Oral Health’s Transformative Impact on Diet and Systemic Health Outcomes

The 2020-25 Dietary Guidelines for Americans identified dental caries as a major diet-related chronic disease of public health concern and suggested in the section for adults over 60, “Good dental health is critical to overall health, as well as the ability to chew foods properly." Poor oral health can lead to chronic diseases and impede one’s ability to chew fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other nutrient-rich foods across the life span. Almost 90 percent of adults ages 20 to 64 years and 96 percent of those over 65 years of age have dental caries. The overall prevalence of complete tooth loss is 2.2 percent among adults ages 20 to 64 years and jumps to 17.3 percent for those over age 65. As a result of COVID-19, some seniors are not seeking regular oral health services, which increases the need for preventive oral health practices and consuming a healthy dietary pattern recommended in the new Dietary Guidelines. Recent research will underscore the importance of saliva and oral health in cancer patients on radiation and in other chronic diseases. Saliva has also been shown to reduce specific infections that are related to influenza and HIV. Participants in this session will gain understanding of factors linking poor oral health and nutrition practices to chronic diseases and guidance on critical preventive oral health practices to increase saliva flow and decrease dental caries through all stages of the life cycle. Promoting oral health is the responsibility of the interdisciplinary team overseeing older adults.

Perspectives of community-dwelling older adults with dementia and their carers regarding their oral health practices and care: rapid review

Aim To review evidence on oral health practices, beliefs/views and experiences of community-dwelling older adults living with dementia, including their carers. Materials and methods A search of key terms across six databases including Pubmed, Web of Science and OVID (Embase, MEDLINE [R] and PsycINFO) and Google Scholar was conducted, supplemented by reference screening. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) 2018 was used to assess the methodological quality. Results Eighteen studies reported across 19 papers were included in the review. Papers largely focused on normative needs (n = 13), whilst also reporting oral health-related experiences (n = 2), practices (n = 7), and beliefs/views (n = 9), of community dwellers with dementia. Generally, people living with dementia presented with poor oral and dental health, the exception being one study where dental care was integrated with memory clinic services. Maintenance of oral health focused only on toothbrushing. Overall, people living with dementia have reduced capacity for self-performed oral hygiene and high reliance on caregivers. There was a paucity of evidence on their perceptions of oral health and quality of life, the findings of which were equivocal, with weak evidence suggesting possible difficulty in identifying and communicating their needs. Experiences of accessing dental care, when explored, appear to be system dependent. Conclusion There was limited research evidence on oral health-related practices, beliefs/views and experiences of people with dementia. Recommendations for future research are presented.

Counsel on maintaining dental and oral health at the Al Madinah Integrated Islamic Elementary School community in Bogor Regency

The spread of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia has increased over time. The government urges people to take extra measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and maintaining dental and oral health is one of those measures that could help to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. People are taught personal dental and oral health practices as well as the necessary health protocols if they decide to visit a dental health facility. The purpose of this activity is to increase participant’s knowledge of the transmission of COVID-19 and how to maintain their dental and oral health. The method used involved measuring the level of knowledge before and after counseling. Furthermore, online counseling and training were provided through Zoom. The pre and post-test results from 88 participants showed that there was a significant increase in knowledge after counseling.

Pengaruh Edukasi Virtual Menyikat Lidah Terhadap Kondisi COATED TONGUE Pada Siswa SMP Negeri 1 Pematang Tanah Jawa di Masa Pandemik Tahun 2020

