Utilizing laser therapy to manage oral potentially malignant disorders in older adults at the primary care level.

Oral lesions are a significant concern among older adults because they can progress to oral cancer if not diagnosed and treated promptly and effectively. Transportation to the hospital is a major barrier to oral healthcare for many older adults. The purpose of this editorial is to address the challenges of managing oral potentially malignant disorders in the older population, highlighting the barriers they face in accessing healthcare services, the potential use of laser therapy for management, and the direction of research in this area.

Oral health for healthy ageing.

Over the past 70 years, the global population and age structure have been changing rapidly. Analyses from the 2017 Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study forecasted a continuation of global ageing throughout the remainder of the 21st century, creating major challenges for health-care systems to ensure healthy longevity for ageing societies. Oral health is an intrinsic constituent of general health and wellbeing; however, oral health is largely overlooked on the global health agenda.

Clinical effect of toothpaste and mouth rinse containing zinc lactate on oral malodor reduction.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the effect of toothpaste and mouth rinse containing 0.14% zinc lactate on the reduction of three volatile oral malodor gases.

Material And Methods: Ten subjects with good health were recruited to take part in a crossover design study with a 7-day washout period.

The Prevalence and Severity of Tooth Wear in Type 2 Diabetic Patients.

Objective: To assess the prevalence and severity of tooth wear in type 2 diabetic patients.

Methods: Attendees at a diabetic clinic at Wiang Pa Pao Hospital in Chiang Rai province, Thailand, were invited to take part in this cross-sectional study. All participants were aged 35-74 and had type 2 diabetes.

Trends over Time in Dental Caries status in Urban and Rural Thai Children.

Background: Historically, the prevalence of dental caries was higher in urban areas than rural areas of Thailand. This study aim to examine the time trends in caries status in children in Thailand.

Material And Methods: Linear regression was used to examine trend of dental caries prevalence and mean number of teeth with caries, filled and missing due to caries (dmft/DMFT) in urban and rural, of 3-, 5-6 and 12-year olds from seven Thailand National Oral Health Surveys conducted approximately every 5 years from 1977 to 2012.

Oral healthcare systems for an ageing population: concepts and challenges.

Oral healthcare systems (OHCS) are designed to maintain the health and function through Communication (Health promotion and education), Prevention, Assessment and Diagnosis, and Treatment. The complexity of these OHCS functions for the ageing are described utilizing the spectrum of dependency of the Seattle Care Pathway framework. Barriers and disparities which challenge the development of OHCS for the ageing can be universal but often vary between developed and developing countries.

Development of a community-based oral healthcare model for Thai dependent older people.

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a community-based oral healthcare model for Thai dependent older people in Tambon Tha Pla Duk, Amphur Mae Tha, Lamphun Province, in the north of Thailand.

Materials And Methods: Participatory action research was conducted, taking an interdisciplinary approach. Data were collected through focus group discussions with key stakeholders in health care of older people in Amphur Mae Tha.

Estimate of Impact on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of Older Thai People by the Provision of Dentures through the Royal Project.

Purpose. To estimate the impact of the provision of dentures to Thai older people by the Royal Project on their oral health-related quality of life. Methods.

Associations between social inequality and tooth loss in a household sample of elderly Thai people aged ≥60 years old.

Objective: To assess the relationship between social inequality and the number of remaining teeth in an elderly Thai population.

Background: Having twenty or more remaining teeth is an important indicator of optimal oral health in the elderly.

Methods: The data for this study were derived from the Survey of Older Persons in Thailand, conducted by the National Statistical Office, based on face-to-face interviews with people aged ≥60.

Comparison of the efficacy of a dentifrice containing 1.5% arginine and 1450 ppm fluoride to a dentifrice containing 1450 ppm fluoride alone in the management of early coronal caries as assessed using Quantitative Light-induced Fluorescence.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of a new dentifrice containing 1.5% arginine, an insoluble calcium compound, and 1450 ppm fluoride to a matched, positive control dentifrice containing 1450 ppm fluoride in arresting and reversing early coronal caries lesions in children using Quantitative Light-induced Fluorescence (QLF).

Study Design: 331 children from Chiang Mai, Thailand, aged 7-14 years, with one or more visible early enamel caries lesions on the upper anterior teeth, completed the study.

Oral health status of dementia patients in Chiang Mai Neurological Hospital.

Objective: Investigate the oral health of patients with dementia and examine the association between the type and severity level of dementia on their dental caries sta tus.

Material And Method: Cross-sectional study conducted on outpatients referred to the memory clinic. Clinical examinations were based on WHO criteria.

Dental fluorosis in populations from Chiang Mai, Thailand with different fluoride exposures - paper 2: the ability of fluorescence imaging to detect differences in fluorosis prevalence and severity for different fluoride intakes from water.

