J Public Health Dent [JOURNAL]
Sun
200 papers
Latino dentists in the U.S. Census from 1980 to 2019: Implications for dental care access.
Hsu P, Hayes-Bautista DE
J Public Health Dent · 2023 Mar · PMID 36651134 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: This study describes the supply of Latino dentists in the United States from 1980 to 2019, as tabulated by the Census. The number of Latino dentists per 100,000 Latino population was compared to the number of...
OBJECTIVES: This study describes the supply of Latino dentists in the United States from 1980 to 2019, as tabulated by the Census. The number of Latino dentists per 100,000 Latino population was compared to the number of non-Hispanic White (NHW) dentists per 100,000 NHW population. These four-decade comparisons were made for the entire country as well as the five states having the largest Latino populations. METHODS: Data from the decennial census and the American Community Survey were used to identify the nationwide population, the number of dentists, and their respective Spanish-language abilities, stratified by race/ethnic group (Latinos and non-Hispanic Whites). RESULTS: In 1980, there were only 18 Latino dentists for every 100,000 Latino population in the entire nation, compared to 70 NHW dentists per 100,000 NHW population. While there was an increase to 21 Latino dentists per 100,000 in 1990, the supply remained virtually the same over this almost 40-year period, ending back at 18 per 100,000 in 2019. In comparison, there were about four times as many non-Hispanic White dentists as Latino dentists. This national discrepancy was also reflected in the five states that were evaluated. Similarly, Latino dentists were far more likely to speak Spanish than NHW dentists at both the national and state levels. CONCLUSIONS: The Latino dentist supply, already inadequate in 1980, has remained virtually unchanged over the past almost 40 years. The authors believe that this deficiency will have profound consequences, and recommend that initiatives be undertaken to increase the number of Latino dentists.
American Board of Dental Public Health diplomate survey, 2021: Competency domains and practice.
Macek MD, Zavras A, Tomar SL … +4 more , Cappelli D, McKernan S, Timothe P, Okunseri C
J Public Health Dent · 2023 Mar · PMID 36513618 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: To describe current Dental Public Health diplomates and list the competency domains that diplomates considered either essential or optional elements of their practice. METHODS: The American Board of Dental Pub...
OBJECTIVE: To describe current Dental Public Health diplomates and list the competency domains that diplomates considered either essential or optional elements of their practice. METHODS: The American Board of Dental Public Health administered an electronic survey to active and life member diplomates during September 2021. The survey included 101 items in three sections: (1) Education and Work Experience; (2) Dental Public Health Tasks; and (3) Demographics. The Dental Public Health Tasks section asked individuals how essential work-related tasks were to their current practice. Descriptive analyses were conducted using SAS. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 82.6% (157 eligible of 190 returned). Most respondents were women, 35 to 54 years of age, and either non-Hispanic white or non-Hispanic Asian. Twice as many had DDS or DMD degrees than BDS degrees. The vast majority completed a Dental Public Health residency and received masters level training from an accredited program. About three-fourths worked in the United States and held a U.S. license. More than 37% reported a second doctoral degree and 70% worked in academia. Responses to questions about tasks closely aligned with working in academia and less so with positions related to advocacy, regulation, and program evaluation. CONCLUSIONS: Current diplomates are concentrated in academia. If this trend continues, it may be necessary to restructure the competencies, so training and skills acquisition remain timely and relevant. The specialty may also need to encourage future generations to consider non-academic positions so Dental Public Health remains an impactful component of the public health care system.
Association between cash transfer programs and oral health-A scoping review.
Colvara BC, Singh A, Gupta A … +2 more , Celeste RK, Hilgert JB
J Public Health Dent · 2023 Mar · PMID 36458510 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: The aims of this scoping review are to assess the literature investigating the association between cash transfer programs and oral health; and to identify the theoretical frameworks applied to guide this lite...
