Journal of public health dentistry最新文献

{"title":"Factors Associated With Dentists' Intent to Stay Long-Term at Their Current Community Health Center","authors":"McAllister Castelaz,&nbsp;John Warren,&nbsp;Fang Qian,&nbsp;Candace L. H. Owen,&nbsp;Julie Reynolds","doi":"10.1111/jphd.70027","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jphd.70027","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Community health centers (CHCs) are a critical component of the dental safety net for people with substantial barriers to dental care access. Recruiting and retaining dentists working in CHCs is essential to effectively serve this population. This study aimed to identify factors associated with dentists' intent to continue practicing in their current CHC in the long term.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The data were collected through an online survey administered to United States dentists practicing in CHCs in 2021 by the National Network for Oral Health Access. The dependent variable was dentists' intent to stay at their current CHC in the long term, with 42 independent variables across four domains: individual characteristics, perceptions, motivators, and organizational factors. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to determine factors associated with dentists' intent to stay at their CHC.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A total of 248 dentists were in the final analytical sample. Multivariable regression results showed that dentists in leadership roles had 3.7 times the odds of intending to stay compared to staff dentists, and those with high professional autonomy had 2.6 times the odds of intending to stay compared to those with low to moderate autonomy.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study underscored the importance of dentists' autonomy and role in their intent to remain at CHCs. Factors typically associated with recruitment packages or length of time in clinical practice were not significantly associated with intent to stay. Distinguishing between recruitment and retention strategies is crucial for CHCs to fulfill their mission of ensuring equitable dental care access.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16913,"journal":{"name":"Journal of public health dentistry","volume":"86 1","pages":"10-20"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145727449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Cross-Sectional Investigation of Rural Dental Practice as Related to Gender, Hometown, and Career Stage","authors":"Carly Timmons McKenzie,&nbsp;Stuart Lockwood","doi":"10.1111/jphd.70036","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jphd.70036","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This investigation explores how gender, career stage, and rurality of graduates' hometowns relate to dental practice location, specifically within Alabama's rural communities.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This cross-sectional study explored demographics and practice locations for 2000–2020 graduates (<i>N</i> = 1233) from the state's dental school. This investigation compared findings across multiple definitions of rural status.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Gender emerged as a significant predictor of rural practice for only one of the rural definitions. Females were less likely than males (6% vs. 12%) to practice in a low-population county (&lt; 50,000), <i>χ</i>² = 11.03, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001. When controlling for both career stage and rurality of hometown, males are 2.04 times more likely (95% CI [1.29, 3.21]) to practice in a low-population county as compared to females, <i>p</i> = 0.002. Among graduates from rural or workforce shortage areas, no differences emerged in practice location based on either gender or career stage. Graduates from a rural county are significantly more likely than their non-rural peers to practice rural. Early-career dentists are not working in rural locations at significantly different rates from their mid-career peers.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>More providers are needed to serve rural residents and graduates with rural upbringing are the most likely to fulfill this need. Rural practice appears to attract males and females in similar proportions, but more males than females gravitate towards low-population counties. Given populations and workforce trends, dental educators, policy makers, organized dentistry, and rural communities must all implement initiatives incentivizing dental practice in Alabama generally and her rural communities specifically.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16913,"journal":{"name":"Journal of public health dentistry","volume":"86 1","pages":"88-98"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12972245/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146032322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Achieving Consensus on Oral Health in Aged Care: Findings From an Australian e-Delphi Study","authors":"Lyndal Pritchard,&nbsp;Do Loc,&nbsp;Stormon Nicole","doi":"10.1111/jphd.70031","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jphd.70031","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To establish expert consensus on the critical factors shaping implementation of oral health assessment in Australian residential aged care (RAC) using an e-Delphi approach.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A modified electronic Delphi (e-Delphi) process, informed by the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework, was conducted over two iterative survey rounds to refine expert perspectives. 60 experts were purposively sampled from oral health, aged care, policy, and implementation science. Quantitative responses were summarized with descriptive statistics, while qualitative feedback was analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Consensus was reached on the importance of mandating oral health care in national aged care accreditation standards, embedding oral health into broader aged care policies and requiring systematic oral health assessments as part of routine care. Participants highlighted workforce shortages, insufficient training, limited practitioner access, and organizational readiness as key barriers. Enablers included workforce development, simplified and standardized assessment tools, mobile and outreach dental services, policy mandates, and cultural change recognizing oral health as integral to person-centered care. Round two resolved areas of initial uncertainty, with consensus achieved on all outstanding items.