Difficulty with Dental Caries among Adolescents Who Are Underweight: A Nationwide Study.

This study highlights a unique association between weight status and difficulty with dental caries among US adolescents. Being underweight was significantly associated with dental caries in adolescents aged 10-17.

California School Nurses' Knowledge in Identifying Common Dental Conditions and Making Appropriate Dental Referrals.

Introduction: In 2011, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended a minimum of 4 clinical oral health competencies for nondental professionals to promote optimal oral health, including (1) recognizing risk for oral disease through competent oral examinations and (2) making and tracking referrals.

Objectives: We determined whether California school nurses (SNs) knew about specific components of the 2 IOM competencies mentioned above using 3 clinical case scenarios following the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors Basic Screening Survey Methodology.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a 23-item pilot-tested online survey was completed by 358 active California School Nurses Organization members between April and June 2023.

Los Angeles County dentists' opinions on discussing human papilloma virus-related oral health issues and recommending vaccine to patients.

Dentists are well-positioned to discuss oral health issues related to Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and recommend the HPV vaccine to their patients, mainly because the HPV virus causes oropharyngeal cancers.. We assessed Los Angeles (LA) County dentists' opinions on discussing HPV-related oral health issues and recommending the HPV vaccine to their patients.

Association between more complex special care needs and overweight status and adolescents' difficulty with dental caries.

Objective: Little is known about dental caries experience in adolescents with overweight and complex special health care needs (SHCNs).

Methods: Adolescent data (10-17 years) from the 2016-2020 National Survey of Children's Health (n = 91,196) was analyzed. The sample was grouped into the following: more complex SHCN and overweight, more complex SHCN without overweight, less complex SHCN and overweight, less complex SHCN without overweight, no SHCN but with overweight, and neither SHCN nor overweight.

Childhood dental caries and obesity: Opportunities for interdisciplinary approaches to prevention.

Dental caries and obesity are prevalent and preventable chronic childhood diseases. Evidence shows a strong connection between these two diseases, with overlapping common risk factors, including diet as a key driver of risk. Dental professionals are well-positioned to perform nutritional counseling and obesity prevention in dental clinic settings, but training and clinical integration remain key challenges.

A national sample of developmentally disabled adolescents with obesity and their utilization of preventive dental care services.

Background: Previous literature indicates that adolescents with developmental disabilities and obesity may have more oral health complications than healthy adolescents. However, dental care utilization among adolescents with developmental disabilities (DDs) and obesity is unclear. We investigated the differences in the utilization of preventive dental services between this high-risk group of adolescents and those with no DDs or obesity.

Dental care utilization among developmentally disabled adolescents experiencing difficulty with decayed teeth: A population-level study.

Aims: To determine if adolescents with developmental disabilities (DDs) who experienced difficulty with dental caries differed by dental visits in the past 12 months and receipt of preventive services (fluoride treatment and dental sealants) during those visits compared to adolescents with no DDs or difficulty with dental caries.

Methods And Results: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data of 91 196 adolescents aged 10-17 years from the 2016-2020 National Survey of Children's Health. Descriptive and bivariate statistics and multivariable regression models were conducted.

Health literacy and its association with human papilloma virus vaccination among adults: Findings from the behavioral risk factor surveillance system.

Health literacy is associated with the utilization of preventive health services. We examined the association between health literacy (HL) levels and receipt of at least one dose of the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination. We analyzed the data from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) among adults aged 18 to 32.

Hospital emergency department visits made by developmentally disabled adolescents with oral complications.

Purpose: We used Andersen's Behavioral Model in a cross-sectional study to determine the factors associated with utilization of the emergency department (ED), controlling for whether an adolescent has a developmental disability (DD) and one or more oral complications (toothaches, decayed teeth, bleeding gums, eating or swallowing problems).

Methods: Data from the 2016-2019 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) was used for this secondary data analysis study. We used frequencies and percentages to describe the sample characteristics.