OBJECTIVES: The aims of this scoping review are to assess the literature investigating the association between cash transfer programs and oral health; and to identify the theoretical frameworks applied to guide this literature. METHODS: A search strategy to identify studies published until December 2020 was applied to a range of databases. Observational and interventional studies that had cash transfer programs as exposure/intervention and oral health as outcome were considered. Dental health services utilization, as well as access to dental health services, were considered secondary outcomes. Cash transfer programs were considered programs based on conditional or unconditional cash transfer carried out as part of national social protection schemes, and interventional studies on the impact of cash transfer on oral health were also considered eligible. Data charting was performed in two steps and a narrative synthesis was conducted. RESULTS: Of 6344 articles identified, four articles were included. These articles investigated three different conditional cash transfer programs, Universal Child Allowance (Argentina), Bolsa Família (Brazil) and Family Rewards (USA). Inconsistencies were identified in findings on the effect of conditional cash transfer programs on the prevalence of dental caries and these differences may be due to the comparison group selected for each study. Concerning dental visits, the results point in different directions, which makes these findings still inconclusive. No explicit theoretical framework was reported in the articles to guide the expected association. CONCLUSION: Although cash transfers play an important role in improving certain health outcomes, there is limited evidence to suggest an association between cash transfers and oral health.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of fissure sealants for caries prevention in children.
Egil E, Yaylali E
J Public Health Dent · 2023 Mar · PMID 36300652 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of resin-based and glass ionomer-based fissure sealants compared with no intervention for children. METHODS: We developed a Markov-based decision analytic model that simulate...
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of resin-based and glass ionomer-based fissure sealants compared with no intervention for children. METHODS: We developed a Markov-based decision analytic model that simulated Turkish children from aged 6 to 15 years. Two types of costs were explored from the payers' perspective and the health care system perspectives. A cost-effectiveness analysis of resin-based and glass ionomer-based fissure sealants was conducted to quantify their effectiveness using the number of caries prevented and the quality-adjusted tooth years (QATYs). Costs and effectiveness measures were discounted at 3% per year. RESULTS: The most cost-effective intervention was resin-based fissure sealant, with an additional $5.34 per caries prevented and $1.86 per QATY gained compared with no treatment. CONCLUSION: Fissure sealants particularly resin-based sealants are cost-effective for children in Turkey due to their low cost and highly preventive characteristics.
Safe, supportive neighborhoods: Are they associated with childhood oral health?
Crouch E, Nelson J, Radcliff E … +2 more , Merrell MA, Martin A
J Public Health Dent · 2023 Mar · PMID 36257835 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: There has been limited examination of how community-level supports may influence oral health metrics among children. The purpose of our study is to examine the association between two types of community-level...
OBJECTIVE: There has been limited examination of how community-level supports may influence oral health metrics among children. The purpose of our study is to examine the association between two types of community-level positive childhood experiences and oral healthcare and oral health outcomes among children ages 6 to 17 years of age. METHODS: This study uses a cross-sectional data set from the 2018-2019 National Survey of Children's Health. Two oral health metrics were used: preventive dental care, measured as one or more preventive dental visits in the past 12 months, and tooth decay, measured as tooth decay or cavities in the last 12 months. To quantify living in safe, stable, equitable environments, questions on residing in a safe and supportive neighborhood were used. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses were used to calculate frequencies, proportions, and unadjusted associations for each variable (n = 40,290). Multivariable logistic regression models were used. RESULTS: In an adjusted analysis, children who lived in a supportive neighborhood had a higher likelihood of receiving a preventive dental visit than children who did not live in a supportive neighborhood (aOR 1.41; 95% CI 1.21-1.65). Children who lived in a safe neighborhood were less likely to have tooth decay than children who did not live in a safe neighborhood (aOR 0.75; 95% CI 0.65-0.86). CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study highlight the role of social structures in tightening the safety net for oral healthcare in children.
Refining the process: Safety net dental professionals' experiences with teledentistry implementation during the first year of COVID-19.
McLeod CD, Heaton LJ, Chung-Bridges K … +1 more , Raskin SE
J Public Health Dent · 2023 Jun · PMID 36257777 · Full text
OBJECTIVES: Teledentistry helped dentistry adapt to pandemic-era challenges; little is known about dental professionals' teledentistry experiences during this time. This analysis sought to understand professionals' pande...
