Journal of Public Health Dentistry

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aimed to review the safety and effectiveness of professionally applied fluorides for preventing and arresting dental caries in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS: Randomized controlled trials conducted in LMICs, in which professionally applied fluorides were compared with placebo/no treatment/health education only or usual care with a minimum one-year follow-up period, were included. Any topically applied fluoride agents such as sodium fluoride (NaF), acidulated phosphate fluoride, silver diamine fluoride (SDF), and nano silver fluoride (NSF) were included...

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the differences, by state, in dental care utilization and tooth retention between adults with and without diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an annual, state-based, random telephone survey of noninstitutionalized US civilian adults. The predictor variable was DM status. The outcome variables were time since the last dental appointment and tooth loss...

OBJECTIVES: Dental practices can have additional positive impacts on public health by implementing mental health screening and referral to treatment in dental care workflows. In this study, we examined how dental practices identify and address adult patient mental health concerns, attitudes about implementing mental health screening and referral, and potential barriers and facilitators to treatment. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured focus groups with 17 dentists, 10 dental hygienists, and 5 dental assistants/office staff in the South-Central region of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network...

OBJECTIVES: The scoping review aimed to examine the literature on the role of Community Health Workers (CHW) in oral health interventions within school settings. The objectives were to identify the characteristics of school oral health interventions where CHWs played a role; and to assess the outcomes derived from CHW participation in school oral health. METHODS: The scoping review was guided by the Levac et al (2010) framework. Articles selected for this review included all forms of study designs and gray literature...

OBJECTIVES: While factors contributing to dental antibiotic overprescribing have previously been described, previous work has lacked any theoretical behavior change framework that could guide future intervention development. The purpose of this study was to use an evidence-based conceptual model to identify barriers and facilitators of appropriate antibiotic prescribing by dentists as a guide for future interventions aimed at modifying antibiotic prescribing. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with dentists from the National Dental Practice Based Research Network (PBRN) exploring patient and practice factors perceived to impact antibiotic prescribing...

OBJECTIVES: Smoking is a major global health problem with serious systemic and oral consequences. This study aims at assessing the influence of smoking cigarettes and other types of smoked tobacco on oral conditions (OCs) using a representative sample of US adults. METHODS: Pre-pandemic data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2020 were utilized, and 7840 adults aged ≥30 years were included in our analyses. Descriptive statistics, logistic, and negative binomial regression models were performed to assess the relationship between tobacco products and OCs including, tooth loss (TL), coronal (CC) and root caries (RC)...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the barriers and enablers oral health and chronic disease policymakers identify during policy development. METHODS: Semi-structured interview questions were developed utilizing an interview guide and applying a knowledge mobilization framework. Reflective thematic analysis of the data was completed based on the research of Braun and Clarke encompassing a critical realist approach. RESULTS: Twelve policymakers were interviewed...

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether insurance status and/or developmental disability moderated the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and unmet dental needs among children aged 0 to 17 in Ohio. METHODS: We utilized cross-sectional data from the 2021 Ohio Medicaid Assessment Survey to assess the dental needs of children. ACE scores, dental insurance status, and developmental disability status were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression to identify their potential association with parental-reported unmet dental needs...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the frequency of emergency department (ED) usage primarily for oral/dental conditions in Hawaii and to examine social-demographic factors associated with the identified ED visits. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of the 2021 Hawaii Statewide Hospital data. We identified records indicating ED usage and a primary diagnosis of non-traumatic dental conditions (NTDC) and other oral dental conditions (OODC). Descriptive analyses of ED visits for NTDC and OODC were performed to identify vulnerable individuals based on age, sex, race/ethnicity, primary source of payment, county of residence, and total charges per hospital record...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the association between affordability in terms of difficulty paying dental bills in Australian dollars and dental service use in the presence of sociodemographic confounders, and to assess the role of dental anxiety and satisfaction with dental professionals as mediators. The second aim was to investigate how dental anxiety and satisfaction with dental professionals modify the association between affordability and use of dental services in Australian adults...

