Search

Objectives Subjects and Methods Results Conclusion To investigate the effect of adiposity status, salivary physicochemical parameters, and inflammatory biomarkers on the salivary abundance of the two main cariogenic bacteria Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus among Hong Kong adolescents.This study included 180 adolescents aged 12–15 years from Hong Kong local secondary schools. Anthropometric measurements and oral health examinations were performed. Saliva samples were collected to measure salivary physicochemical parameters, protein biomarker levels, and salivary abundance of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, and total bacteria.Adolescents with general overweight/obesity or central obesity had significantly higher salivary Streptococcus mutans abundance and total bacterial load, lower stimulated salivary flow rate, and lower secretory phospholipase A2 group IIA levels than the lean controls. Adolescents with general overweight/obesity (OR = 3.33; 95% CI: 1.28–8.65) and those with central obesity (OR = 2.47; 95% CI: 1.02–6.00) had a significantly higher chance of having high salivary abundance of Streptococcus mutans than the lean controls after adjusting for confounders, with a similar detection rate of salivary Streptococcus sobrinus.General overweight or obesity and central obesity were associated with a high salivary abundance of Streptococcus mutans but had no significant effect on salivary Streptococcus sobrinus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-infection risk induced by dental-related droplets and aerosol particles has challenged service providers and patients alike. The dental clinic has been widely treated as one of the most vulnerable healthcare organizations with a high exposure risk to infection. The present study aims to investigate the effect of high-volume evacuation (HVE) on the emitted droplets and aerosol particles during dental atomization procedures. Ultrasonic scaling, one type of atomization procedure, is performed in the dental clinic. The laser light scattering method is employed to visualize the immediate moment with and without the cooperation of HVE on ultrasonic scaling. The Proper Orthogonal Decomposition analysis is employed to investigate the turbulent flow characteristics. The previous hypothesis about the moderate performance of HVE on tiny high-velocity droplets has been proven in the present study. The HVE can be characterized as significantly low-threshold measures to reduce the contaminated region. Besides, a pair of vortexes presented near the facial region of dental professionals will be eliminated when cooperating with HVE. The HVE can significantly reduce the emitted droplets (about 60%) and the airborne lifetime of suspended particles. HVE acting as additional mitigation measures could augment traditional/primary decontamination strategies such as ventilation and personal protective equipment.

Dental services are yet to return to a semblance of normality owing to the fear and uncertainty associated with the possible airborne transmission of diseases. The present study aims to investigate the impacts of environmental conditions [changes in ventilation location, ventilation rate, and relative humidity (RH)] and variations in dental patient's breathing rate on droplet transmission during dental service. Computational fluid dynamics simulation was performed based on our previous experimental study during ultrasonic scaling. The impacts of different factors were numerically analyzed by the final fate and proportion of emitted droplets in the dental surgery environment. The results revealed that about 85% of droplets deposited near the dental treatment region, where the patient's torso, face, and floor (dental chair) accounted for around 63%, 11%, and 8.5%, respectively. The change in the ventilation location had a small impact on the deposition of larger droplets (> 60 μ m), and a spatial region with high droplet mass concentration would be presented near the dental professional. The change in the ventilation rate from 5 to 8 ACH led to a 1.5% increment in the fraction of escaped droplets. 50% RH in dental environments was recommended to prevent droplets' fast evaporation and potential mold. Variations in the patient's breathing rate had little effect on the final fate and proportion of emitted droplets. Overall, environmental factors are suggested to maintain 50% RH and larger ACH in dental surgery environments. The findings can give policymakers insights into the role of environmental factors on infection control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral diseases are preventable through the building of good oral health behaviors. Theory-based behavior change was key to the efficacy of oral health promotion since conventional promotion strategies achieved only short-lived and limited improvements. The objective of the study was to investigate the efficacy of a peer-led oral health intervention based on the health belief model (HBM) and the social cognitive theory (SCT) on oral self-care behaviors among Hong Kong adolescents. One thousand one hundred and eighty-four adolescents in 12 schools participated and were randomly assigned to either intervention or control group, utilizing a cluster-randomized controlled trial design. Brushing/flossing frequency, HBM/SCT constructs, oral health knowledge, and dental anxiety were measured