OBJECTIVES: Teledentistry helped dentistry adapt to pandemic-era challenges; little is known about dental professionals' teledentistry experiences during this time. This analysis sought to understand professionals' pandemic teledentistry experiences and expectations for the modality's future. METHODS: We conducted virtual individual interviews (n = 21) via Zoom to understand how federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) delivered oral care during the first year of the pandemic, including but not limited to the use of teledentistry. We independently coded each transcript, then identified themes and sub-themes. RESULTS: We identified three major themes: (1) Logistical and equity considerations shaped teledentistry's adoption; (2) Team-based factors influenced implementation; and (3) Teledentistry's future is as-yet undetermined. CONCLUSIONS: Experiences with teledentistry during the first year of COVID-19 varied substantially. Future directions should be more deliberate to counter the urgency of pandemic-style implementation and must address appropriate use, reimbursement guidance, patient and provider challenges, and customizability to each clinic's context.
Patterns of fluoride intake from 6 to 17 years of age: The Iowa Fluoride Study.
Bhagavatula P, Comnick CL, Warren JJ … +1 more , Levy SM
J Public Health Dent · 2023 Mar · PMID 36251680 · Full text
OBJECTIVES: This article reports on estimated daily fluoride intake from water, other beverages and selected foods, dentifrice, and dietary fluoride supplements by both individual sources, and all sources combined, among...
OBJECTIVES: This article reports on estimated daily fluoride intake from water, other beverages and selected foods, dentifrice, and dietary fluoride supplements by both individual sources, and all sources combined, among 787 children participating in the Iowa Fluoride Study (IFS) from 6 to 17 years of age. METHODS: Total daily fluoride intake (mg F) and fluoride intake per kilogram bodyweight (mg F/kg bw) were estimated using responses to questionnaires sent every 3-6 months. Dietary assessments included frequencies and amounts of beverage intake for the previous week from water, milk, ready-to-drink beverages, beverages made by adding water to concentrate or powder, and selected foods with substantial water content. Descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariable analyses with linear mixed models were used to assess associations with each of mg F and mg F/kg bw. RESULTS: Mean combined dietary fluoride (mg F) from all sources examined in the study increased slightly with age, whereas the fluoride intake per kg bw decreased with age. Age, sex, and socioeconomic status were significantly associated with fluoride intake (mg F and mg F/kg bw). Each year increase in age was associated with a 0.02-mg increase in fluoride consumption, on average, after adjusting for the effects of covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Daily mean fluoride intakes from single and combined sources were relatively stable, while the intake of fluoride per kg bw decreased from 6 to 17 years of age. Fluoridated water was the major source of ingested fluoride, contributing over 50% of total daily intake at all ages.
Estimation of oral disease burden from claims and self-reported data.
Okunseri C, Frantsve-Hawley J, Thakkar-Samtani M … +3 more , Okunev I, Heaton LJ, Tranby EP
J Public Health Dent · 2023 Mar · PMID 36224115 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: To compare the use of Medicaid and commercial claims data with self-reported survey data in estimating the prevalence of oral disease burden. METHODS: We analyzed 2018 Medicaid claims from the IBM Watson Medic...
OBJECTIVE: To compare the use of Medicaid and commercial claims data with self-reported survey data in estimating the prevalence of oral disease burden. METHODS: We analyzed 2018 Medicaid claims from the IBM Watson Medicaid Marketscan database, commercial claims from the IBM Dental Database, and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data. The estimate of oral disease burden was based on standard metrics using periodontal and caries-related Current Dental Terminology (CDT) procedure codes. A direct comparison between the data sets was also done. RESULTS: Unweighted Medicaid and commercial enrollees were 11.6 and 10.5 million, respectively. The weighted proportion from MEPS for Medicaid and commercial plans ranged from 80 to 208 million people. Estimates of caries-related treatments were calculated from IBM Watson and MEPS data for Medicaid enrollees (13% vs. 12%, respectively) and commercial claims (25% vs. 17%, respectively). Prevalence of periodontal related treatments for those with a dental visit was estimated for IBM Watson and MEPS enrollees for Medicaid (0.7% vs. 0.5%, respectively) and commercial claims (7% vs. 1.6%, respectively). Dental disease estimates were higher in individuals with at least one dental visit across cohorts. Prevalence of disease for those with a dental visit based on specific procedures were higher in commercial plans than in Medicaid. CONCLUSIONS: Claims data has the potential to serve as a proxy measure for the estimate of dental disease burden in a population.
