Do welfare regimes matter for oral health? A multilevel analysis of European countries.

While the role of political factors on population health has recently received increasing attention, relatively little is known in that respect for oral health. We aimed to assess the influence of welfare state regimes on the variation in adult oral health between European countries, building on the existing literature by using a multilevel approach. Our analysis also explored how the oral health of people with different socioeconomic position was influenced by living in five different welfare state regimes.

Psychosocial determinants of clustering health-compromising behaviors among Saudi male adolescents.

Background And Objectives: To assess whether the clustering of six specific health-compromising behaviors, namely, low fruit consumption, high sweet consumption, infrequent tooth brushing, physical inactivity, fighting and smoking, varied by different psychosocial determinants such as life satisfaction, peer relationships, self-confidence, and future orientation among male adolescents in Saudi Arabia.

Patients And Methods: A representative stratified cluster random sample of 1335 Saudi Arabian male adolescents living in the city of Riyadh answered a questionnaire on health-related behaviors. Poisson regression models were constructed separately for younger (13-14-years-old) and older (17-19-years-old) adolescents to assess variations between explanatory psychosocial variables and the clustering of six health-compromising behaviors, adjusting for father's education.

Social Factors Associated with the Decline in Caries in Brazilian Children between 1996 and 2010.

Dental caries levels have declined in children since the 1970s in many countries. Most of the postulated main reasons for the decline are speculative and have not been rigorously evaluated. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between some social factors and the decline in dental caries in Brazilian 12-year-old children from 1996 to 2010.

Socioeconomic gradients in general and oral health of primary school children in Shiraz, Iran.

Background: Health status is largely determined by socio-economic status. The general health of individuals at higher social hierarchy is better than people in lower levels. Likewise, people with higher socio-economic status have better oral health than lower socio-economic groups.

Association of changes in income with self-rated oral health and chewing difficulties in adults in Southern Brazil.

Objective: To assess whether short-term changes in income (IC) in adulthood were associated with self-rated oral health (SROH) and chewing difficulties (CD).

Methods: Secondary analysis of a longitudinal study in Florianópolis, Southern Brazil (EpiFloripa); a total of 1720 adults participated in 2009 and 1223 in 2012. Logistic regression analysed the variation of SROH and CD according to short-term changes in income (IC) groups ('high income-stable', 'increased income', 'decreased income' and 'low income-stable') and adjusted for covariates (age, sex, marital status, skin colour, self-reported number of teeth and education).

Distinguishing between enamel fluorosis and other enamel defects in permanent teeth of children.

Background. The inconsistent prevalence of fluorosis for a given level of fluoride in drinking water suggests developmental defects of enamel (DDEs) other than fluorosis were being misdiagnosed as fluorosis. The imprecise definition and subjective perception of fluorosis indices could result in misdiagnosis of dental fluorosis.

Austin Powers bites back: a cross sectional comparison of US and English national oral health surveys.

Objective: To compare oral health in the US and England and to assess levels of educational and income related oral health inequalities between both countries.

Design: Cross sectional analysis of US and English national surveys.

Setting: Non-institutionalised adults living in their own homes.

Changes in preschool children's OHRQoL after treatment of dental caries: responsiveness of the B-ECOHIS.

Background: Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) measures should be tested for responsiveness to change if they are to be used as outcomes in randomized clinical trials.

Aim: To assess the responsiveness of the Brazilian ECOHIS (B-ECOHIS) to dental treatment of dental caries.

Methods: One hundred parents of 3- to 5-year-old children completed the B-ECOHIS prior to their children's treatment and 7-14 days after completion of treatment.

The different effects of neighbourhood and individual social capital on health-compromising behaviours in women during pregnancy: a multi-level analysis.

Background: This study assessed clustering of three health-compromising behaviours and explored the association of neighbourhood and individual social capital with simultaneous health-compromising behaviours and patterns of those behaviours in women in the first trimester of pregnancy (baseline) and during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy (follow-up).

Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted on a representative sample of women recruited in antenatal care units grouped in 46 neighbourhoods from Brazil. Neighbourhood-level measures (social capital and socioeconomic status), individual social capital (social support and social networks) and socio-demographic variables were collected at baseline.

The association of depression and anxiety with dental caries and periodontal disease among Finnish adults.

Objective: To explore the association of depression and anxiety with two oral health outcomes, dental caries and periodontal disease and assess possible mediators for any of the associations.

Methods: Secondary analysis of the Finnish Health 2000 Survey. Depression was assessed with Beck's Depression Inventory and anxiety with Composite International Diagnostic Interview.

Household expenditure for dental care in low and middle income countries.

This study assessed the extent of household catastrophic expenditure in dental health care and its possible determinants in 41 low and middle income countries. Data from 182,007 respondents aged 18 years and over (69,315 in 18 low income countries, 59,645 in 15 lower middle income countries and 53,047 in 8 upper middle income countries) who participated in the WHO World Health Survey (WHS) were analyzed. Expenditure in dental health care was defined as catastrophic if it was equal to or higher than 40% of the household capacity to pay.

Treatment needs and skill mix workforce requirements for prosthodontic care: a comparison of estimates using normative and sociodental approaches.

