnaire was distributed to randomly chosen patients who were attending Qassim University dental clinics. Patients could select their responses from three options: "yes," "no," and "no idea." The awareness level of patients was categorized based on their educational qualifications, age, and gender.

RESULTS

 A total of 252 patients participated in the study. Out of the 252 patients, 116 (46%) were male, and the remaining 136 (54%) were female. Females were found to be more aware of the correlation between pregnancy and anemia, independently, and periodontal diseases. Additionally, younger age groups were found to be more aware of the interaction between periodontal diseases and hyperparathyroidism. However, the awareness level based on educational qualification was almost equivalent between high school and college graduates.

CONCLUSION

 The general public of the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia needs to be educated further on the correlation between systemic and periodontal disease. Being part of the community, we wish to contribute to improving the level of awareness about the relationship between periodontal and systemic diseases, as our study has concluded that more efforts are required to achieve higher health standards.

Digital Form for Assessing Dentistry Undergraduates Regarding Periodontal Disease Associated with Cardiovascular Diseases

Background: Throughout recent years, periodontal disease (PD) has been linked to innumerable medical systemic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD). This association could negatively impact oral health, so the knowledge of dentists who have graduated must follow modern dentistry in order to promote oral health, mainly in systemically compromised patients. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine and evaluate the knowledge level of dentistry undergraduate students (DUS) regarding the correct periodontal treatment and management of cardiac patients with PD. Methods: This cross-sectional and populational-based study was conducted between March and June 2022 in northern Brazil. A total of 153 DUS received an anonymous digital form (Google Forms Platform) using a non-probabilistic “snowball” sampling technique. The digital form was composed of four blocks of dichotomous and multiple-choice questions. After signing the informed consent term, DUS were divided into three groups according to their period/semester in dentistry graduation during the study time (G1: 1st period/semester; G2: 5th period/semester and G3: 10th period/semester). A total of 25 questions referring to demographic, educational and knowledge data about the dental and periodontal care of cardiac patients with PD were asked, and all data were presented as descriptive percentages and then analyzed using the Kappa test. Results: From a total of 153 (100%) DUS, the sample was mostly composed of 104 (68%) female participants, with an average age of 21.1 years. Regarding basic knowledge, the majority of answers were no, with G1 being higher than G2 and G3. Regarding clinical questions, 1247 (58.3%) answers were no. Additionally, regarding fundamental clinical questions 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 14, the majority of G1, G2 and G3 answered no, demonstrating a major lack of knowledge. Conclusions: In our study, DUS demonstrated a low knowledge level of the dental and periodontal care of cardiac patients with PD and its bi-directional link. Thus, according to our results, an improvement in dentistry educational programs regarding periodontal medicine must be implemented.

Oral Health Status, Oral Health Behaviors, and Oral Health Care Utilization among Persons with Disabilities in Saudi Arabia

Various studies have indicated that persons with special needs may face several barriers to dental treatment, which increases the prevalence of oral diseases in this population. Moreover, these studies suggested that Saudis with special needs have a higher prevalence of oral diseases, such as dental caries and periodontal disease. The aim of this review is to synthesize evidence regarding the current status, trends in oral health behaviors, and oral health care utilization among these individuals, as well as to assess the quality of the literature. Furthermore, this review seeks to recommend directions for future research and oral health care policymaking. An electronic search was conducted using the following databases and registers: PubMed/Medline, Embase, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, and CENTRAL. Gray literature, which included conference proceedings and unpublished literature, was searched via the library services and Google/Google Scholar, and the quality of studies was assessed using the AXIS scale for cross-sectional studies. A total of 38 studies were included in this review, with the majority of the studies graded as 'low'. Within the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that individuals with special needs have limited access to oral health care, poor oral health status, and a general lack of awareness in regard to oral health. Therefore, nationwide surveys should be carried out to ascertain the actual extent of the oral inequities among individuals with special needs.

Assessment of the professional dental cleaning knowledge, behavior and medical compliance among dentists, medical doctors and non-medical staffs: a cross sectional study in Chongqing, China

BACKGROUND

The professional dental cleaning (PDC) is an effective supplement that can make up for the lack of self-oral health care. Everyone should develop the habit of regular PDC. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, behaviors and medical compliance of dentists, medical doctors and non-medical staffs about the PDC, identify the gaps, and provide information to help individuals develop healthy oral hygiene habit.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A web-based survey with 21 questions designed based on the characteristics, the PDC knowledge, behaviors, and medical compliance of respondents. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the main districts of Chongqing, China, in the period of September-November 2020. A total of 456 respondents including 153 dentists, 137 medical doctors and 166 non-medical staffs in 3 communities and 4 hospitals were sampled online with multistage sampling and surveyed. The data was analyzed by chi-square test using IBM SPSS Statistics v. 21.0.

RESULTS

The cognitive level and behavior of dentists on the PDC was significantly better than that of medical doctors and non-medical staffs (p = 0.000-0.044). The rates of not knowing "dental plaque" were 32.85% and 61.45%, of the medical doctors and non-medical staffs. Meanwhile, most of them had misunderstanding about effects of the PDC. They thought it would whiten teeth (72.99%, 80.72%), damage gums (16.79%, 19.88%) and teeth (15.33%, 21.69%), and create bigger gaps between teeth (24.82%, 33.13%). In terms of gum health and the PDC behavior, significant differences were observed, 23.53% of dentists experienced irritated gum bleeding in the last 12 months, 42.28% did not have their teeth cleaned professionally in the last 12 months, even 7.84% never had it before. Compared with it, in the same situation, the ratios of medical doctors and non-medical staffs were about 60% experiencing irritated gum bleeding, 69.34% and 77.71% not experiencing the PDC in the last 12 months, up to 33.58% and 45.18% never experienced it before. 41 respondents (8.99%) disagreed with the reasonable and necessary medical behaviors before the PDC.