Development of quality measures to assess tooth decay outcomes from electronic health record data.
Brandon RG, Bangar S, Yansane A … +5 more , Neumann A, Mullins JM, Kalenderian E, Walji MF, White JM
J Public Health Dent · 2023 Mar · PMID 36224111 · Full text
OBJECTIVES: To develop outcomes of care quality measures derived from the dental electronic health record (EHR) to assess the occurrence and timely treatment of tooth decay. METHODS: Quality measures were developed to as...
OBJECTIVES: To develop outcomes of care quality measures derived from the dental electronic health record (EHR) to assess the occurrence and timely treatment of tooth decay. METHODS: Quality measures were developed to assess whether decay was treated within 6 months and if new decay occurred in patients seen. Using EHR-derived data of the state of each tooth surface, algorithms compared the patient's teeth at different dates to determine if decay was treated or new decay had occurred. Manual chart reviews were conducted at three sites to validate the measures. The measures were implemented and scores were calculated for three sites over four calendar years, 2016 through 2019. RESULTS: About 954 charts were manually reviewed for the timely treatment of tooth decay measure, with measure performance of sensitivity 97%, specificity 85%, positive predictive value (PPV) 91%, negative predictive value (NPV) 95%. About 739 charts were reviewed for new decay measure, with sensitivity 94%, specificity 99%, PPV 99%, and NPV 94%. Across all sites and years, 52.8% of patients with decay were fully treated within 6 months of diagnosis (n = 247,959). A total of 23.8% of patients experienced new decay, measured at an annual exam (n = 640,004). CONCLUSION: Methods were developed and validated for assessing timely treatment of decay and occurrence of new decay derived from EHR data, creating effective outcome measures. These EHR-based quality measures produce accurate and reliable results that support efforts and advancement in quality assessment, quality improvement, patient care and research.
The impact of dentists' availability in delivering dental care in Florida Elementary Schools.
Ma S, Serban N, Dehghanian A … +1 more , Tomar SL
J Public Health Dent · 2023 Mar · PMID 36221807 · Full text
OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the dentists' availability to deliver preventive dental care to children in schools and the impact of school-based programs on access. METHODS: The study population included Florida elemen...
OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the dentists' availability to deliver preventive dental care to children in schools and the impact of school-based programs on access. METHODS: The study population included Florida elementary-school children, differentiated by dental insurance (Medicaid, CHIP, private, or none). We considered the implementation of school-based programs using optimization modeling to (re)allocate the dentists' caseload to schools to meet demand for preventive care under resource constraints. We considered multiple settings for school-based program implementation: (i) school prioritization; and (ii) dentists' participation in public insurance. Statistical inference was used to identify communities to improve access and reduce disparities. RESULTS: School-based programs reduced unmet demand (3%-12%), being more efficient if prioritizing schools in communities targeted to improve access. The access improvement varied by insurance status and geography. Uninsured urban children benefited most from school-based programs, with 15%-75% unmet need reduction. The percentage of urban communities targeted to improve access decreased by 12% against no-school program. Such percentage remained large for suburban (15%-100%) and rural (50%-100%) communities. Disparity in access for public-insured vs. private-insured children persisted under school-based programs (32%-84% identified communities). CONCLUSION: School-based programs improve dental care access; the improvement was however different by insurance status, with uninsured children benefiting the most. Accounting to the dentists' availability in prioritizing schools resulted in effective resource allocation to school-based programs. Access disparities between public and private-insured children did not improve; school-based programs shifted resources from public-insured to uninsured. School-based programs are effective in addressing access barriers to those children experiencing them most.
