Jasper Palmier-Claus, Abigail Morris, Paul French, Robert Griffiths, Vishal R Aggarwal, Katherine Berry, Efstathia Gkioni, Rebecca Harris, Louise Laverty, Fiona Lobban, Sarah Procter, Eirian Kerry, Connie Newens, Pauline Mupinga, Rebecca Golby, Kyriakos Valemis, Lucy Oakes, Fanni Fazekas, Antonia Perry, David Shiers, Christopher Lodge, Claire Hilton, Alison Dawber, Emma Elliott, Farah Lunat, Girvan Burnside
{"title":"A Link Work Intervention to Facilitate Dental Visiting in People With Severe Mental Illness: A Two-Arm, Multi-Site, Assessor Blind, Randomised Feasibility Trial With Dental Record Linkage.","authors":"Jasper Palmier-Claus, Abigail Morris, Paul French, Robert Griffiths, Vishal R Aggarwal, Katherine Berry, Efstathia Gkioni, Rebecca Harris, Louise Laverty, Fiona Lobban, Sarah Procter, Eirian Kerry, Connie Newens, Pauline Mupinga, Rebecca Golby, Kyriakos Valemis, Lucy Oakes, Fanni Fazekas, Antonia Perry, David Shiers, Christopher Lodge, Claire Hilton, Alison Dawber, Emma Elliott, Farah Lunat, Girvan Burnside","doi":"10.1111/cdoe.70002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.70002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>People with severe mental illness experience poor oral health, compared to the general population. They experience inequity in accessing dental services. This randomised controlled trial evaluated the acceptability and feasibility of a link work intervention to support people with severe mental illness to access a routine dental appointment.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This was a feasibility randomised controlled trial across three sites with 1:1 allocation to Treatment as usual (TAU) or TAU plus a link work intervention (ISRCTN13650779). Participants were adults accessing mental health services who had not attended a routine dental appointment in the past 3 years. The intervention comprised up to six sessions with a link worker. Participants completed self-report assessments and an optional dental examination at baseline and after nine months. Dental visiting data were obtained through self-report and the NHS Business Services Authority (BSA).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>One hundred and sixty-one participants were referred into the trial, resulting in 79 out of the target 84 randomisations (94.0%) over 7 months. There were high levels of engagement with the intervention. Dental visiting data were available for 84.8% of participants (95% CI: 75.3%, 91.1%). Uptake of the optional dental examination within the research assessment battery was low (follow-up: 12.7%; 95% CI: 7.0%, 21.8%). There were no serious adverse events attributable to the intervention or trial procedures. There were substantially higher rates of dental attendance after nine months in the link work intervention arm, compared to TAU, in both the self-report (91.7% vs. 26.7%) and NHS BSA (55.3% vs. 12.1%) data. There was also a signal of improved self-reported oral health-related quality of life favouring the link work intervention arm.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The trial procedures and link work intervention were found to be feasible, acceptable and safe. The intervention showed promise in terms of clinical outcomes. The effectiveness of the intervention requires evaluation in a larger trial.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>NCT05545228.</p>","PeriodicalId":10580,"journal":{"name":"Community dentistry and oral epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144774836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
April R Williams, Maureen Wilson-Genderson, Shillpa Naavaal, Vanessa Sheppard, Maria D Thomson
{"title":"Disparities in Dental Visits Among Participants of the Virginia Living Well Registry.","authors":"April R Williams, Maureen Wilson-Genderson, Shillpa Naavaal, Vanessa Sheppard, Maria D Thomson","doi":"10.1111/cdoe.70010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.70010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Good oral health is integral to maintaining overall health. Yet little is known about the breadth of factors that affect dental visits. The objective of this study was to test for associations between reported dental visits and factors that may be related to dental visits: predisposing (demographics, educational attainment, marital status, employment and smoking status); enabling (income, insurance status, rurality, primary care and dental healthcare provider shortage areas (D-HPSA)) and need (overall health status and emotional wellbeing).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Survey data were collected 2018-2020 for the Virginia Living Well (VALW) Registry, a convenience sample (n = 528) of largely rural (79.2%) panel of adult Virginians. Cross-sectional analyses included multilevel logistic regression models with the outcome of dental visits in the past 12 months that controlled for nesting of participants within geography.