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Background: People with intellectual disabilities (IDs) may be at increased risk of developing periodontal diseases and dental caries due to poor oral hygiene. Our aim was to investigate motor proficiency factors associated with presence of visible plaque and gingival bleeding in people with IDs. We were particularly interested in the level of dependence, manual coordination and fine manual control of people with ID, as well as the level of exhaustion of the primary caregiver. Methods: In this cross‐sectional study, 299 people with ID were evaluated for oral hygiene using the simplified Visible Plaque Index and for gum inflammation using the Gingival Bleeding Index. The Bruininks‐Oseretsky Motor Proficiency Test assessed motor proficiency through fine manual control (fine motor integration and fine motor precision) and manual coordination (manual dexterity and upper limb coordination). The level of dependence was assessed by the Katz dependency index, and the caregiver was tested for exhaustion using the fatigue severity scale. Prevalence ratios [and 95% confidence intervals (CI)] were calculated using crude and adjusted Poisson regression with robust variance. Results: The exhaustion of the caregiver was associated positively to visible plaque [prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.36; 95% CI 1.06–1.65]. For gingival bleeding, people with IDs that had better fine motor integration (PR = 0.49; 95% CI 0.33–0.75) and precision (PR = 0.50; 95% CI 0.26–0.94), as well as manual dexterity (PR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.49–0.77), presented better results. Conclusion: Poor oral hygiene and gum inflammation were associated with motor proficiency of people with IDs and caregivers' exhaustion. Interventions to improve the oral health of people with IDs should take into account such conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the oral health-related quality of life of patients presenting to a periodontal specialist by means of six questions, and to assess the perceived oral health by means of one question. Self-assessments of oral health were associated with clinical characteristics. Material and Methods: Logistic regression models were used to associate self-assessments with clinical characteristics in a cross-sectional study. Results: On the six-item questionnaire, close to 20% (295/1480) of the patients reported that teeth, gums or dentures had an impact fairly often or very often on one or more items (eating, relaxing, avoiding going out, feeling self-conscious, pain or discomfort). On the single question requesting a self-assessment of oral health, 42% (628/1468) rated their oral health as fair or poor. Both common oral health-related quality of life problems and worse perceived oral health were associated with having more than eight teeth with >5 mm periodontal pockets (odds ratio = 1.45, 95% confidence interval = 1.01–2.08; and odds ratio = 2.83, 95% confidence interval = 2.08–3.84, respectively), compared with patients who had fewer than three teeth with >5 mm periodontal pockets. Conclusion: Oral health-related problems in patients presenting to a periodontal specialist office negatively affect their quality of life. If some of the findings of this study can be confirmed in other studies, it could change the perception of chronic periodontitis as a silent disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Statins have anti-inflammatory and bone stimulating properties that may positively affect chronic periodontitis. Our objective in this study was to evaluate whether statin use by chronic periodontitis patients had a beneficial impact on tooth loss. Methods: In a retrospective cohort study (N patients = 1,021; mean follow-up = 7.1 years), dental records were merged with pharmacy data. Any statin use during 3 years, statin use during each of 3 consecutive years (regular use), and any statin use during the first 3 years after the initial periodontal exam were evaluated as predictors of tooth Joss using negative binomial regression models with adjustment for potential confounding factors. Results: Any statin use during 3 years was not associated with tooth loss rate in the year subsequent to the 3-year period (rate ratio [RR] = 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI]= 0.56 to 1.81). Regular statin use during 3 years was associated with a non significant 37% reduced tooth loss rate in the year subsequent to the 3-year period (RR= 0.63; 95% CI= 0.32 to 1.25). Any statin use during the first 3 years after the initial periodontal exam was associated with a 48% decreased tooth loss rate in year 4 and subsequent years (RR = 0.52; 95% CI = 0.29 to 0.95). Conclusions: Our findings were mixed for an association of statin use with reduced tooth loss in chronic periodontitis patients. Lack of control for some potential confounders, particularly smoking, and evaluation of different patterns of statin usage hamper the interpretation of the results. Exploration of these findings in additional epidemiological studies may be worthwhile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Women have made significant advancements in the dentist workforce, growing from 20% of dentists in 2005 to 34.5% in 2020. Women have also made inroads in academic dentistry. While much scholarship has documented a growing feminization in dentistry and efforts to promote gender equity in the profession, there has been less exploration of the intersectional identities of these women. This manuscript explores how academic dentistry can support diverse women's leadership focusing on intersectional identities., Methods: Applying the theoretical framework of intersectionality, we assess publicly available data to explore the percentages of faculty and deans who are women of color. Drawing upon best practices in higher education and our personal experiences, we explore opportunities to increase participation and support the advancement of women of color in academia., Results: In the academic year 2018-2019, of the 5066 full-time faculty members, 40.5% were women. Minoritized women comprised 13.4% of full-time faculty members, compared to White women who were 20.6% of full-time faculty. Minoritized women comprised 7.3% of dental school deans, compared to White women who were 17.6% of deans., Conclusion: Intersectionality allows for a deeper examination of women in academic dentistry. Women of color are often erased in discussions about women in academic dentistry, even as the profession celebrates the progress made by women. Embracing the intersectional identities of women and by extension, people who identify as gender non-confirming may help dental schools to become humanistic environments where faculty and leadership represent the growing diversity in the profession and in the world., (© 2024 American Dental Education Association.)

Destructive periodontal disease has been primarily defined and investigated as an infectious disease. The aim of this study was to systematically search for cohort studies where microbiological diagnoses were performed before the onset of destructive periodontal disease and where statistically significant associations were identified. A search was executed in PubMed. The results showed that three studies published after 2005 supported the infection hypothesis for one putative periodontal pathogen: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. These three studies were conducted in predominantly non-Caucasian pediatric populations living in geographic areas with an elevated child-mortality rate. These studies did not obtain physical or laboratory markers of health, making it possible that A. actinomycetemcomitans was not a cause but a marker for poor environmental or systemic health. No cohort studies were identified supporting the infection hypothesis in adults, Caucasians or in a population residing in areas with child-mortality rates reflective of healthy population goals. While the possibility cannot be excluded that A. actinomycetemcomitans has an etiological role in certain specific pediatric populations, there are no cohort studies supporting an infectious etiology of destructive periodontal disease in adults., (© 2012 Eur J Oral Sci.)

Aim: To evaluate whether statin use was associated with decreased tooth loss among patients with chronic periodontitis., Material and Methods: We evaluated administrative health plan data from 1996 to 2002 covering dental and periodontal treatment utilization, dental extractions, and prescription medication fills of 12,631 adults aged 48-64 in 2002. With tooth loss as the outcome, we evaluated a number of different patterns of statin prescription across time in multivariate generalized linear models., Results: Unadjusted, statin use was associated with increased tooth loss. After adjustment for potential confounders, there was no suggestion of either increased or decreased tooth loss associated with statin use., Conclusions: Statin use was not associated with either a decreased or an increased risk of tooth loss.