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Research on Oral Health Outcomes: Second Edition

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Oral Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 9455

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Dr. Wael Sabbah

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King’s College London, London SE5 9RS, UK
Interests: inequalities in oral health and related behaviours; inequalities in use of dental services; relationship between oral and general health
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Oral diseases are the most common noncommunicable diseases affecting half of the world’s population. Oral conditions, particularly dental caries, periodontal diseases and tooth loss, affect people throughout their lifetime, impact the quality of an individual’s life, and increase the cost of healthcare systems. Given the success of the first edition of the Special Issue “Research on Oral Health Outcomes” published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph/special_issues/oral_health_outcomes), we would like to continue exploring this topic. IJERPH is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes articles and communications in the interdisciplinary area of environmental health sciences and public health. Over the past 6 years, there has been a continuous growth of the journal and an increase in the Impact Factor based on citation activity on the Web of Science. For detailed information on the journal, we refer you to https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph.

Identifying the proximal and contextual determinants of oral health outcomes is important to inform public health policies and health promotion interventions aiming to reduce the burden of oral diseases and inequalities in oral health. Research addressing the determinants of oral health outcomes and interventions to reduce the burden of oral diseases can provide insights for the development of new public health policies and the maintenance of existing policies with the aim to address oral health outcomes.

The second edition of this Special Issue is still open to any subject area related to oral health outcomes, in particular, the determinants of oral diseases, intervention to reduce the burden of oral diseases, and correlations between oral and general health. In this Special Issue, we will also include papers on inequality in health and related behaviours. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Social determinants of oral health;
Inequalities in health and related behaviours;
Oral health-related behaviours;
Impact of dental services on oral health;
Impact of systemic conditions on oral health;
Common risk factors for oral health and general health;
Interventions aiming at preventing oral diseases;
Community-based health promotion policies aiming at improving oral health.

Dr. Wael Sabbah
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 609 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fewer Children in Families Associated with Lower Odds of Early Childhood Caries: A Sample from Three Countries

by Amy H. Park, Rachel J. Kulchar, Sita Manasa Susarla, Bathsheba Turton and Karen Sokal-Gutierrez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2195; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032195 - 26 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1750

Abstract

Childhood caries experience is influenced by family characteristics and oral health practices in the context of many social-commercial determinants. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between families’ number of children, oral health practices and child caries experience in a convenience sample of 1374 children aged 6 months through 6 years and their families from Ecuador, Nepal, and Vietnam. Data were collected by mother interviews and child dental exams. Multivariate logistic and Zero-Inflated-Poisson regression analyses assessed associations between number of children, oral health practices and decayed, missing or filled teeth (dmft). Families had a mean of 2.2 children (range 1–12); 72% of children had tooth decay, with mean dmft of 5.4. Adjusting for child age, sex, and urban/rural location, a greater number of children in the family was associated with significantly less likelihood of unhealthy bottle feeding practices, having a toothbrush/toothpaste and parent helping child brush, and being cavity-free; higher number of dmft, and greater likelihood of having a dental visit. Early childhood oral health promotion should include focus on oral hygiene and healthy feeding—particularly breastfeeding and healthy bottle feeding practices—as well as access to family planning services and support for childcare. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Oral Health Outcomes: Second Edition)

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9 pages, 330 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Guardians’ Self-Reported Fair/Poor Oral Health Is Associated with Their Young Children’s Fair/Poor Oral Health and Clinically Determined Dental Caries Experience

by Kaitlin E. Jones, Miguel A. Simancas-Pallares, Jeannie Ginnis, Poojan Shrestha and Kimon Divaris

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 632; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010632 - 30 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1737

Abstract

In this cross-sectional, community-based study among a multi-ethnic sample of preschool-age children in North Carolina, United States, we sought to quantify the association between guardians’ self-reported oral health and their children’s oral health and determine whether race/ethnicity and education level modify these associations. We used questionnaire (n = 7852) responses about caregivers’ and their children’s oral health and clinical examination-derived (n = 6243) early childhood caries (ECC) status defined at the ICDAS ≥ 3 caries lesion detection threshold. We used multi-level mixed-effects generalized linear models to examine the associations between the guardians’ reported oral health and their children’s reported and clinically determined oral health among the entire sample and within strata of race/ethnicity, guardians’ education, and children’s dental home. The guardians’ and their children’s reported fair/poor oral health (FPOH) were 32% and 15%, respectively, whereas 54% of the children had ECC and 36% had unrestored disease. The guardians’ FPOH was strongly associated with their children’s FPOH (average marginal effect (AME) = +19 percentage points (p.p.); 95% CI = 17–21), and this association was most pronounced among Hispanics, lower-educated guardians, and children without a dental home. Similar patterns, but smaller-in-magnitude associations, were found for the guardians’ FPOH and their children’s clinically determined ECC (AME = +9 p.p.; 95% CI = 6–12) and unrestored disease (AME = +7 p.p.; 95% CI = 4–9). The study’s findings support a strong association between guardians’ and their children’s reported and clinically determined oral health and implicate ethnicity, education, and having a dental home as factors possibly modifying the magnitude of these associations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Oral Health Outcomes: Second Edition)