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, 65% reported dental visits in the last 12 months. Models showed smoking (OR 0.51; 95% CI 0.29, 0.87), Medicaid coverage (OR 0.29; 95% CI 0.14-0.58), living in an area with a higher DHPSA score (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.31-0.2) and lower overall health (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.50-0.82) were associated with lower odds of having seen a dentist in the past 12 months.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Health factors and healthcare provider shortages appeared to be associated with reported dental visits for Virginian participants of the VALW registry. Participants with Medicaid coverage and those living in a high D-HPSA coverage had lower reports of dental visits. More work is needed to improve equity in access to oral healthcare providers and coverage for dental care to align with recommended care guidelines.</p>","PeriodicalId":10580,"journal":{"name":"Community dentistry and oral epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144752557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gro Eirin Holde, Lene Marita Steinvik, Birgitta Jönsson, Iris Bondø, Eline Myking, Linda Stein
{"title":"Periodontitis and Social Conditions: The Role of Social Mobility and Employment Status in an Adult Population in Norway - The Tromsø Study.","authors":"Gro Eirin Holde, Lene Marita Steinvik, Birgitta Jönsson, Iris Bondø, Eline Myking, Linda Stein","doi":"10.1111/cdoe.70006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.70006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Social condition mobility refers to an individual's ability to move up or down the social ladder during their lifetime. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between social conditions and periodontitis in an adult Norwegian population, specifically the role of social mobility and employment status.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was cross-sectional, based on data collected from a subset (n = 3717) of 21 083 participants in a population health study (The Tromsø Study: Tromsø7) aged 40-99 years. Data were collected through questionnaires and clinical examinations. Periodontitis was assessed by periodontal probing depth and radiographic bone loss, according to the 2017 case definition of periodontitis. Current social conditions were measured by participants' own income, education and employment status. Early life social conditions were measured by perceived financial situation as a child and their parents' education. Social condition mobility for educational and economic status was categorised as stable high, upward mobility, downward mobility and stable low.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of Stage III-IV periodontitis was lowest among those with persistently high educational and economic status (12% and 16%, respectively) and among leaders/academics (11%), and highest among those with persistently low educational and economic status (25% and 28%, respectively) and unemployed participants (25%). After adjusting for age, sex, smoking and BMI, educational and economic status were no longer significantly associated with periodontitis. Being unemployed increased the odds of having Stage III-IV periodontitis by 2.2 times (p = 0.012), independently of other risk factors for periodontitis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>While stable high educational and economic status appears protective against severe periodontitis, unemployment emerged as a significant independent risk factor. These findings highlight the importance of addressing unemployment and related social determinants in efforts to reduce the burden of periodontitis. Programmes aimed at improving oral health literacy and access to dental care in these populations, along with a common risk factor approach addressing smoking cessation and other lifestyle factors contributing to periodontitis, could help reduce disparities.</p>","PeriodicalId":10580,"journal":{"name":"Community dentistry and oral epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144741376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stefan T Serban, Sandra Perdomo, Aida Borges-Yañez, Finbarr Allen, Carol Guarnizo-Herreño, María Kamila Navarro-Ramírez, Matt Hobbs, Lois K Cohen, Georgios Tsakos, Sarah R Baker, David I Conway
{"title":"The Political Determinants of Oral Health Inequalities: Lessons in Policy Development and Implementation From Six Case Studies.","authors":"Stefan T Serban, Sandra Perdomo, Aida Borges-Yañez, Finbarr Allen, Carol Guarnizo-Herreño, María Kamila Navarro-Ramírez, Matt Hobbs, Lois K Cohen, Georgios Tsakos, Sarah R Baker, David I Conway","doi":"10.1111/cdoe.70005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.70005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Oral diseases are the most prevalent diseases globally, affecting almost half of the world's population with a disproportionate burden on the most vulnerable groups. Despite growing attention on the social and commercial determinants of health, there is still a largely unexplored area in understanding the political determinants of health and oral health. The aim of this paper is to describe national policy development processes for policies impacting population oral health.