OBJECTIVES: In recent years, there has been a growing academic interest in investigating the determinants of healthy aging. The main objective of this study was to investigate the association between oral status, as defined by tooth loss and denture use, and healthy aging among Chinese older adults over a four-year duration. METHODS: The data were derived from the 2014 and 2018 waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analysis were employed for statistical analysis...

PURPOSE: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a prevalent sexually transmitted infection responsible for many anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. Dental care providers have the potential to influence vaccine uptake, yet little is known about how patients perceive their role in HPV education and prevention. METHODS: Parents of adolescents aged 9 to 17 years (n = 375) were recruited from Valdeorras District Hospital (Galicia, Spain) to investigate parents' attitudes concerning the involvement of dental care providers in discussions related to HPV...

OBJECTIVES: To summarize evidence on the impact of oral health on individual and family economic outcomes, describe trends in the literature, and identify areas for additional research to inform public health research and practice. METHODS: Searches were conducted within PubMed, CINAHL, EconLit, Cochrane Library, PsycInfo, and Web of Science databases. Article review, selection, abstraction, and reporting processes were guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presence of sleep disorders, obesity and anxiety associated with cavitated carious lesions in children aged 8 to 10 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Northeast of Brazil. The sample was comprised of 793 schoolchildren randomly selected from public and private schools. Calibrated examiners (Kappa >0.80) performed the clinical examination of dental caries using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System and applied the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale and the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children questionnaires...

OBJECTIVES: Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) may be well positioned to facilitate dental visits during pregnancy for low-income women. We sought to compare receipt of dental visits during pregnancy for women who received prenatal care at an FQHC versus a non-FQHC setting. METHODS: We analyzed Michigan Medicaid administrative data for all live birth deliveries between April 2018 and December 2020. We used billing data to categorize the predominant setting for prenatal care as occurring at a FQHC or a non-FQHC and claims data to identify dental visits during pregnancy (in the 9 months prior to delivery)...

OBJECTIVES: U.S. and global estimates indicate that over 30% of adults fear receiving dental care, including over 20% who have visited a dentist in the last year, leading to avoidance and degraded oral and systemic health. Although evidence-based cognitive-behavioral treatments for dental fear (CBT-DF) exist, they have little impact on the millions who seek dental care annually because they are not disseminable (6 h of in-chair time, delivered only in person at a few sites). We developed a disseminable CBT-DF stepped-care treatment comprising (Step 1) a mobile-health application and, for those who remain fearful, (Step 2) a 1-h, one-on-one psychological treatment session that allows practice during exposure to the patient's most-feared stimuli...

OBJECTIVES: The Rocky Mountain Network for Oral Health (RoMoNOH) promotes the delivery of preventive oral health services (POHS) to children receiving care at community health centers (CHCs) in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming. One POHS is oral health goal setting (OHGS). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of OHGS during medical visits on parent/caregiver-reported oral health behaviors (OHBs). METHODS: The RoMoNOH implementation team trained CHC healthcare providers in POHS, including caries risk assessment, oral health education, fluoride varnish application, dental referrals, and parent/caregiver oral health engagement...

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association among barriers to dental care services, dentition groups, and self-reported oral health status for Medicare beneficiaries. METHODS: We used data from the 2017 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which included participants aged ≥65 years who were enrolled in Medicare and had completed the oral health exam. We created a dentition group variable using the detailed dental examination data to account for the presence of natural, replaced, removable, or missing teeth...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with burnout in Australian dental practitioners. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 1483 Australian dental practitioners was conducted from Oct to Dec 2021. Participants reported burnout using the Sydney Burnout Measure, and aspects of mental health including psychological distress, depression, and anxiety disorders. Predictors of burnout were explored using a generalized linear model with a stepped approach including demographic, health and risk factor variables...

OBJECTIVES: Perceived Social Status (PSS) is a measure of cumulative socioeconomic circumstances that takes perceived self-control into account. It is hypothesized to better capture social class compared to socioeconomic status (SES) measures (i.e., education, occupation, and income). This study examined the association between PSS and dental utilization, comparing the strength of associations between dental utilization and PSS and SES measures among a low-income adult Medicaid population...