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study provides the first consensus-based priorities for embedding oral health assessment tools in RAC, signaling sector-wide readiness for reform. Applying the EPIS framework, the findings highlight that enforceable accreditation standards must be paired with workforce training, oral health champions, and practical tools to ensure sustainable uptake. These insights offer an evidence-informed roadmap for policymakers and service providers, reframing oral health from a peripheral task to a regulated element of clinical governance and quality care.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16913,"journal":{"name":"Journal of public health dentistry","volume":"86 1","pages":"34-46"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12972256/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146032373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring Oral Health Disparities in the 2022 BRFSS: The Impact of Rural/Urban Status and Adverse Childhood Experiences","authors":"Jihee Song,&nbsp;Jeong Nam Kim","doi":"10.1111/jphd.70019","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jphd.70019","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To examine the association between rural/urban status, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and oral health outcomes, specifically focusing on inadequate dental visits and significant tooth loss.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Data from the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), including 79,571 U.S adults from 12 states, was analyzed. Inadequate dental visits were defined as having last visited a dentist more than one year ago. Significant tooth loss was defined as the loss of six or more permanent teeth due to decay or gum disease. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to assess the effects of rural/urban status and ACEs on both outcomes, adjusting for sociodemographic factors.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Rural residents had higher odds of reporting inadequate dental visits (AOR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.07–1.29) and significant tooth loss (AOR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.21–1.53) compared to urban residents. ACEs were significantly associated with both outcomes, with individuals reporting 4 or more ACEs showing the highest prevalence of inadequate dental visits and significant tooth loss. Although no statistically significant interaction between rural/urban status and ACEs was found, rural residents generally had worse oral health outcomes than their urban counterparts.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Both rural/urban status and ACEs independently contribute to oral health disparities, with rural populations facing greater challenges in maintaining oral health. The findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions that address geographic and psychosocial determinants, particularly in rural areas, and highlight the importance of trauma-informed care in dental practice.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16913,"journal":{"name":"Journal of public health dentistry","volume":"85 4","pages":"473-481"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145461013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pressing Issues for Oral Health Care Access and Quality Improvement During Pregnancy in Portugal—A Qualitative Study","authors":"Leonor Frey-Furtado,&nbsp;Paulo Melo,&nbsp;Stefan Listl,&nbsp;Maria Lurdes Pereira","doi":"10.1111/jphd.70014","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jphd.70014","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To identify and prioritize pressing issues related to access and quality of oral healthcare during preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum in Portugal.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Ethical approval (number 8/2024) and data protection clearance (R-12/2024) were granted. Twelve stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, policymakers, representatives of nongovernmental organizations, and recent mothers, were recruited through snowball sampling. The Nominal Group Technique structured a four-step process: (1) online discussions at policy, community, and practice levels; (2) initial voting to screen pressing issues; (3) plenary discussion; and (4) final voting.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>At the policy level, the highest-ranked pressing issues were the lack of a mandatory oral health diagnostic appointment for early detection, limited coverage of the <i>Cheque-Dentista</i> program, which excludes the preconception period, and the absence of oral health education in childbirth and parenting courses. At the community level, pressing issues included the absence of oral health in family planning consultations, insufficient oral health training for midwives and nurses, and weak direct engagement with pregnant women through targeted promotion strategies. At the practice level, the most pressing issues were the exclusion of dentists from maternal healthcare teams, the lack of structured oral health appointments in primary healthcare centers, and the omission of oral health modules from childbirth preparation programs.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The Nominal Group Technique enabled consensus-building and prioritization of concrete pressing issues, producing actionable strategies to strengthen maternal oral healthcare in Portugal. Literacy, accessibility, and collaboration have emerged as foundational elements for integrating oral health into maternal care pathways.