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A multiple case study approach was used to analyse six case studies focused on national policy development processes targeting oral health. Kingdon's Multiple Streams Model was used to examine how problems, policy solutions, and political factors aligned to influence policymaking.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Some of the most common barriers to policy adoption and implementation were misinformation strategies, legal challenges, industry lobbying, ideological opposition to state intervention, and lack of transparency regarding conflicts of interest. Important common facilitators included robust scientific evidence presented in an accessible manner to the appropriate audiences, identification of key decision-makers, support from parties from across the political spectrum, intersectoral collaboration, and ongoing policy monitoring and evaluation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides novel insights into how political determinants influence social and commercial determinants of health, demonstrating how political contexts and power dynamics shape national public health policy development processes. Understanding these dynamics is essential for ensuring that evidence-based public health interventions are politically feasible and resilient to opposition from certain private industry and ideological interests. In a time of growing inequalities, neutrality in the face of structural injustice risks entrenching a status quo that favours those with the greatest influence. To address these problems sustainably, public health practitioners must recognise and engage with the political nature of policymaking.</p>","PeriodicalId":10580,"journal":{"name":"Community dentistry and oral epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144728465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paul Künzle, Ariadne Charis Frank, Sebastian Paris
{"title":"Environmental Impact of a Tooth Extraction: Life Cycle Analysis in a University Hospital Setting.","authors":"Paul Künzle, Ariadne Charis Frank, Sebastian Paris","doi":"10.1111/cdoe.70003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.70003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The global impact of health care on the human environmental burden is enormous, but medical care is currently not realising the potential of sustainable practice. Similarly, dentistry and the various forms of dental treatment are not provided in a sustainable manner. This study focussed on quantifying the environmental burden of a standard dental treatment, specifically a tooth extraction, and on identifying the environmental impact of the process.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A life cycle analysis was performed, simulating the entire process of a tooth extraction-including patient and staff travel, materials and washing/sterilisation procedures-using the software OpenLCA 1.11.0 and the database ecoinvent 3.9.1. The facilities, instruments and items used were those of Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. For travel impact estimations, questionnaire data on travel modalities were gathered from patients and clinic staff. To evaluate possible approaches for more environmentally friendly processes, a change of the information/consent meeting from face-to-face to an online meeting was simulated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The greatest single contributors to the environmental impact of an extraction procedure were travel, the production of steam (e.g., for sterilisation), electricity, soap, and waste. After normalisation, the process impact was highest on the categories: human toxicity (cancer effects and non-cancer effects), freshwater ecotoxicity, resource use (energy carriers) and ionising radiation (human health). The total environmental impact was 13.8 kg CO<sub>2</sub> equivalents, which compares to driving a distance of 56.3 km with a gasoline-powered vehicle. The implementation of a digital consent process could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 36.1% to 8.8 kg CO<sub>2</sub> equivalents.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Modelling the environmental impact of a dental extraction in a university hospital setting provided a detailed account of absolute and relative environmental impact contributions. The reduction of treatment-related travel is the most effective measure to reduce the environmental impact of dental practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":10580,"journal":{"name":"Community dentistry and oral epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144511656","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohammad Moharrami, Elaheh Vahab, Mobina Bagherianlemraski, Ghazal Hemmati, Sonica Singhal, Carlos Quinonez, Falk Schwendicke, Michael Glogauer
