Search

Dental caries constitutes one of the most ubiquitous diseases in Australia, with Indigenous children presenting a notably higher prevalence than their non‐Indigenous peers. This literature review aims to update the knowledge base developed by Christian and Blinkhorn in 2012, with a particular focus on the contemporary disparities in dental caries between Indigenous and non‐Indigenous children. Our research strategy involved a thorough exploration of the Medline, PubMed, and Scopus databases to identify pertinent studies published between 2009 and 2022. Supplementary resources included various government websites and citation searches. We prioritised studies that focused on children aged 5–6 or 12 years—reflecting the World Health Organization's index ages for oral health—and that reported dental caries prevalence and experience indicators. Our review methodology was guided by the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses) statement. The updated search, spanning 2009 to 2023, retrieved studies that reported caries estimates exclusively from 2009 to 2014. Within this period, the prevalence of dental caries in Indigenous children's primary teeth ranged between 52% and 77%, while the prevalence in permanent teeth varied from 36% to 60%. This updated review indicated that Indigenous children continue to experience caries at an approximately twice higher rate than non‐Indigenous children, sustaining the persisting disparity in caries estimates. The findings from this review show that no discernible improvement in dental caries rates among Australian Indigenous children has been observed in comparison to the previous review; and that Indigenous children continue to experience both higher prevalence and severity of dental caries compared to non‐Indigenous children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate correlations between Diagnodent laser fluorescence readings and clinical scores for smooth (buccal and lingual) surfaces of primary canines and molars, with particular interest in white spot lesions. Materials and Methods: A total of 17,088 primary molars and canines in 712 children aged 5 to 7 years residing in the Bayside Health Service District, Queensland, Australia were examined on an annual basis over a 3-year period by one calibrated examiner. Clinical scores and Diagnodent readings were assigned after overlying deposits of plaque had been removed. Results: Data from a total of 33,029 sites were subjected to frequency analysis using SPSS. Combining buccal and lingual surfaces together, the mean Diagnodent values were: sound (ICDAS 0): 3.3; visible white spot lesion (ICDAS 1+2): 7.7; decay with cavitation into dentine (ICDAS code 5): 37.2; and gross decay with an open cavity (ICDAS code 6): 62.0. Diagnodent scores did not, however, follow Gaussian distributions. White spot lesions showed a significant increase in Diagnodent scores, compared with sound enamel. Longitudinal analyses showed a similar proportion of sites which worsened in both caries score and in Diagnodent score. The same was true for sites which showed improvement over time, indicative of reversal, where Diagnodent scores reduced by 10 or more. Conclusions: This large-scale clinical study establishes that there is a progression in laser fluorescence scores with increasing severity of smooth surface enamel lesions in primary teeth, from sound smooth surface enamel through white spot lesions and subsequently to cavitation; however, the Diagnodent should not be relied on as the sole means for caries diagnosis because of the possibility of false positive readings if plaque remains on the surface. The joint findings of increased scores with incipient decalcified lesions affecting enamel, and changes in readings aligning with caries reversal or progression lend some support to the clinical use of Diagnodent as an aid in monitoring the progress of early stages of the caries process on smooth surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Silver fluoride 40% followed by 10% stannous fluoride (AgF) has been used in dental practice in some parts of Australia for many years. This study compared the effectiveness of application of AgF with atraumatic restorative technique (ART) in managing cavitated carious primary molars.Methods: The study was a community effectiveness trial in two remote Aboriginal communities where AgF has been used for some time. Children between 4 and 8 years of age with caries on primary molars were randomized by birth date to receive AgF or ART. There were 210 children who were included in the study with 384 eligible teeth. Children were followed up for periods between 9 months and 4 years. Negative outcomes such as dental pain, extraction, use of antibiotics and more extensive restorative treatment were