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16913,"journal":{"name":"Journal of public health dentistry","volume":"85 4","pages":"464-472"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jphd.70014","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145411228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Effect of a Rural Workforce Intervention to Improve Oral Health of Children: Evidence From an Interrupted Time Series Study of Southeast Alaska","authors":"Nadereh Pourat,&nbsp;Xiao Chen,&nbsp;James Godwin,&nbsp;Joanne Spetz","doi":"10.1111/jphd.70011","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jphd.70011","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Geographic isolation, limited resources, and inadequate access to dental care have led to poor oral health for Alaska Native children. In the early 2000s, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) began training alternative oral health practitioners including primary dental health aides (PDHAs) who provide dental education and preventive procedures and dental health aid therapists (DHATs) who provide additional specific treatments. Most members employ DHATs but only the Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) systematically employed PDHAs starting in 2008. We evaluated whether the employment of PDHAs by SEARHC was associated with changes in the delivery of oral preventive and treatment procedures at the beginning of the program.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We analyzed Alaska Medicaid claims data for children ages 0–18 from 2003 to 2004 and 2008 to 2012. We compared procedure use of enrollees treated by SEARHC with remaining ANTHC members and other Medicaid dental providers. We used regression models to compare changes in the predicted rate of fluoride varnish (FV) and treatment procedures for each group before and after the employment of PDHAs at SEARHC.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Significantly higher predicted rate of FVs (1.74 vs. 1.05 and 1.14) and lower rate of restorative treatment procedures (1.62 vs. 2.21 and 2.87) among SEARHC patients compared to other ANTHC patients or patients of other Medicaid providers in 2012.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Findings highlighted likely benefits of employing PDHAs in the delivery of needed preventive procedures in remote areas like Alaska. Implementation of the SEARHC model requires multiple legislative and regulatory steps to establish the scope of practice, Medicaid reimbursement, and infrastructure to recruit, train, and place practitioners.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16913,"journal":{"name":"Journal of public health dentistry","volume":"85 4","pages":"449-456"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145202552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adverse Childhood Experiences in the First 1000 Days of Life and Dental Caries Experience From Age 31 to 61 Months","authors":"Noora Jawad,&nbsp;Ali Golkari,&nbsp;Eduardo Bernabé","doi":"10.1111/jphd.70012","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jphd.70012","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To investigate the association between early life adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and dental caries among young children.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study was a secondary analysis of longitudinal data from 927 children in the Children-In-Focus (CIF) sub-study of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). ACEs were assessed through questionnaires from mothers and partners, covering the gestation period (prenatal ACEs) and the first 2 years of life (ACEs during infancy). Dental caries was assessed clinically at ages 31, 43, and 61 months and reported using the dmft index. The association between early life ACEs and dental caries was evaluated in mixed effects Poisson models adjusting for covariates.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Overall, 342 (36.9%) and 441 (47.6%) children in the study sample were exposed to ACEs prenatally and during infancy, respectively. The mean dmft score was 0.03 ± 0.21 at age 31 months, increasing to 0.26 ± 0.94 at age 43 months and to 0.62 ± 1.51 at age 61 months. Neither exposure to ACEs prenatally (rate ratio: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.73–1.70) nor during infancy (1.08, 95% CI: 0.71–1.63) was associated with the dmft score, after adjustment for covariates. In addition, exposure to ACEs during both life periods was not associated with the dmft score (1.21, 95% CI: 0.74–1.98).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This longitudinal study provided little support for the association between experience of ACEs during the first 1000 days of life and greater caries experience from age 31 to 61 months.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16913,"journal":{"name":"Journal of public health dentistry","volume":"85 4","pages":"457-463"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jphd.70012","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145202479","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predicting Group-Based Trajectories of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life From Late Adolescence to Early Adulthood Using K-Means Clustering Algorithm","authors":"Chukwuebuka Ogwo,&nbsp;Grant Brown,&nbsp;John Warren,&nbsp;Erliang Zeng,&nbsp;Murray Thomson,&nbsp;Steven Levy","doi":"10.1111/jphd.70007","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jphd.70007","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To identify and analyze the patterns of change in Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) from late adolescence to early adulthood (ages 17 to 23) using a machine learning algorithm.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This longitudinal trajectory study used data from the Iowa Fluoride Study (IFS). Participants were recruited at birth from eight Iowa hospitals between 1992 and 1995. OHRQoL was assessed at ages 17, 19, and 23 using three validated questionnaires: the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ_11-14), Global Oral Health Rating (GOHR), and Visual Analog Scale of Quality of Life (VisQoL). Of the 437 individuals assessed at age 17, 402 were re-assessed at age 19 and 367 at age 23 (91% retention rate). The K-Means for Longitudinal data (KmL) algorithm was applied to identify distinct trajectory groups for each measure. Associations between trajectory group membership and sociodemographic variables were examined using logistic regression. All analyses were performed in R (version 4.1.3).