Background: The traditional measure for assessing dental treatment needs and workforce requirements based solely on normative need (NN) has major shortcomings. The sociodental approach (SDA) to assess needs overcomes some of the shortcomings as it combines normative and subjective needs assessments and also incorporates behavioural propensity (Sheiham and Tsakos 2007). The objective of this study was to estimate and compare prosthodontic treatment needs and workforce requirements, using the normative and the sociodental approaches for different skill mix models.

Claims that periodontal treatment reduces costs of treating five systemic conditions are questionable.

Article Title And Bibliographic Information: Impact of periodontal therapy on general health: evidence from insurance data for five systemic conditions. Jeffcoat MK, Jeffcoat RL, Gladowski PA, Bramson JB, Blum JJ. Am J Prev Med 2014; 47(2):166-74 REVIEWER: Aubrey Sheiham, BDS, PhD, DHC PURPOSE/QUESTION: Did periodontal treatment reduce the medical costs and inpatient hospitalizations during the 5 years after periodontal treatment in individuals with five systemic medical diseases or conditions, namely, type 2 diabetes; coronary artery disease; cerebral vascular disease; rheumatoid arthritis; and pregnancy?

Source Of Funding: Industry: United Concordia Companies, Inc.

Socially unequal improvements in dental caries levels in Brazilian adolescents between 2003 and 2010.

Objectives: Although there are numerous reports on socioeconomic inequalities in dental caries, few studies have focused on whether improvements in dental status have been accompanied by changes in socioeconomic inequalities in caries. The objective of this study was to assess whether declines in caries between 2003 and 2010 were associated with reductions in inequalities in dental caries in adolescents.

Methods: Data on dental caries in adolescents aged 15-19 were used from the Brazilian National Oral Health surveys conducted in 2003 (n = 16 833) and 2010 (n = 5445).

Which life course model better explains the association between socioeconomic position and periodontal health?

Aim: To assess whether the relationship between socioeconomic position (SEP) and periodontal health fitted the Critical Period or the Social Mobility life course models.

Methods: A nationally representative sample of 5570 Korean adults from KNHANES IV study. Log-binomial regression models adjusting for adulthood or childhood socioeconomic (SES) variables was used to assess independent effects of socioeconomic differences for childhood, adulthood and period of transition from child to adult in periodontal health.

The association between dental caries and television viewing among Chinese adolescents in Guangxi, China.

Background: Television viewing has been implicated as a possible risk factor for the increase in a number of chronic diseases, particularly those related to sedentary life style. Given the rapid economic and societal changes in China over the past few decades, this study aimed to examine the association between dental caries experience and television viewing among Chinese adolescents.

Methods: This study utilized data pertaining to the province of Guangxi from the 2010 National Physical Fitness and Health Surveillance, a national survey of school children and adolescents in China.

Patterns of clustering of six health-compromising behaviours in Saudi adolescents.

Background: Clustering of multiple health-compromising behaviours is associated with an increased risk of various chronic diseases. There are few studies on patterns of clustering of multiple health-compromising behaviours in adolescents. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess how six health-compromising behaviours, namely, low fruit consumption, high sweet consumption, less frequent tooth brushing, low physical activity, physical fighting and smoking, cluster among Saudi male adolescents.

Summary of: Food references in UK children's magazines - an oral health perspective.

Objective Children's magazines are popular in the United Kingdom, but their content is poorly regulated. Consequently, food and beverages high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), detrimental to oral and wider health, make unrestricted appearances. The study aim was to assess the amount of HFSS food and drink children are exposed to while reading magazines; with particular focus on foods containing free sugars due to their known cariogenic properties, and foods with low pH due to their erosive potential.

Social determinants of dental treatment needs in Brazilian adults.

Background: The chronic cumulative nature of caries makes treatment needs a severe problem in adults. Despite the fact that oral diseases occur in social contexts, there are few studies using multilevel analyses focusing on treatment needs. Thus, considering the importance of context in explaining oral health related inequalities, this study aims to evaluate the social determinants of dental treatment needs in 35-44 year old Brazilian adults, assessing whether inequalities in needs are expressed at individual and contextual levels.

A reappraisal of the quantitative relationship between sugar intake and dental caries: the need for new criteria for developing goals for sugar intake.

Background: There is a clear relation between sugars and caries. However, no analysis has yet been made of the lifetime burden of caries induced by sugar to see whether the WHO goal of 10% level is optimum and compatible with low levels of caries. The objective of this study was to re-examine the dose-response and quantitative relationship between sugar intake and the incidence of dental caries and to see whether the WHO goal for sugar intake of 10% of energy intake (E) is optimum for low levels of caries in children and adults.

Periodontal treatment needs and workforce requirements: comparisons between the normative and sociodental approaches using different skill mix models.

Objectives: Assessment of dental treatment needs has predominantly been based on the normative approach, despite its numerous limitations. The sociodental approach is a more rational method of needs assessment as it incorporates broader concepts of health and needs and behavioural propensity. This study compares estimates of periodontal dental treatment needs and workforce requirements for different skill mixes using normative and sociodental approaches among a sample of adults in Malaysia.