considered as the primary outcomes of the study.Results: Those negative outcomes were infrequent in both treatment groups. The prevalence ratio of negative sequelae for children treated with AgF compared with those treated with ART was lower at 0.18.Conclusions: Silver fluoride was well accepted, easy to use and at least as effective a treatment as ART for dental caries in primary molars in young Aboriginal children in remote areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of colonization contributed to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders becoming one of the most disadvantaged groups in Australia. The multiple social inequalities, and therefore the constant insecurities for many about low income, poor living conditions, unemployment, and discrimination, generate chronic stress in this population. In the Baby Teeth Talk Study, an oral-health randomized controlled trial, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) was administered to 367 pregnant Aboriginal women at baseline. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the PSS-14 in an Aboriginal population. The study analysed: (a) model fit; (b) dimensionality; (c) local dependence; (d) differential item functioning; (e) threshold ordering and item fit; (f) targeting; (g) reliability; and (h) criterion validity. The dimensionality analysis indicated a two-factor structure, with negatively and positively worded items clustering together and 21.7% (95% Agresti-Coull C.I. [17.8%, 26.2%]) statistically significant t-tests between the persons’ estimates. After the creation of composite items, the revised Perceived Distress (χ2 (21) = 11.74, p = 0.946) and Perceived Coping (χ2 (28) = 17.63, p = 0.935) subscales fitted the Rasch model. Reliability was modest (PersonSeparationIndexdistress = 0.72; PersonSeparationIndexcoping = 0.76). The latent correlation between the Perceived Distress and Perceived Coping subscales was r = 0.14. It is hypothesized that the social inequalities experienced by the Aboriginal population are so pronounced that even Aboriginal pregnant women that perceived themselves as coping well with life challenges ended up endorsing items regarding high levels of stress. The present research showed that a revised PSS-14 is a culturally valid and modestly reliable psychological instrument to measure stress in a population of pregnant Aboriginal women in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Dental Sciences is the property of Turkiye Klinikleri and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose; The purpose of this study was to compare developmental defects of enamel (DDE) in the primary and permanent dentitions of children from a low-fluoride district. Methods: A total of 517 healthy schoolchildren were examined using the modified DDE criteria. Results." The prevalence of DDE in the primary end permanent dentition was 25% and 58%, respectively (P<.O01). The mean number of teeth with enamel opacity per subject was approximate/), threefold compared to that affected by enamel hypoplasia (3.1±3.8 vs 0.8±1.4, P<.O01 in the primary dentition and 3.5±4.7 vs 1.2±2.2, P<.001 in the permanent dentition). Demarcated opacities (83%) were predominant compared to diffuse opacities (17%), while missing enamel was the most common type of enamel hypoplasia (50%), followed by grooves (31%) and enamel pits (19%) (P=.04). In the permanent dentition, diffuse and demarcated opacities were equally frequent, while enamel grooves were the commonest type of hypoplasia (52%), followed by missing enamel (35%) and enamel pits (5%; P<.001). Conclusions: In a low-fluoride community, developmental dejects of enamel were twice as common in the permanent dentition vs the primary dentition. In the primary dentition, the predominant dejects were demarcated opacities and missing enamel, while in the permanent dentition, the defects were more variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to quantify contributions of genetic and environmental factors to variation in timing of emergence of the primary teeth in a sample of monozygotic and dizygotic twins, using univariate model-fitting approaches. The sample comprised 94 pairs of monozygotic twins and 125 pairs of dizygous twins, all of European ancestry, aged from 2-6 years. Tooth emergence timing was based on parental report, with a subset of data validated by clinical assessment. Heritability estimates for tooth emergence timing were generally high, around 90%, however estimates for the lower right lateral incisor and the lower canines were around 50%. These findings confirm a strong genetic influence on observed variation in the timing of emergence of the human primary teeth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Water fluoridation is one of the most effective