Dentist attitudes toward an annual benefit maximum in Iowa's adult Medicaid program.
Scholtes M, Comnick C, Reynolds JC … +3 more , Ingleshwar A, McKernan SC, Damiano PC
J Public Health Dent · 2023 Mar · PMID 36221319 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: The Dental Wellness Plan (DWP) provides dental coverage for adult Medicaid enrollees in Iowa. In September 2018, a $1000 annual benefit maximum (ABM) was implemented in the DWP program. The aim of this study...
OBJECTIVES: The Dental Wellness Plan (DWP) provides dental coverage for adult Medicaid enrollees in Iowa. In September 2018, a $1000 annual benefit maximum (ABM) was implemented in the DWP program. The aim of this study was to explore private dentists' attitudes toward ABMs and factors associated with ABM attitudes. METHODS: The data source was a mailed survey administered in spring 2019 to all private practice dentists in Iowa. The two dependent variables were (1) attitude toward the $1000 ABM and (2) attitude toward any ABM generally. Independent variables included demographic and practice-related factors, and participation in and attitudes toward the DWP. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable analyses were conducted. RESULTS: While over half (56%) of providers reported a positive attitude toward "Any ABM," less than half (40%) reported a positive attitude toward the "$1000 ABM." Attitudes toward both "$1000 ABM" and "Any ABM" were significantly and positively associated with attitudes toward DWP overall and toward DWP structure. Independent variables that were significantly associated with both the "$1000 ABM" and "Any ABM" included overall attitude toward the DWP, attitude toward DWP structure, and practice busyness. CONCLUSIONS: Utilizing an ABM, particularly one set at $1000 for a Medicaid program, elicits mixed attitudes among dentists. Future research should evaluate the impact of Medicaid ABMs on long term dentist participation and patient's ability to receive needed care.
Opioid prescribing by oral and maxillofacial surgeons in the United States, 2016-2019.
Khouja T, Polk DE, Suda KJ
J Public Health Dent · 2022 Sep · PMID 36210548 · Full text
OBJECTIVE: To describe opioid prescribing trends among oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFS). METHODS: Prescriptions by OMFS were identified from IQVIA Longitudinal Prescription Dataset, 2016-2019. OMFS-based, patient-b...
OBJECTIVE: To describe opioid prescribing trends among oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFS). METHODS: Prescriptions by OMFS were identified from IQVIA Longitudinal Prescription Dataset, 2016-2019. OMFS-based, patient-based and population-based prescribing rates and changes in high-risk opioid prescribing were calculated annually. We used linear regression to describe trends. RESULTS: There were 13.9 million opioid prescriptions among 12.5 million patients (627 prescriptions/OMFS/year). Hydrocodone and oxycodone decreased by 20.9% and 39.2% (p < 0.05), while tramadol and codeine increased by 24.3% and 6.1% (p < 0.05), respectively. Opioid prescribing rates significantly decreased by 27 prescriptions/OMFS/year, 18.6 patients/OMFS/year and by 0.9 prescriptions/100,000 population/year (p < 0.05 for all). From 2016 to 2019, the proportion of opioids >3 days decreased by 54.2% (p < 0.05) and prescriptions ≥50 MME/day decreased by 66.3% (p < 0.05). Although the number of opioid prescriptions by OMFS decreased in most states, 12% of states experienced increases. CONCLUSION: Opioid prescribing, especially high-risk prescribing, by OMFS has decreased. However, targeted interventions are warranted in some areas.
Oral healthcare visits among sexual minority adolescents ages 14-18, 2019, USA.
Griner SB, Yockey RA, Forschner CN
J Public Health Dent · 2023 Jun · PMID 36207283 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVE: Health disparities persist among sexual minority (SM) adolescents (i.e., bisexual, lesbian/gay) compared to heterosexual adolescents, however, research is limited on oral health. The purpose of this study was...
