Oro-dental trauma burden and mouthguard usage among contact sports players: A call for sports dentistry initiatives in Sri Lanka.

Background/aim: Contact sports-related oro-dental trauma contributes to a significant proportion of sports injuries among school children. Oro-dental trauma imposes a detrimental impact on the oral health-related quality of life. However, the burden of oro-dental trauma among contact sports players and their practices of mouthguards remains a research gap in Sri Lanka.

An overview of the burden of oral cancer in Sri Lanka and its inequalities in the face of contemporary economic and social malaise.

Objectives: Over the past several decades, oral cancer has been the most common malignancy among Sri Lankan males and the top 10 cancer among females, disproportionately affecting low socio-economic groups. Sri Lanka is a lower-middle-income developing country (LMIC), currently striking through an economic crisis, and social and political unrest. Occurring at an accessible body site and predominantly attributed to potentially modifiable health-related behaviours, oral cancer should be preventable and controllable.

Development and validation of a novel index to assess the perceived impact of sports-related oro-dental trauma among adolescents: findings from Sri Lanka.

Background: Sports-related oro- dental trauma, such as tooth fracture, displacement, mobility, and avulsion, cause significant concern among adolescent players due to detrimental impacts. The current study aims to develop, validate and assess the reliability of a simple index as a questionnaire to assess the impact of sports-related oro-dental trauma both untreated and treated, among adolescent school children in Sri Lanka.

Methods: AODTII, an adolescent oro-dental trauma impact index, was developed and validated using a mixed-method approach.

Qualitative analysis to identify determinants of use among different occupational settings and channels of communication to address smokeless tobacco use in Sri Lanka.

Smokeless tobacco (SLT) use is a leading cause for oral and pharyngeal cancers in the Southeast Asian region which leads to considerable morbidity and mortality. This study aims to Identify the determinants of use and channels of communication to address smokeless tobacco use among specific user groups in Sri Lanka. The study uses a qualitative approach with purposive, snowballing sampling among groups.

Assessment of the oral cancer control activities through care seeking behavior of hospital attendees and their level of awareness.

Oral cancer is the most common cancer among males in the Sri Lankan population. The aim of this study was to assess the health seeking behaviors and associated factors for OPMD. A hospital based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among Out Patients Department attendees of the Institute of Oral Health, Maharagama, from July 1, 2018 to December 31, 2019 by administering a questionnaire followed by an intra oral examination.

A Sociological Analysis and Exploration of Factors Associated with Commercial Preparations of Smokeless Tobacco Use in Sri Lanka.

Background: Use and addiction to commercial preparation of Smokeless Tobacco (CPSLT) is creating new socio-cultural issues and health challenges in Sri Lanka.  The objective of this sociological study is to investigate and analyse the socio-cultural factors that influence CPSLT use Sri Lanka to enable development of effective interventions.  Methods: This is a qualitative study for which data was collected through in-depth interviews in selected groups that use CPSLT.

Evaluation of Successfulness of Capacity Building Programmes on Smokeless Tobacco and Areca Nut Cessation.

Background: Prevalence of smoking in Sri Lanka has shown a gradual reduction whilst the use of smokeless tobacco and areca nut exhibits an increasing trend. At present, only a few well-structured smokeless tobacco (SLT)/areca nut (AN) cessation programs have been conducted in Sri Lanka, which is a gross underachievement as betel chewing-related oral squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer in Sri Lankan males. As General Dental Practitioners (GDP) do not contribute significantly to SLT/AN cessation activities at present, capacity building programs on SLT/AN control were carried out.

Economic cost of managing patients with oral potentially malignant disorders in Sri Lanka.

Objectives: Cancer of the oral cavity is the leading malignancy amongst males in Sri Lanka, and eighth amongst women. Almost all malignancies are developed from a clinically visible precursor stage called an oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD). The objective of this study was to estimate costs of managing patients with OPMD in Sri Lanka for a 12-month period from diagnosis.

Evaluation of a social marketing campaign for the early detection of oral potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer: Sri Lankan experience.