public health programs of the past century. However, efforts to extend water fluoridation into currently non-fluoridated areas are often thwarted. Despite considerable evidence regarding the effectiveness of water fluoridation at an individual level, published national community-based studies are rare. This study compared children's decay experience and prevalence between areas with and without water fluoridation in Australia. Methods. Oral health data were obtained from clinical examinations of 128,990 5- to 15-year-old children attending for a regular visit with their respective Australian state or territory School Dental Service in 2002. Water fluoridation status, residence remoteness, and socioeconomic status (SES) were obtained for each child's recorded residential postcode area. Results. Children from every age group had greater caries prevalence and more caries experience in areas with negligible fluoride concentrations in the water (<0.3 parts per million [ppm]) than in optimally fluoridated areas (&0.7 ppm). Controlling for child age, residential location, and SES, deciduous and permanent caries experience was 28.7% and 31.6% higher, respectively, in low-fluoride areas compared with optimally fluoridated areas. The odds ratios for higher caries prevalence in areas with negligible fluoride compared with optimal fluoride were 1.34 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29, 1.39) and 1.24 (95% CI 1.21, 1.28) in the deciduous and permanent dentitions, respectively. Conclusions. This study demonstrates the continued community effectiveness of water fluoridation and provides support for the extension of this important oral health intervention to populations currently without access to fluoridated water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important that we monitor socio-economic inequality in health. Inequality in child oral health has been expected to widen because of widening socio-economic inequality. This study aimed to evaluate trends in income-related inequality in caries experience of Australian children. Cross-sectional studies in 1992/93 and 2002/03 collected data on deciduous caries experience of 5- to 10-year-olds and permanent caries experience of 6- to 12-year-olds. Household composition and income was used to calculate quartiles of equivalized income. Slope Index of Inequality (SII), Concentration Index (CI), and regression-based rate ratios were used to quantify income-related inequality and to evaluate trends. Income-related inequality in caries experience was evident regardless of time and dentition. The three indicators of inequality indicate a significant increase in income-related inequality in child deciduous caries experience during the decade. The income inequality in permanent caries experience did not change significantly. Income inequalities increased in deciduous teeth, but not in permanent teeth, among Australian children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the investigation was to determine factors associated with dental erosion in a group of schoolchildren in Queensland, Australia. Methods: Dental examinations were carried out on 714 children aged 5.5 to 14.6 years from 8 randomly selected Australian schools. A total of 3,165 primary and 2,976 permanent teeth were scored for dental erosion using a modified erosion index. Dental caries experience was determined from clinical examination and bite-wing radiographs. Enamel defects were recorded using the developmental defects of enamel index. Results: There were 225 children (32%) who exhibited no erosion and 489 (68%) who had erosion of at least one tooth. Erosion was found in 78% of subjects with primary teeth and 25% of subjects with permanent teeth (P<.001). Children with erosion in the primary and permanent dentition were more likely to have: (7) a lower socioeconomic status (primary dentition, P<.001 and permanent dentition (P<.001); (2) enamel hypoplasia in permanent dentition (P=.001); (3) dental caries in the primary dentition (P=.001): and (4) permanent dentition (P=.002). Conclusions: In Australian schoolchildren, the prevalence of dental erosion in the primary dentition is approximately 3 times greater than in the permanent dentition. Dental erosion is strongly associated with caries experience and enamel hypoplasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the intra-oral distribution of cavity in South Australian children as surveyed by the Child Dental Health Survey (CDHS). The improvement in children's oral health in Australia was due to the introduction of public fluoridation and fluoridated toothpaste. According to the CDHS report, about more than 50 percent of 6 year olds and nearly 60 percent of 12 year olds had no caries experience in their shedding and permanent dentition.