{"title":"Deep Learning for Detecting Dental Plaque and Gingivitis From Oral Photographs: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Mohammad Moharrami, Elaheh Vahab, Mobina Bagherianlemraski, Ghazal Hemmati, Sonica Singhal, Carlos Quinonez, Falk Schwendicke, Michael Glogauer","doi":"10.1111/cdoe.70001","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cdoe.70001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This systematic review aimed to evaluate the performance of deep learning (DL) models in detecting dental plaque and gingivitis from red, green, and blue (RGB) intraoral photographs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive literature search was conducted across Medline, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases up to January 31, 2025. The methodological characteristics and performance metrics of studies developing and validating DL models for classification, detection, or segmentation tasks were analysed. The risk of bias was assessed using the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies 2 (QUADAS-2) tool, and the certainty of the evidence was evaluated with the grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) framework.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>From 3307 identified records, 23 studies met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 10 focused on dental plaque, 11 on gingivitis, and two addressed both outcomes. The risk of bias was low in all QUADAS-2 domains for 11 studies, with low applicability concerns in nine. For dental plaque, DL models showed robust performance in the segmentation task, with intersection over union (IoU) values ranging from 0.64 to 0.86 (median 0.74). Three studies indicated that DL models outperformed dentists in identifying dental plaque when disclosing agents were not used. For gingivitis, the models demonstrated potential but underperformed compared to dental plaque, with IoU values ranging from 0.43 to 0.72 (median 0.63). The certainty of the evidence was moderate for dental plaque and low for gingivitis.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>DL models demonstrate promising potential for detecting dental plaque and gingivitis from intraoral photographs, with superior performance in plaque detection. Leveraging accessible imaging devices such as smartphones, these models can enhance teledentistry and may facilitate early screening for periodontal disease. However, the lack of external testing, multicenter studies, and reporting consistency highlights the need for further research to ensure real-world applicability.</p>","PeriodicalId":10580,"journal":{"name":"Community dentistry and oral epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144504999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marisol Tellez, Eugene M Dunne, Elizabeth Konneker, Huaqing Zhao, Amid I Ismail
{"title":"Online Cognitive-Behavioural Intervention to Manage Dental Anxiety: A 12-Month Randomised Clinical Trial.","authors":"Marisol Tellez, Eugene M Dunne, Elizabeth Konneker, Huaqing Zhao, Amid I Ismail","doi":"10.1111/cdoe.13049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.13049","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The study aimed to test the efficacy of an online cognitive-behavioural therapy dental anxiety intervention (o-CBT) that could be easily implemented in dental healthcare settings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An online cognitive-behavioural protocol based on psychoeducation, exposure to feared dental procedures and cognitive restructuring was developed. A randomised controlled trial was conducted (N = 499) to test its efficacy. Consenting adult dental patients (18-75 years old) who met inclusion criteria (e.g., high dental anxiety) were randomised to one of three arms, (a) intervention assisted by psychology staff (PI) (n = 162), (b) intervention assisted by dental staff (DI) (n = 167), or (c) a control condition (C) (n = 170). Primary outcome measures were the Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and the Anxiety and Related Disorders Interview Schedule DSM-V (ADIS) rating of fear. Generalised linear models for repeated measures based on intention to treat analyses were used to compare the three groups on dental anxiety, fear, avoidance and overall severity of dental phobia.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Dental anxiety was significantly lower in both PI and DI groups when compared to the control condition. Interestingly, reductions in dental anxiety favoured the DI group at 6 (p = 0.008) and 12 months only (p = 0.009). Overall, equivalency was observed between the two intervention groups (PI and DI), as there were no significant differences in dental anxiety when the dental arm was compared to the psychology arm across all time points (p > 0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The online cognitive-behavioural intervention was efficacious in reducing dental anxiety when compared to a control condition in an urban sample of patients receiving treatment in a dental school setting. Examination of its effectiveness when administered in dental offices under less controlled conditions is warranted.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>NCT03680755.</p>","PeriodicalId":10580,"journal":{"name":"Community dentistry and oral epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144293430","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R Constance Wiener, Bayan Abuhalimeh, Jill Cochran