ABSTRAK Lidah merupakan salah satu organ vital yang terdapat dalam rongga mulut. Lidah mempunyai selaput alami ketika sehat. Tetapi jika kegagalan sel terjadi, maka menimbulkan infeksi pada permukaan lidah berwarna putih disebut lidah berlapis. Pembersihan lidah untuk mencegah terjadinya infeksi tersebut. Oleh karena itu, masyarakat perlu mendapatkan edukasi mengenai istilah lidah dengan edukasi virtual. Praktek kesehatan gigi dan mulut tetap harus ditingkatkan. Salah satunya dengan memberukan edukasi virtual. Edukasi virtual mengacu pada proses pembelajaran melalui jaringan internet yang menanganinya untuk mengatasi masalah keterpisahan ruang dan waktu antara siswa dan pengajar melalui smartphone. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk melihat pengaruh edukasi virtual menyikat lidah terhadap kondisi lidah yang dilapisi pada siswa SMP Negeri I Pematang Tanah Jawa di masa pandemi tahun 2020. Jenis penelitian adalah eksperimen semu (eksperimen semu) dengan desain pretest dan posttest. Jumlah sampel 20 orang. Penentuan sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan kriteria inklusi dan eksklusi. Uji analisis yang digunakan adalah wilcoxon. Pada penelitian ditemukan kondisi kondisi lidah terlapis sebelum dan sesudah edukasi virtual adalah p value = 0,000 <0,05). Kesimpulan penelitian ini yaitu ada pengaruh edukasi virtual terhadap kondisi lidah terlapisi pada SMP Negeri I Pematang Tanah Jawa dengan nilai p = 0,000. Jenis penelitian adalah semu eksperimen (quasi experiment) dengan desain pretest dan posttest. Jumlah sampel 20 orang. Penentuan sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan kriteria inklusi dan eksklusi. Uji analisis yang digunakan adalah wilcoxon. Pada penelitian ditemukan kondisi kondisi lidah terlapis sebelum dan sesudah edukasi virtual adalah p value = 0,000 <0,05). Kesimpulan penelitian ini yaitu ada pengaruh edukasi virtual terhadap kondisi lidah terlapisi pada SMP Negeri I Pematang Tanah Jawa dengan nilai p = 0,000. Jenis penelitian adalah semu eksperimen (quasi experiment) dengan desain pretest dan posttest. Jumlah sampel 20 orang. Penentuan sampel dalam penelitian ini menggunakan kriteria inklusi dan eksklusi. Uji analisis yang digunakan adalah wilcoxon. Pada penelitian ditemukan kondisi kondisi lidah terlapis sebelum dan sesudah edukasi virtual adalah p value = 0,000 <0,05). Kesimpulan penelitian ini yaitu ada pengaruh edukasi virtual terhadap kondisi lidah terlapisi pada SMP Negeri I Pematang Tanah Jawa dengan nilai p = 0,000. ABSTRACT The tongue is one of the vital organs found in the oral cavity. The tongue has a natural membrane when it is healthy. But if cell failure occurs, it causes infection on the white surface layer of the tongue called coated tongue. Tongue cleaning is recommended to prevent these infections. Therefore, people need to get education about tongue cleaning with virtual education. Dental and oral health practices still need to be improved. One of them is by providing virtual education. Virtual education refers to the learning process through the internet network whose application is intended to overcome the problem of separation of space and time between students and teachers via smartphones. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of virtual tongue brushing education on coated tongue conditions in students of SMP Negeri I Pematang Tanah Jawa during the pandemic in 2020. This type of research is a quasi experiment with pretest and posttest designs. The number of samples is 20 people. The determination of the sample in this study used inclusion and exclusion criteria. The analytical test used was Wilcoxon. In the study, it was found that the difference in the conditions of coated tongue before and after virtual education was p value = 0.000 <0.05). The conclusion of this study is that there is an effect of virtual education on the condition of coated tongue in SMP Negeri I Pematang Tanah Jawa with p value =0.000. Kata Kunci: Edukasi virtual, lidah, lidah berlapis

How Do Mothers Living in Socially Deprived Communities Perceive Oral Health of Young Children? A Qualitative Study

This qualitative study aims to explore and gain an in-depth understanding of the knowledge and perceptions of mothers living in Greater Western Sydney (GWS), one of Australia’s most socio-economically disadvantaged regions, regarding the factors that influence oral health of young children. Mother–child dyads (n = 45) were purposively selected from a population-based cohort study in GWS. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subsequently analyzed using thematic analysis. Five main themes emerged from the interviews: (1) beliefs about child oral health and first set of teeth; (2) awareness and attitudes towards oral health services; (3) identification of caries risk and protective factors; (4) broader cultural and social class influences on childhood oral health practices; and (5) the influence of parental self-confidence, self-efficacy, and perceived control. Overall, mothers reported having limited knowledge and awareness on the importance of baby teeth, child’s first dental visit, and seeking oral health care. Oral health and preventative practices in children were reported to be influenced by past dental experiences, culture and social class, and parental factors. The empirical findings of this study bring our attention to the critical factors that influence child oral health and the opportunities for co-creating child oral health promotion by targeting mothers.