CONCLUSION

People's understanding about the PDC was insufficient, and many people, included some dentists, had not developed the habit of regular dental cleaning. Our study provided a new understanding of the PDC among dentists, medical doctors, and non-medical staffs, which may help to improve their awareness and behavior of oral hygiene health, and establish the multidisciplinary collaborations between dentists and medical doctors.

Medical Conditions, Oral Health Practices, and Barriers to Treatment among Patients Visiting a Teaching Dental Hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia

Objective

To assess the prevalence of medical conditions, oral hygiene practices, and dental visits among patients who attended a teaching dental hospital in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Materials & Methods. This retrospective cross-sectional study used patient records from 2009 to 2015 from the dental hospital of the College of Dentistry Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam. Patients' demographics, medical history, oral hygiene practices, reasons for attending the facility, attendance patterns, and smoking habits were studied.

Results

The study included 1502 records of patients with 65.1% of males and 34.9% of females. The prevalence of medical conditions was 25.7% in the study. The most common medical conditions included diabetes mellitus (7.2%), hypertension (6.5%), and anemia (4.7%). Only 21.8% reported visiting the dental hospital in the past one year. The prevalence of smoking was 16.7%, and this did not differ significantly between healthy and medically compromised patients (P=0.165). Fillings were the most common (21.6%) reason for visiting a dental hospital, followed by treatment for periodontal problems (12.9%) and oral lesions (12.6%), whereas treatment for braces (orthodontics) was the least common (5%) reason for visiting the hospital. The reasons for visiting the hospital did not differ significantly between healthy and medically compromised patients (P > 0.05). The three most common barriers to dental visits included long waiting time (18.1%), fear of dental treatment (14.4%), and difficulty in getting an appointment (11.3%).

Conclusion

The study showed that dental patients had a high prevalence of medical conditions. Diabetes mellitus was the most prevalent problem. Most patients visited the dental hospital to receive restorative treatment, and a long waiting time was the most common barrier to dental visits. Public health measures should be taken to improve the general health and oral care of patients.

Relationship between oral health-related knowledge, attitudes, practice, self-rated oral health and oral health-related quality of life among Chinese college students: a structural equation modeling approach

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.

The Dental Hygienists in Sweden and Portugal: A Comparative Study

Aims and Objectives:

The aim of the present study was to identify the dental hygienists (DHs)’ working areas and compare these findings between Sweden and Portugal.

Materials and Methods:

A web-based questionnaire was sent by E-mail to all 2943 members of the Swedish DH Association and 381 members of the Portuguese DH Association. The questionnaire contained questions about; number of years of work, which patient groups they worked with, if they had got sufficient knowledge from the education and what different tasks they worked with. Independent sample t-test, relative risk, and logistic regression analysis were used as statistical methods.

Results:

The response rate for Sweden was 31% (n = 923) and the corresponding figure for Portugal was 53.5% (n = 204). The most common tasks for the DHs, in both countries, were to diagnose and treat patients with periodontitis and to diagnose and perform caries prevention. In Portugal, 86.5% worked with orthodontic patients compared to 32.3% in Sweden (P = 0.001). The logistic regression analysis showed that there was a 25% (P = 0.02) higher probability that Swedish DHs took more X-rays and 38% (P = 0.042) probability that they had more communications skills compared to the Portuguese DHs.

Conclusion:

The DH profession in Sweden and Portugal was overall quite similar. Despite a few local differences, both the academic education and scope of practice corresponded well between the countries. The few discrepancies could be explained by differences in legislations in each country.

Association between Diabetes Mellitus and Periodontal Diseases: A Survey of the Opinions of Dental Professionals

OBJECTIVE

This cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the knowledge of dentists and dental assistants practicing in Saudi Arabia regarding diabetes mellitus (DM) and periodontal diseases.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We used a pretested, closed-ended, multiple-choice questionnaire covering 2 principal sections: the assessment of previous educational training and practice, and the knowledge and scientific background regarding DM and periodontal diseases. The responses were grouped using the Likert-type scale.

RESULTS

The questionnaire showed a high reliability value of 0.805 as determined by a Cronbach's α. Out of 365 subjects who were initially interviewed, 239 subjects participated (response rate 65.5%): general dentists (45.6%) and dental hygienists and assistants (54.4%). Of the participating dentists, 70.4% were males; in contrast, 87.7% of dental assistants were female. Eighty-five percent of the participants strongly agreed that evidence supports the association between periodontal diseases and DM. Remarkably, dental assistants (78%) agreed more than dentists (68.5%) that diabetic patients with periodontal conditions would have worse glycemic control compared to diabetic patients with no periodontal diseases. Seventy-five percent of the respondents were confident about performing oral health screening for diabetic patients. Significantly more dental assistants showed their desire to expand their practice to include oral health screening (85%) and education compared to dentists (74%).

CONCLUSIONS

Both dentists and dental assistants in Saudi Arabia revealed a satisfactory knowledge level regarding the periodontal disease-diabetes interactions with no significant difference between the two groups. Further studies are recommended to assess the attitude of dental care providers while dealing with diabetic patients.