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Two distinct trajectory groups were identified for each OHRQoL measure, representing consistently better versus persistently worsening oral health experiences. For the CPQ_11-14, 84.8% of participants were in the “Favorable” group and 15.2% in the “Unfavorable” group. GOHR classified 57.2% as “Favorable” and 42.8% as “Unfavorable,” while VisQoL showed 67.5% and 32.5%, respectively. Despite differing proportions, all instruments reflected similar directional trends. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with favorable trajectory group membership (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Most participants followed a favorable OHRQoL trajectory and were from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. These findings highlight the value of longitudinal, multi-measure approaches in identifying at-risk subgroups.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16913,"journal":{"name":"Journal of public health dentistry","volume":"85 4","pages":"440-448"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jphd.70007","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145071489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oral Health Literacy and Dental Caries Status in Adults","authors":"Mark D. Macek,&nbsp;Kathryn Atchison,&nbsp;Folasayo Adunola","doi":"10.1111/jphd.70006","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jphd.70006","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To assess the relationship between oral health literacy (OHL) and dental caries among a convenience sample of adult, first-time patients at two U.S. dental schools; we hypothesized that adults with low OHL would have fewer teeth, more untreated dental decay, and fewer restorations.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This cross-sectional analysis was part of the larger Multisite Oral Health Literacy Research (MOHLR) Study. OHL was assessed using the Comprehensive Measure of Oral Health Knowledge (CMOHK). The dental caries outcome variables (number of decayed, filled, decayed plus filled, and teeth present) were abstracted from electronic dental records and represented the clinical conditions at the initial visit. We calculated OHL prevalence estimates and crude and adjusted negative binomial regression parameters for the outcome variables, controlling for relevant sociodemographic covariates.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We recruited 922 participants into the MOHLR Study, and 688 provided clinical data for this report. Crude analyses showed persons with low OHL had significantly fewer filled teeth (<i>e</i>^<i>x</i> = 0.67), decayed plus filled teeth (<i>e</i>^<i>x</i> = 0.76), and teeth present (<i>e</i>^<i>x</i> = 0.96) than those with high OHL. After controlling for covariates, the low versus high differences remained significant for the number of filled (<i>e</i>^<i>x</i> = 0.81) and decayed plus filled teeth (<i>e</i>^<i>x</i> = 0.84). There was no significant relationship between CMOHK and the number of decayed teeth.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusions</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The relationship between OHL and dental caries in an adult population of dental school patients is complex. Additional research, likely involving qualitative studies and more precise epidemiological assessments, is needed to understand this complicated association.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16913,"journal":{"name":"Journal of public health dentistry","volume":"85 4","pages":"432-439"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144796565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence of Fluoride Treatments Among US Children, Associated Factors, and State-Level Variation","authors":"Shillpa Naavaal,&nbsp;Vaibhavi Mone,&nbsp;Christina Scherrer","doi":"10.1111/jphd.70003","DOIUrl":"10.1111/jphd.70003","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objectives</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Professional fluoride treatment effectively reduces caries, but uptake remains low. This study identified factors associated with the report of professional fluoride treatment at dental visits (hereon referred to as fluoride treatment) among children aged 1–17 and examined state-specific variation in its prevalence.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We used the National Survey of Children's Health data from 2022 (<i>n</i> = 51,630). The primary outcome was fluoride treatment. Chi-square tests examined associations between the outcome and sociodemographic and other included variables, and a logistic regression model was used to obtain adjusted odds ratio estimates. State-specific prevalence of fluoride treatment was estimated for all 50 US states and DC, and 2022 estimates were compared with 2017 to examine differences. All analyses were weighted, accounting for the complex survey design.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The overall fluoride treatment prevalence in 2022 was 45.7%, and 32.7% of children had a preventive dental visit, but did not receive fluoride treatment. Children aged 1–5, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian and other, uninsured, in fair or poor health, with no preventive medical visit, living in low-income households, or with less-educated parents had a significantly lower report of fluoride treatment compared to their counterparts. State-specific fluoride treatment prevalence in 2022 varied widely. Compared to 2017, three states saw an increase and four states saw a decrease in prevalence in 2022 (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Fluoride treatment prevalence among US children remains low overall and varies greatly across states. To improve fluoride treatment uptake, dental and medical providers and parents should be educated about its importance and need.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16913,"journal":{"name":"Journal of public health dentistry","volume":"85 4","pages":"399-409"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144777464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}