OBJECTIVE: Health disparities persist among sexual minority (SM) adolescents (i.e., bisexual, lesbian/gay) compared to heterosexual adolescents, however, research is limited on oral health. The purpose of this study was to examine reported recency of dental visits by sexual orientation among a national sample of adolescents. METHODS: Data from the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (n = 12,673 adolescents, 14-18 years old) were analyzed. We assessed dental care in the past 12 months or more based on sexual orientation ("lesbian/gay," "bisexual," "not sure"). Adjusted, sex-stratified, multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to determine conditional associations. RESULTS: Bisexual boys (aRR:2.50), "not sure" boys (aRR:3.55), and "not sure" girls (aRR:2.32) were at increased relative risk for not going to the dentist compared to heterosexual adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate gaps in oral healthcare access among SM adolescents, specifically bisexual and not sure youth. Results can be used to increase access to preventive dental care among SM adolescents.
An assessment of compliance with optimal fluoride levels for oral health benefit by New Zealand drinking water suppliers.
Chambers T, Hobbs M, Broadbent JM
J Public Health Dent · 2023 Jun · PMID 36207282 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: Community water fluoridation (CWF) has proven oral health benefits. We investigated whether drinking water suppliers are meeting New Zealand CWF targets (0.7-1.0 ppm) to ensure these benefits. METHODS: We ret...
OBJECTIVES: Community water fluoridation (CWF) has proven oral health benefits. We investigated whether drinking water suppliers are meeting New Zealand CWF targets (0.7-1.0 ppm) to ensure these benefits. METHODS: We retrieved fluoride testing data from 25 supplies serving 2,059,000 people (82% of people on a fluoridated supply), for the years 1992-2022 (22,220 weekly observations). We descriptively assessed compliance with fluoride targets in this convenience sample. RESULTS: The mean fluoride level was 0.66 ppm (SD 0.28). Water suppliers achieved fluoride targets 54.1% of the time (range 4.2%-77.9%). Fluoride concentration fell short of the target in 42.2% of observations, exceeded but under the maximum acceptable value (MAV) in 3.6%, and in excess of the MAV in 0.1%. The percentage of compliant observations was greater in larger than smaller supplies. CONCLUSIONS: Noncompliance with CWF targets was common. Epidemiological studies that rely on fluoridation status as their exposure may underestimate the oral health benefits of CWF. Our results highlight future challenges with the feasibility of expanding CWF under new legislation as well as the weaknesses in drinking water surveillance.
Dental providers' perceptions of the feasibility and acceptability of implementing vaccine administration programs in dental settings: A qualitative study.
Gruß I, Papajorgji-Taylor D, Tommasi NP … +6 more , Pihlstrom DJ, Hendrickson BP, Ikeda J, Manning W, Madden T, Fellows JL
J Public Health Dent · 2022 Jun · PMID 35869664 · Full text
OBJECTIVES: Involving dental offices in routine vaccinations could have a positive impact on public health. In this study, we assessed dental providers' attitudes and perceptions regarding implementing vaccination in den...
OBJECTIVES: Involving dental offices in routine vaccinations could have a positive impact on public health. In this study, we assessed dental providers' attitudes and perceptions regarding implementing vaccination in dental settings. METHODS: We performed semi-structured interviews with 31 dental providers (25 dentists and 6 dental hygienists) enrolled in the Western region of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network as of June 28, 2021. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. We analyzed transcripts using deductive and inductive coding approaches. RESULTS: We identified three main themes that captured the perceptions of dental practitioners regarding the feasibility of implementing vaccine administration in a dental setting: (1) dental practitioners perceive contributing to the public health mission of disease prevention as having high value, (2) dental practitioners face considerable complexity when deciding whether to implement vaccine administration, and (3) dental practitioners do not understand current laws and associated reimbursement models related to vaccine administration. CONCLUSIONS: To make vaccination commonplace in dental practices, legal changes to allow dental practitioners to administer vaccines should be followed by concrete guidance and relevant trainings to help interested dental practitioners successfully implement vaccination programs in their clinical settings.
A psychometric network perspective to oral health literacy: Examining the replicability of network properties across the general community and older adults from Brazil.