Intercuspal distances and mesiodistal and buccolingual crown diameters of maxillary pre-molars were recorded from dental casts of 262 Australian Aboriginals. Although mesiodistal and buccolingual dimensions showed sexual dimorphism, no significant differences were noted between the sexes for intercuspal distances. Intercuspal dimensions showed greater variability and fluctuating asymmetry than did either of the traditional measures. No significant differences in heritability were noted among the three dimensions. Correlations between mesiodistal and buccolingual dimensions were higher than those between buccolingual and intercuspal measures. It appears that the sex differences, which are observed in overall crown dimensions, are established after the cusp tips are localized. Intercuspal distances appear to have a strong genetic component of variability, although they show high phenotypic variability and fluctuating asymmetry. Total tooth size may be subject to more intense selective pressures than the sites of initial calcification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of dental support staff in providing appropriate first-aid advice regarding dental avulsion emergencies. Methods: This study was reported according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines for cross-sectional studies. Dental support staff (includes dental assistants, administrative staff and other non-clinical staff) were contacted and data were collected from 50 private dental clinics across the Greater Cairns Area, Queensland, Australia. These data were collected through an online survey throughout 2020. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's Chi-squared test was used to analyze the data and any associations between categorical outcomes. Results: This survey yielded a response rate of 34.1% with a margin of error of 10.3%. More than four-tenths of participants (42%) reported that they had received some form of dental avulsion management training previously. All but five participants (92%) denoted that they would immediately replant an avulsed permanent tooth. More than half of all participants would choose to rinse a soiled avulsed tooth with fresh milk (55%) and transport that tooth in fresh milk (65%) should they not be able to replant the tooth at the site. Almost nine in every ten participants (85%) expressed willingness to further their training in this area. Knowledge in replanting avulsed permanent teeth was found to be significantly impacted by gender, age, years of experience and participation in formal avulsion training. Male participants were found to be significantly more likely (p = 0.025) to replant a permanent avulsed tooth than their female counterparts. Participants who were 40 years of age and above were found to be significantly more likely to choose fresh milk to transport avulsed teeth (p = 0.0478). Older participants (p = 0.0021), alongside those who had greater years of experience (p = 0.0112) and those who had undertaken formal avulsion training (p = 0.0106) were all significantly more likely to express greater confidence in their ability to manage dental avulsion injuries. Participants who had previously received some form of education regarding avulsion injury management were also most likely to warrant further education and training in this area (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that dental support staff in the Greater Cairns Area seem to have a fair grasp of first-aid knowledge regarding the management of dental avulsion injuries. This result indicates that this knowledge has been picked up through years of experience, rather than a formal education. Despite this, one would expect people who work in the dental industry to be able to provide accurate and appropriate assistance during dental emergencies, hence, further training is warranted to ensure optimum patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study generates a series of narrow-sense heritability estimates for crown morphology of the deciduous and permanent dentition with two overarching aims. The first is to test the hypothesis that deciduous teeth provide a more faithful reflection of genetic information than their permanent successors. The second is to use quantitative genetic methods to evaluate assumptions underlying common data collection and analysis practices in biodistance research., Materials and Methods: Dental morphology data were collected from longitudinal dental casts representing Australian twins and families using Arizona State Dental Anthropology System standards. Polygenic models and estimates of narrow-sense heritability were generated using SOLAR v.8.1.1. Each model considered age, sex, and age/sex interaction as covariates., Results: Heritability estimates significantly differed from zero for the majority of morphological crown characters. Most estimates fell within the 0.4-0.8 range typically observed for crown morphology. Mean heritability was stable across the dental complex, but for paired homologues, permanent traits often yielded higher estimates than their deciduous counterparts. Results indicate directional asymmetry in environmental influence for crown morphology and inform biodistance "best practices" related to data collection and treatment., Conclusions: Overall, results for this sample support the use of crown morphology as a proxy for genetic variation in evolutionary research. This includes the deciduous dentition, which justifies the expansion of efforts to incorporate subadults into reconstructions of past microevolutionary processes. Results do not indicate that deciduous phenotypes more closely approximate underlying genotype, at least for deciduous/permanent homologues., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)