Background: To assess the ability of fluorescence imaging to detect a dose response relationship between fluorosis severity and different levels of fluoride in water supplies compared to remote photographic scoring in selected populations participating in an observational, epidemiological survey in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Methods: Subjects were male and female lifetime residents aged 8-13 years. For each child the fluoride content of cooking water samples (CWS) was assessed to create categorical intervals of water fluoride concentration.

Dental fluorosis in populations from Chiang Mai, Thailand with different fluoride exposures - paper 1: assessing fluorosis risk, predictors of fluorosis and the potential role of food preparation.

Background: To determine the severity of dental fluorosis in selected populations in Chiang Mai, Thailand with different exposures to fluoride and to explore possible risk indicators for dental fluorosis.

Methods: Subjects were male and female lifetime residents aged 8-13 years. For each child the fluoride content of drinking and cooking water samples were assessed.

Quantitative light fluorescence (QLF) and polarized white light (PWL) assessments of dental fluorosis in an epidemiological setting.

Background: To determine if a novel dual camera imaging system employing both polarized white light (PWL) and quantitative light induced fluorescence imaging (QLF) is appropriate for measuring enamel fluorosis in an epidemiological setting. The use of remote and objective scoring systems is of importance in fluorosis assessments due to the potential risk of examiner bias using clinical methods.

Methods: Subjects were recruited from a panel previously characterized for fluorosis and caries to ensure a range of fluorosis presentation.

A qualitative study of health-related quality of life and psychosocial adjustments of Thai adolescents with repaired cleft lips and palates.

Objective: The purposes of the present study were (1) to study the meaning of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) from the insider's perspective and (2) to explore the relevant psychosocial adjustments involved in the HRQoL of Thai 12-to-17-year-old adolescents with repaired cleft lip and cleft palate (CLP).

Material And Method: The study included a sample of 18 adolescents with non-syndromic repaired CLP and 6 parents of these adolescents. The participants were recruited from an orthodontic clinic in the Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University, and all were in-depth interviewed.

Education of dentists in Thailand.

Thailand is geographically located in southeast Asia and its population is 63 million. Little has been published on dental education in Thailand. This paper provides information about Thailand regarding its dental history, dental school system including curriculum and dental licensure.

Opinions of parents, teachers and school board members regarding healthy eating: a qualitative investigation of lay Thai people's perspectives.

Background: The prevalence of overweight, obesity, and dental caries is increasing in Thai preschool children. Parents and teachers influence the diet of young children.

Objective: To inform on, and be aware of what foods and drinks the children have consumed

Material And Method: The present qualitative study investigated attitudes and practices among parents, school board members and teachers regarding preschool children's eating behaviors and regarding factors influencing children to purchase snacks and beverages.

The hierarchical cluster analysis of oral health attitudes and behaviour using the Hiroshima University--Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) among final year dental students in 17 countries.

Objective: To explore and describe international oral health attitudes/ behaviours among final year dental students.

Methods: Validated translated versions of the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) questionnaire were administered to 1,096 final-year dental students in 17 countries. Hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted within the data to detect patterns and groupings.

An exploratory study on cultural variations in oral health attitudes, behaviour and values of freshman (first-year) dental students.

Objective: To identify similarities and differences in oral health attitudes, behaviour and values among freshman dental students.

Design: Cross-cultural survey of dental students.

Setting: 18 cultural areas.

Assessing prosthodontic dental treatment needs in older adults in Thailand: normative vs. sociodental approaches.

The authors compared the estimated prosthodontic treatment needs of edentulous older adults when using normative and sociodental approaches. This cross-sectional study involved a non-random sample of 158 edentulous adults, aged 60 to 74 years, who were living independently in metropolitan Chiang Mai, Thailand. Each subject was given an oral examination and was interviewed.

Number of teeth and nutritional status in Thai older people.

Objective: To assess the association between the number of natural teeth and nutritional status in older Thai people aged 60-74 years.

Research Design: A cross-sectional study.

Method: Stratified purposive sampling from senior citizen centres, households in sub-districts and municipal communities in Chiang Mai metropolitan area.

Assessing the difference between sociodental and normative approaches to assessing prosthetic dental treatment needs in dentate older people.

Objective: To illustrate differences in assessed need using normative and sociodental approaches to assess prosthetic treatment needs of dentate older people.

Design: A cross-sectional study using non-random sample.

Setting: Metropolitan area of Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Number of teeth and risk of root caries.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association between number of natural teeth and prevalence of root caries.

Design: A cross-sectional design was adopted. A stratified multi-stage purposive sampling method was used to select a wide range of elderly people from all social classes, educational levels and sexes.