Soares GH, Bado FMR, Tenani CF … +3 more , Ribeiro Santiago PH, Jamieson LM, Mialhe FL
J Public Health Dent · 2022 Jun · PMID 35836363 · Full text
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the replicability of oral health literacy (OHL) network models across the general community and a sample of older adults from Brazil. METHODS: Data were obtained from two oral health surveys condu...
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the replicability of oral health literacy (OHL) network models across the general community and a sample of older adults from Brazil. METHODS: Data were obtained from two oral health surveys conducted with a total of 1138 participants. OHL was measured using the short form Health Literacy in Dentistry scale (HeLD-14). A regularized partial correlation network was estimated for each sample. Dimensionality and structural stability were examined via exploratory graph analysis. Network properties compared included global strength, edge weights, and centrality estimates. Model replicability was examined fitting the general community model to the older participants' data. RESULTS: Six dimensions with the exact same item composition were detected in both network models. Only the Receptivity domain in the older adults sample yielded low structural stability. Strong correlations were observed between edge weights (τ: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.62-0.74) and between node strength estimates (τ: 0.63; 95% CI: 0.36-0.89). No statistically significant differences were found for global strength. The fit of the older adults sample to the HeLD-14 network structure of the general community sample was satisfactory. CONCLUSION: Network models OHL replicated across the general community and a sample of older adults. The psychometric network approach is a useful tool to evaluate the measurement equivalence of OHL instruments across populations.
How do dental students perceive the role of dental professionals?
Shah A, Dempster L, Singhal S … +1 more , Quiñonez C
J Public Health Dent · 2022 Jun · PMID 35796345 · Publisher ↗
OBJECTIVES: To explore dental students' perceptions of the role of dental professionals as healthcare providers and/or businesspersons. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey collected information from undergraduate de...
OBJECTIVES: To explore dental students' perceptions of the role of dental professionals as healthcare providers and/or businesspersons. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey collected information from undergraduate dental students at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto (N = 430). PPR was assessed through a visual analog scale (VAS) question, with the two ends labeled as "Healthcare Provider" (0) and "Business Person" (100), which asked respondents to point where they perceived dental professionals to be. Association of students' PPR with environmental, institutional and student-related factors was investigated using Chi-square and Spearman's correlation tests and logistic regression. Additionally, information on students' professional attitudes was gathered using: (i) the same VAS question, which asked students what they themselves aspired to be; and (ii) level of agreement with two sets of Likert-type questions highlighting healthcare provider and businessperson attitudes. RESULTS: The survey yielded a response rate of 51.4% (n = 221). The majority of respondents perceived dental professionals as healthcare providers and aspired to be healthcare providers themselves. Results of multivariable logistic regression suggested that perceiving dental professionals as businesspersons was significantly associated with perceiving future patients as consumers. Those who strongly agreed with healthcare provider statements had lesser odds of perceiving dental professionals as businesspersons. CONCLUSION: In this sample of students, perceptions of professionalism appear to be congruent with the normative role of dental professionals as healthcare providers. Dental education should prepare graduates who strongly identify with this role even in the presence of dental care market pressures.
Prevalence of non-cavitated lesions and progression, regression, and no change from age 9 to 23 years.
Zafar M, Levy SM, Warren JJ … +3 more , Xie XJ, Kolker J, Pendleton C
J Public Health Dent · 2022 Jun · PMID 35781658 · Full text
OBJECTIVES: Some non-cavitated caries lesions (D ), the initial stage of caries, progress to cavitation. This article reports participant-level and surface-level D prevalence and changes in status of D lesions through di...