14 pages, 1074 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Associations between Maternal Education and Child Nutrition and Oral Health in an Indigenous Population in Ecuador

by Bharathi Chinnakotla, Sita Manasa Susarla, Deepika Chandra Mohan, Bathsheba Turton, Hannah M. Husby, Cecilia Paz Morales and Karen Sokal-Gutierrez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 473; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010473 - 28 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2091

Abstract

The global nutrition transition has increased the prevalence of childhood dental caries. Greater understanding is needed of the impact of social determinants—including maternal education—on child oral health. This is a cross-sectional analysis of a convenience sample of families of 458 indigenous Ecuadorian children aged 6 months through 6 years from 2011–2013. Data was collected by mother interviews and child dental and anthropometric examinations. Multivariate logistic and Zero-Inflated-Poisson regression analyses assessed associations between years of maternal education and maternal-child oral health practices and child oral health outcomes. Each additional year of maternal education was significantly (p < 0.05) associated with some healthier practices including greater likelihood of mothers and children drinking milk daily (OR 1.20; 95% CI 1.08, 1.34); and less healthy practices including greater likelihood of bottle-feeding children with sugary liquids (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.06, 1.22) and to older age, giving children sweets daily, calming children with a bottle or sweets, and less likelihood of helping brush their children’s teeth (OR 0.93; 95% CI 0.88, 0.98). Each year of maternal education had a small but statistically non-significant influence on increasing the odds of children being among those who are cavity-free (OR 1.03; 95% CI 0.92, 1.16). Interventions to improve health outcomes should focus not just on maternal education but also address social and commercial determinants of health through nutrition and oral health education, as well as policies to reduce sugar and ensure universal access to oral health care. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Oral Health Outcomes: Second Edition)

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10 pages, 778 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationship between Early Childhood Caries and Prolonged Coughing Episodes in a Cohort of Cambodian Children

by Noureen Chowdhury, Bathsheba Turton, Tepirou Chher, Sithan Hak, Gabriela Hondru and Karen Sokal-Gutierrez

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12842; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912842 - 07 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1353

Abstract

Studies have shown an association between Early Childhood Caries (ECC) and respiratory infections; however, most have been cross-sectional, and all have been in high-income countries. Inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied to longitudinal data from the Cambodia Health and Nutrition Monitoring Study. An analytical sample of 1703 Cambodian children between 1- and 4-years old was used to examine the effect of caries incidence (ECC Activity) on the odds of a child subsequently experiencing an episode of prolonged coughing (>14 days) over the subsequent 18 m. ECC activity occurred among 523 children (30.7%) while prolonged coughing was observed among 235 children (13.8%). ECC activity increased the risk of prolonged coughing (RR 1.23; 95% CI 0.95, 1.58; Average treatment effect = 3%). Follow-up investigations are justified in order to examine whether ECC may be a modifiable risk factor for prevention of respiratory illness among young children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Oral Health Outcomes: Second Edition)

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12 pages, 1320 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Current Treatment of Cleft Patients in Europe from a Provider Perspective: A Cross-Sectional Survey

by Inês Francisco, Gregory S. Antonarakis, Francisco Caramelo, Anabela Baptista Paula, Carlos Miguel Marto, Eunice Carrilho, Maria Helena Fernandes and Francisco Vale

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10638; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710638 - 26 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1632

Abstract

The latest Eurocleft study reported several discrepancies in cleft care. Since then, no critical assessment has been performed. This study aimed to better understand the main strengths and inefficiencies of cleft care within Europe. The Google documents platform was used to create an online survey to investigate several aspects, i.e., provider characteristics, patient profile, services offered, and treatment protocols and complications. Descriptive statistics were calculated. The association between categorical variables was performed using Fisher’s exact test. The significance level chosen was 0.05. A total of 69 individuals from 23 European countries completed the survey. Centralized care was the preferred system, and the majority of the countries have an association for cleft patients and professionals (53.6%). The largest percentage of patients was seen in the university hospital environment (Fisher’s exact test p < 0.001). The majority of responders (98.6%) reported that an orthodontist was involved in cleft treatment, and 56.5% of them spend 76–100% of their time treating these patients. Despite cleft care having been reconfigured in Europe, a better consensus among the various centers regarding provider characteristics, services offered, and treatment protocols is still required. There is a need for better coordination between clinicians and national/international regulatory bodies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Oral Health Outcomes: Second Edition)

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