at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Changes in behaviors were assessed using mixed-effects model and the mediators of behavioral change were identified with parallel multiple mediation analysis. At 6 months, the intervention group showed a significant increase in the frequency of brushing and flossing compared with the control group. Self-efficacy was identified as mediator between treatment condition and behavioral changes of brushing and flossing. Combining theories of HBM and SCT is a promising avenue for efficacy in oral health behaviors. The effects were mediated through cognitive variables, which provided guidance for both theory and health intervention development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Children with special education needs (SEN) require additional supports in education settings, as well as extra supports in healthcare services. Aim: To investigate dental visit experience and dental care barriers among Hong Kong preschoolers with SEN. Design: This was designed as a cross‐sectional study. A structured questionnaire was employed to investigate dental attendance and dental care barriers among Hong Kong preschoolers with SEN. Binary logistic regression and multi‐factor ANOVA were performed to identify factors associated with children's dental visit experience. Results: A total of 383 children were included in the final analysis. The average age of the recruited children was 3.87 ± 0.95 years. 72.5% parents reported that dental visits were a challenging task for their children. Among children with caries, 70.7% had never visited a dentist. Regression models indicated that (a) children over 3 years or children whose parents received tertiary education were more likely to visit a dentist; (b) the existence of dental care barriers was associated with children's primary diagnosis, practical skills, conceptual skills, and parents' education attainment; and (c) children with low conceptual skills (95%CI:0.71 to 2.40, P <.001), or children from low‐income families (95%CI:1.21 to −0.06, P =.031) had more dental care barriers than their counterparts. Conclusion: Unmet dental treatment needs and dental care barriers existed among pre‐schoolers with SEN. Dental care barriers were associated with children's developmental profile, parents' education attainment, and household income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Up‐to‐date epidemiological studies on the global burden of severe periodontitis is scarce. This study aimed to present the latest estimates for prevalence of severe periodontitis from 1990 to 2019, by region, age, and level of socio‐demographic development. Materials and Methods: Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease study 2019 were used to investigate burden and trends of prevalence of severe periodontitis and its association with socio‐demographic development at global, regional, and national level. Decomposition analysis was performed to explore the contribution of demographic and epidemiological factors to the evolving burden of severe periodontitis. Results: In 2019, there were 1.1 billion (95% uncertainty interval: 0.8–1.4 billion) prevalent cases of severe periodontitis globally. From 1990 to 2019, age‐standardized prevalence rate of severe periodontitis increased by 8.44% (6.62%–10.59%) worldwide. Prevalence of severe periodontitis is higher among less developed countries/regions. Global population growth accounted for 67.9% of the increase in the number of prevalent cases of severe periodontitis from 1990 to 2019. Conclusions: The global burden of severe periodontitis has been substantial and increasing over the past three decades. Upstream policy changes are urgently needed to address the global public health challenge of severe periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene oxide (GO) is an emerging luminescent carbon nanomaterial with the ability to foster hydroxyapatite (HA). A specially designed electrophoresis system can be used to accelerate the mineralization process. The aim of this study was to promote HA crystal growth on demineralized dentin using a GO incorporated electrophoresis system. GO was successfully synthesized by carbonization of citric acid and its presence was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared and UV-visible spectrophotometry evaluation. Dentin slices were placed in demineralized solution and divided into control (without the electrophoresis system) and experimental group. Demineralized dentin slices in the experimental group were remineralized using the electrophoresis system for 8 h/1.0 mA, with one subgroup treated without GO and the other with GO. Energy dispersive spectroscopy evaluation showed that the calcium/phosphate ratio of the crystal formed in control and experimental group with addition of GO was close to natural hydroxyapatite. However, scanning electron microscopy evaluation showed that the exposed dentinal tubules were occluded with rod-like crystals, which is similar to native enamel morphology, in the experimental group with addition of GO compared to the flake-like crystal in the control group. Mechanical evaluation revealed that the nanohardness and modulus of remineralized dentin were significantly higher in the experimental group. In conclusion, GO is a promising material to remineralize dentin and the introduction of an electrophoresis system can accelerate its process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]