Pediatric dentists' participation in advocacy and acceptance of new medicaid children in clinical practice.

Introduction: Advocacy involves promoting a noble cause or voicing on behalf of a program, policy, or population group. Previous literature shows that dentists who provide services to Medicaid-enrolled, underserved, and vulnerable children are more compassionate than those who do not.

Aim: To explore the association between pediatric dentists' (PDs) participation in various advocacy-related activities (ARAs) and their monthly acceptance of new Medicaid-enrolled children in their clinical practice to provide dental care services.

Difficulty with Oral Health Complications in Adolescents with Developmental Disability and Obesity.

Introduction: Developmental disabilities (DDs), obesity, and dental caries are highly prevalent health conditions among adolescents. Evidence indicates that a significant proportion of adolescents with DDs are obese, and those with obesity and dental caries share common risk factors.

Objective: In this first-ever US-based cross-sectional national study, we assessed the likelihood of adolescents with DDs and obesity experiencing chronic difficulty with decayed teeth, toothaches, bleeding gums, and eating and swallowing due to a health condition among adolescents with DDs and obesity compared to adolescents with no DDs or obesity.

INCONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE INDICATES COMMUNITY BASED COMPREHENSIVE ORAL HEALTH INTERVENTION IMPROVES ORAL HEALTH STATUS COMPARED TO ONLY ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION.

Article Title And Bibliographic Information: Tsai C, Raphael S, Agnew C, McDonald G, Irving M. Health promotion interventions to improve oral health of adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol.

Limited quality evidence suggests children and adolescents with down syndrome have lower prevalence of dental caries compared to non-syndromic children.

Article Title And Bibliographic Information: Silva MCPMD, Lyra MCA, Almeida HCR, Alencar Filho AV, Heimer MV, Rosenblatt A. Caries experience in children and adolescents with Down Syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Arch Oral Biol.

Randomised clinical trial of a motivational interviewing intervention to improve oral health education amongst older adults in Philadelphia: 12-month evaluation of non-clinical outcomes.

Objectives: We conducted a trial to assess the treatment fidelity of an individual-based oral health education intervention utilising motivational interviewing (MI) techniques and its efficacy when compared to a group-based traditional oral health education intervention (TOHE) and a standard of care group (SC) in a sample from Philadelphia during a 12-month follow-up.

Background: There is lack of information on how different types of oral health educational interventions affect older adults on non-clinical outcomes including changes in oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), oral health self-efficacy (SE) and oral health knowledge (OHK).

Materials And Methods: One hundred and eighty patients were randomly allocated to TOHE, MI and SC groups.

Unmet Dental Care Need and Associated Barriers by Race/Ethnicity among US Adults.

Introduction: Ability to access needed dental care may vary among population subgroups. We assessed 1) the differences in the proportions of adults who reported unmet dental care needs in the past 12 months and the associated barriers (structural, financial, and cognitive) in 2015 to 2016 versus 2003 to 2004 by race/ethnicity and 2) the subgroups that are more likely to report unmet dental care needs.

Methods: Data of 10,029 respondents aged ≥19 y from the 2003-2004 and 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys were used.

Pediatric dentists who accept new Medicaid-enrolled children report higher willingness to advocate for community water Fluoridation.

Background: Dentists, who advocate for Community Water Fluoridation (CWF), can help decrease the dental caries disparity gap between low and high socioeconomic groups. Advocating for CWF, a cause that promotes oral health at the population level is an altruistic behavior. Dentists who accept and provide services to Medicaid-insured children, who are from low socioeconomic backgrounds, are also considered altruistic.

Motivational interviewing and oral health education: Experiences from a sample of elderly individuals in North and Northeast Philadelphia.

Background: Health education has a focus on knowledge dissemination and advice giving, which seldom translates into behavioral changes. Motivational interviewing (MI) has potential for helping elderly patients. However, most oral health studies conducted to date have excluded older individuals, and the outcomes examined have been exclusively clinical.