Oral health practices and oral hygiene status as indicators of suicidal ideation among adolescents in Southwest Nigeria

Background Oral health is a less-recognized correlate of overall and mental wellbeing. This study aimed to assess the relationship between suicidal behavior (ideation and attempt) and oral health practices and status, and to determine the effect of sex on these associations among Nigerian adolescents. Methods Household survey data were collected from 10 to 19-year-old adolescents in southwestern Nigeria. Dependent variables were daily tooth brushing, daily consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals, and oral hygiene status (measured by plaque index). The independent variable was lifetime suicidal ideation/attempt, dichotomized into ‘yes’ and ‘never’. ‘Daily tooth brushing’ and ‘daily consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals’ were included in two separate logistic regression models, and ‘oral hygiene status’ was included in a linear regression model. The models were adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic status. The linear regression model was also adjusted for frequency of daily tooth-brushing and of consumption of refined carbohydrates between meals. Interactions between sex and suicidal ideation/suicide attempt in association with dependent variables were assessed. Significance was set at 5%. Results We recruited 1,472 participants with mean age (standard deviation) of 14.6 (2.6) years. The mean plaque index was 0.84 (0.56), and 66 (4.5%) adolescents reported ever having suicidal ideation/attempt. Suicidal ideation/attempt was associated with significantly lower likelihood of tooth brushing (OR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.91), higher likelihood of consuming refined carbohydrates between meals (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.29, 4.10), and having poor oral hygiene (B = 0.18, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.32). Among males, suicidal ideation/attempt was associated with less likelihood of eating refined carbohydrates between meals (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.35, 2.61). Conversely, it was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of this outcome (OR = 4.85, 95% CI: 2.23, 10.55) among females. Conclusion The study findings suggest that poor tooth brushing habits and poor oral hygiene are indicators for risk of suicidal behavior for adolescents in Nigeria, while high sugar consumption may be an additional risk factor for adolescent females. These findings support the role of dental practitioners as members of healthcare teams responsible for screening, identifying and referring patients at risk for suicidal ideation/attempt.

MOTHER’S KNOWLEDGE REGARDING ORAL HEALTH PRACTICES AND RISK FACTORS WITH RESPECT TO THEIR CHILDREN IN THE TWIN CITIES OF PAKISTAN

Objective: To analyze the way mothers perceive oral health in their children, the importance of oral health amongst children, so that preventive advice and regime can be tailored accordingly and reinforced during the pandemic. Study Design: Questionnaire base survey. Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in the various sectors of the twin cities of Pakistan, from May to Sep 2020. Methodology: This study was a questionnaire-based study in which survey forms were distributed online as well as in person among mothers above 18 years of age. A questionnaire was formulated and distributed amongst different areas and sectors of the twin cities in Pakistan. The data was analyzed quantitatively and entered in SPSS version 23 for analysis. Results: Mothers from various socioeconomic backgrounds had dissimilar knowledge with regards to oral health. There was a greater gap in the knowledge of mothers from low and high socioeconomic status as compared to middle and high. Conclusion: It is imperative that knowledge regarding oral health practices, preventive measures, risk factors of oral diseases should be imparted equally in the various socioeconomic areas of the country. Also, a widespread oral health plan to indoctrinate preventive knowledge as well as basic knowledge of oral health practices is strongly recommended.

The use of internet platforms for oral health information and associated factors among adolescents from Jakarta: a cross sectional study

Background: The growth of the internet has increased its use to obtain health information including oral health information (OHI). This study assessed Indonesian adolescents’ use of different internet platforms to obtain OHI and factors associated with this use.Methods: A cross-sectional study surveyed middle school students in five regions in Jakarta in 2019. Participants completed a questionnaire that assessed demographics, oral health practices (toothbrushing and dental visits), the presence of dental pain, using internet platform to obtain OHI and type of information searched for. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the association between using the internet for OHI (Google, Social Media (SM), both or none) and the independent factors: demographics, oral health practice, dental pain and whether participants search for causes, symptoms, prevention or treatment of oral diseases (ODs). Results: Most of the 521 participants were female (55.7%) with mean age= 13.4 years. Almost all of them (93.7%) searched the internet for OHI through Google (40.7%) or Google with SM (36.1%). Searching for OHI over SM was significantly associated with toothbrushing (OR= 4.12, 95%CI= 1.43, 11.89) and less dental visits (OR= 0.16, 95%CI= 0.05, 0.60). Searching Google for OHI was significantly associated with looking for information about causes (OR= 3.69, 95%CI= 1.33, 10.26) and treatment (OR= 6.17, 95%CI= 2.23, 17.03) of ODs. Conclusions: Most adolescents used Google to seek OHI. Oral health practices and types of OHI searched for differed by internet platform. Dental health professionals should consider using internet-based interventions to promote oral health to this age group.