OBJECTIVES: Some non-cavitated caries lesions (D ), the initial stage of caries, progress to cavitation. This article reports participant-level and surface-level D prevalence and changes in status of D lesions through different periods from age 9 to 23. METHODS: The Iowa Fluoride Study (IFS) participants were followed longitudinally; all permanent tooth surfaces were examined clinically for caries at ages 9, 13, 17, and 23 using standardized criteria for sound (S), questionable (D ), non-cavitated (D ), cavitated (D ), filled (F), or missing due to decay (M). D lesions at the beginning of each interval were reassessed at each follow-up age to determine transitions (to the 5 categories or no transition). RESULTS: The sample had relatively high socioeconomic status (SES), with about 52%-55% high SES, 32-35% middle SES, and 12-13% low SES. Person-level prevalences of D lesions were 23%, 38%, 60%, and 45% at ages 9, 13, 17, and 23, respectively. Surface-level prevalences were less than 1% at ages 9 and 13, 3% at 17, and 2% at 23. Thirteen percent of D s at age 9 progressed at 13, 18% progressed from 13 to 17, and 11% progressed from 17 to 23. The percentages regressing (to sound or D ) were 72%, 54%, and 72%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Non-cavitated lesions were more prevalent at age 17 than at ages 9, 13, and 23. The high rates of regression compared to progression or no change suggest that many non-cavitated lesions do not progress to cavitated lesions and could be reversed; therefore, surgical intervention should not be the treatment of choice for incipient lesions.
Anti-racism structures in academic dentistry: Supporting underrepresented racially/ethnically diverse faculty.
Smith SG, Banks PB, Istrate EC … +3 more , Davis AJ, Johnson KR, West KP
J Public Health Dent · 2022 Mar · PMID 35726474 · Full text
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this paper is to describe the racialized barriers to recruiting and retaining historically underrepresented racially/ethnically diverse (HURE) faculty at U.S. dental schools and the linkages of...
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this paper is to describe the racialized barriers to recruiting and retaining historically underrepresented racially/ethnically diverse (HURE) faculty at U.S. dental schools and the linkages of these barriers to structural racism to assist dental schools in eliminating these hurdles through an antiracism framework. METHODS: Data is used to describe the trends in the racial/ethnic composition of dental school faculty and the parity gaps by race/ethnicity between dentists and the U.S. POPULATION: Literature on the recruitment and retention of faculty of color at higher education institutions is reviewed to identify challenges and best practices. Barriers to the full participation of HURE faculty, outlined in the American Dental Education Association's Faculty Diversity Toolkit, are also identified. Research on antiracism frameworks is also investigated to denote their uses and key components. RESULTS: There is a critical shortage of HURE faculty at dental schools and active HURE dentists in the U.S. A history of racism and its legacy reinforce biases, stereotypes, and power structures that harm HURE faculty at U.S. dental schools. An anti-racism framework is needed to holistically eliminate inequities and racialized policies and practices that persists as barriers for HURE faculty. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the representation of HURE dentists in the workforce and dental school faculty requires a major disruption to culture and institutional practices that mask centuries of structural racism embedded within complex academic systems. Dental schools must use antiracism models to create strategic initiatives that support a humanistic, equitable, and antiracism environment where HURE faculty can thrive.
Addressing Black men's oral health through community engaged research and workforce recruitment.
Smith PD, Murray M, Hoffman S … +2 more , Ester TV, Kohli R
J Public Health Dent · 2022 Mar · PMID 35726473 · Full text
BACKGROUND: Racism negatively affects the life experiences and subsequent health of Black men, including oral disease prevalence and outcomes. Few examples in the literature discuss how racism may affect successful, unsu...
BACKGROUND: Racism negatively affects the life experiences and subsequent health of Black men, including oral disease prevalence and outcomes. Few examples in the literature discuss how racism may affect successful, unsuccessful, and non-attempts to address Black men's oral health. AIMS: This commentary describes anti-racism approaches to address Black men's oral health through community-based participatory research, oral health promotion, and workforce recruitment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Stakeholders from two organizations and one dental school share their experiences and key insights on how to strengthen efforts while minimizing the influence of racism on Black men's participation. RESULTS: Common insights identified were a need to engage a diverse range of Black men within varying social and economic contexts, race and gender concordance among program leaders and participants, and the value of partnership to reach Black men in places where they feel comfortable and supported. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These examples stress the imperative of addressing racism among Black men in the development and improvement of targeted oral health interventions. They also emphasize the value of commitment from institutional leadership, relationship building with Black men, and the empowerment of Black men to lead program development and implementation efforts.
About
- Frequency
- Sun
- Papers found
- 200
- RSS feed
- Subscribe