{"title":"Frequent Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption, Dental Caries, and the Federal Poverty Level in Children 1-18 Years, NHANES 2015-2020.","authors":"R Constance Wiener, Bayan Abuhalimeh, Jill Cochran","doi":"10.1111/cdoe.70000","DOIUrl":"10.1111/cdoe.70000","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The objective of this research was to determine if the ratio of family income to poverty index is a modifier in the relationship of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and dental caries in U.S. children.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study design of NHANES 2015-2020 for ages 1 to < 18 years (n = 6212) was conducted. The What We Eat in America interview was used for classification and categorization (0, 1, and ≥ 2) of SSB in the NHANES daily dietary file. Untreated dental caries were determined by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention dental examiners and categorised as yes (untreated) or no. The poverty index was categorised as < 200% of the poverty line (low income, < 2), ≥ 200% to less than 400% (moderate ≥ 2 to < 4), and ≥ 400% (high ≥ 4). Chi Square and Logistic regression analyses were conducted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were 11.6% of children with dental caries; 46.7% with a low income; and 43.0% who consumed no SSB. In subgroup analysis by income, among the children whose family had a moderate income (n = 1541), the unadjusted odds ratio for ≥ 2 SSB on dental caries was 2.70 (95% CI: 1.57, 4.67) and the adjusted odds ratio was 2.61 (95% CI: 1.48, 4.60) as compared with no SSB consumption. The relationship failed to reach significance among children whose family had a low or high income.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Family income was a modifier in this research comparing SSB consumption and dental caries. This study highlights the complicated relationship of SSB consumption and family income on dental caries among children in the U.S.</p>","PeriodicalId":10580,"journal":{"name":"Community dentistry and oral epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12305434/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144293429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Khaleda Zaheer, Mohammad Jonayed Hossain, Kala Chand Debnath, James Coughlan
{"title":"Oral Health of Rohingya Refugees Accessing Emergency Dental Care in the Refugee Camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.","authors":"Khaleda Zaheer, Mohammad Jonayed Hossain, Kala Chand Debnath, James Coughlan","doi":"10.1111/cdoe.13050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cdoe.13050","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Oral health (OH) of refugees is under-researched and most publications are from developed countries despite the majority of refugees hosted in low-middle income countries. Most of the Rohingya refugees in the camps in Bangladesh have no access to dental care. The objective of this study was to report on the OH behaviours and utilisation of an emergency dental service in the camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study utilised the data from clinical records of Rohingya refugees attending an emergency dental clinic in camp four in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh from February 2019 to March 2020. Data included education levels, OH practices, tobacco consumption, diagnosis and treatment provided. Descriptive analysis of the data was undertaken.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 4111 patients were included, of which 50.1% were female. Education levels were very low, with 75.8% reporting no formal education. Although daily toothbrushing was reported by 64.4%, there was significant variation in the materials used for a dentifrice, with 78.1% using abrasive substances. Tobacco use was high, with 65.7% reporting its use, and of those, 95.4% chewed paan. Pain was the commonly reported symptom (87.1%) and nearly half, 46.9%, reported poor OH. Functional difficulties and problems sleeping were highly prevalent, at 85.3% and 51.6% respectively. A high prevalence of caries was reported, at 79.8%, and a mean number of 2.8 teeth affected. Extraction and temporary restorations were the common treatment modalities, at 52.1% and 23.1% respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The Rohingya refugees in the camps in Bangladesh have low education levels, unhealthy oral health practices, high consumption of tobacco and a high prevalence of oral disease. Further research is required to inform the design and delivery of community-based oral health intervention strategies suitable for refugee camps to improve oral health literacy, knowledge and practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":10580,"journal":{"name":"Community dentistry and oral epidemiology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144265530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}