Oral health promotion practices: a survey of Florida child care center directors.

Background: To understand the oral health promotion practices (OHPPs) in Florida licensed childcare centers (CCCs), we surveyed the childcare center directors (CCCDs) employed at these centers. We determined if CCC's affiliation with Early Head Start/Head Start (EHS/HS) programs was associated with the number of OHPPs implemented.

Methods: For this cross-sectional study we emailed a pretested 45-item online survey to unduplicated email addresses of 5142 licensed CCCDs as listed in the publicly available Florida Department of Child and Family services database.

Effect of Advocacy Training During Dental Education on Pediatric Dentists' Interest in Advocating for Community Water Fluoridation.

Dentists, like other health professionals, are uniquely positioned to be public health advocates. One venue where dental students can become skilled public health advocates is in dental education programs. However, debates about the need and importance of integrating advocacy training into dental curricula exist.

Limited-Quality Evidence Suggests That Early Caries Experience at Age 6 years May Predict Low Oral Health-Related Quality of Life at Age 10 years.

Article Title And Bibliographic Information: Early Caries Predicts Low Oral Health-Related Quality of Life at a Later Age. Kragt L, van der Tas JT, Moll HA, Elfrink ME, Jaddoe VW, Wolvius EB, Ongkosuwito EM. Caries Res.

Smoking status, dental visits and receipt of tobacco counseling in dental office among mobile and trailer home adolescents.

Background: Mobile and trailer home (MTHs) residents are an understudied group. In this study we determined the cigarette smoking status, dental visits in the past 12 months, and receipt of tobacco counseling in adolescents living in MTHs compared to adolescents living in other types of housing.

Methods: For this secondary data analysis study, we used data of adolescents aged 10 to 19 years (n = 74,890) from the 2012 Florida Youth Tobacco Survey (FYTS).

Florida child care center directors' intention to implement oral health promotion practices in licensed child care centers.

Background: To determine the factors associated with child care center directors' (CCCDs) intention to implement oral health promotion practices (OHPPs) in licensed childcare centers (CCCs) within the next year, and their self-perceived barriers in successfully implementing those practices.

Methods: For this cross-sectional study, a pretested 45-item online survey was sent to 5142 CCCDs assessing pediatric oral health knowledge, attitudes towards oral health, intention to implement OHPPs, and self-perceived barriers to implementing OHPPs. An adjusted logistic regression model determined the factors associated with CCCDs intention to implement OHPPs within the next year.

Baseline Caries Risk Assessment Using CAMBRA May Predict Caries Only in High and Extreme Caries Risk Groups.

Article Title And Bibliographic Information: Baseline caries risk assessment as a predictor of caries incidence. Chaffee BW, Cheng J, Featherstone JD.J Dent 2015;43(5):518-24.

Establishing a speaker's bureau to teach dental public health curriculum in predoctoral dental and dental hygiene programs.

The opening of new dental schools and dental hygiene programs in the past decade has further exacerbated the shortage of faculty, including those with dental public health (DPH) expertise to teach. Therefore, one of the aims for the American Association of Public Health Dentistry's (AAPHD) Predoctoral Dental Public Health Competencies and Curriculum Project (Project), to develop DPH competencies and curriculum, was to establish a speakers bureau of interested dental professionals to teach the curriculum in dental schools and dental hygiene programs at the predoctoral level. This paper describes the process for establishing a speakers bureau including identifying and training individuals to teach the developed DPH curriculum.

Pilot testing a predoctoral dental public health curriculum: reporting process and outcomes.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to pilot test the predoctoral dental public health (DPH) curriculum developed by the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD) in various US dental schools and dental hygiene programs.

Methods: Following the Lewy's theoretical framework, we used all three curriculum tryout methods (laboratory tryout, pilot tryout, and field tryout) for the pilot testing process. Open-ended questions on the structure, presentation, and content of the curriculum were sent to faculty pilot testing the DPH curriculum to obtain critical feedback and comments.