Introduction: The present study evaluated a national social marketing campaign (SMC) conducted in 2008, with the ultimate aim of improving control of oral cancer in Sri Lanka. The approach was based on our published Risk Factor Model (RFM).

Methods: Social marketing tools were developed to educate the public on the major risk factors for oral cancer.

Economic burden of managing oral cancer patients in Sri Lanka: a cross-sectional hospital -based costing study.

Objective: Cancer of the oral cavity is the leading malignancy among males in Sri Lanka, and sixth among women. This study aimed to estimate costs of managing patients with oral cancer (OCA) in Sri Lanka for a 12 month period from diagnosis.

Design: Hospital based costing study.

Smokeless tobacco control: Litigation & judicial measures from Southeast Asia.

Recourse to litigation and positive judicial interventions is one of the most effective tools to meet public health objectives. The present review envisions compiling litigation and judicial measures in Southeast Asia Region (SEAR) while assessing their role in advancing smokeless tobacco (SLT) control, and equally highlighting, how tobacco industry has used litigation to undermine tobacco control efforts in the Region. The litigation, especially from the SEAR, up to 2017, that have facilitated SLT control or have been used by the tobacco industry to challenge an SLT control policy decision were reviewed.

Economic costs of alcohol use in Sri Lanka.

Aim: Alcohol related disease conditions are responsible for a significant proportion of morbidity and mortality in Sri Lanka. This study quantified the economic cost of selected alcohol related disease conditions in Sri Lanka in 2015.

Methods: This study uses the prevalence-based cost of illness methodology specified by the World Health Organization, and uses the gross costing approach.

Economic cost of tobacco-related cancers in Sri Lanka.

Introduction: Cancer has a high mortality rate and morbidity burden in Sri Lanka. This study estimated the economic cost of smoking and smokeless tobacco (ST) related to cancers in Sri Lanka in 2015.

Methods: Prevalence-based cost of illness is calculated according to the guidelines of the WHO (2011).

Intralesional corticosteroids as a treatment for restricted mouth opening in oral submucous fibrosis.

Objectives: Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a chronic debilitating disease of the oral mucosa, associated with an increased risk of malignancy. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of intralesional corticosteroid injection as a treatment modality for OSF. We also studied the correlation between the treatment outcome and a number of individual variables.

Oral health of patients on psychotropic medications: a study of outpatients in Queensland.

Objective: To describe the oral health of psychiatric patients on psychotropic medication, and compare this to Queensland and national data.

Methods: We interviewed and examined 50 patients on medication at two outpatient clinics in South-east Queensland, in 2010. These areas had unfluoridated water till 2009.

Diet and risk of oral potentially malignant disorders in rural Sri Lanka.

Background: While the protective role of antioxidant nutrients against cancer is well established, data on Asian diets in patients with oral cancer are meagre.

Methods: A total of 1029 subjects over 30 years of age were investigated on their dietary practices in the Sabaragamuwa province (Sri Lanka) in 2006-07. Data collection tools were an interviewer-administered questionnaire, a three-day food diary and an examination of the oral cavity.

Public awareness of oral cancer, of oral potentially malignant disorders and of their risk factors in some rural populations in Sri Lanka.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the level of public awareness of oral cancer, of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and of risk factors for developing these diseases in a province of Sri Lanka, a country with one of the highest incidences of these diseases in the world.

Methods: A cross-sectional community-based survey was carried out in Sabaragamuwa province by interviewing 1029 subjects above 30 years of age, over a 1-year period from November 2006.

Results: The level of public awareness of oral cancer was 84%, but only 23% for OPMD.

Betel-quid chewing with or without tobacco is a major risk factor for oral potentially malignant disorders in Sri Lanka: a case-control study.

We investigated the prevalence of, and risk factors for, oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) in rural Sri Lanka. A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted by interview and oral examination of 1029 subjects aged over 30 years. A community-based nested case-control study then took those with OPMDs as 'cases', "controls" being those with no oral abnormalities at time of initial screening.