BDJ Open最新文献

{"title":"Effect of chemical surface pretreatments on microtensile bond strength of resin composite to dentin when using universal adhesives: a systematic review of laboratory studies.","authors":"Ereny Isaac, Safaa Helmy Abd-Elhakim, Hamdi H Hamama, Mona Riad","doi":"10.1038/s41405-026-00484-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41405-026-00484-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate the effect of different chemical pretreatments of sound dentin on the microtensile bond strength (µTBS) of resin composite to dentin.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive online search was performed across four electronic databases: PubMed (Medline), Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane libraries to identify relevant studies, followed by screening based on established eligibility criteria. In vitro studies examining the effect of chemical pretreatment on the microtensile bond strength of sound dentin to resin composite were included. Only English studies published from 2013 until February 10, 2026 were considered. Studies that used animal teeth, focused on carious, sclerotic, or desensitized dentin, or assessed mechanical or laser pretreatments were excluded. The protocol followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO (CRD420261299181). Selected studies underwent a risk-of-bias analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. Across the included studies, microtensile bond strength results revealed that certain chemical pretreatments can significantly enhance immediate bond strength as well as maintain long-term bond durability. Pretreatment with 50% Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO), acetone wet-bonding, glutaraldehyde desensitizers, and copper-based (Cu-P) pretreatments significantly increased µTBS of the majority of dental adhesives and preserved their long-term stability. Selective dentin etching (SDE) for 3 seconds, along with glycolic acid and zirconium oxynitrate (ZON) etchants, yielded significantly higher immediate bond strengths than traditional 15-second phosphoric acid etching. In cases of blood contamination, grape seed extract and hesperidin collagen cross-linkers restored bond strength to nearly uncontaminated control levels. Conversely, silver-based solutions significantly reduced µTBS, and limonene had no significant effect on bond strength.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Several chemical pretreatments, including selective dentin etching, solvent-based pretreatments, copper-based (Cu-P) pretreatments, glutaraldehyde desensitizers, and collagen cross-linkers, enhanced the bond strength of universal adhesives to sound dentin.</p>","PeriodicalId":36997,"journal":{"name":"BDJ Open","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149228803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Formation of hydroxyapatite on tooth surfaces by calcium hypophosphite in saliva.","authors":"Pascal Fandrich, Erik Schulze Zur Wiesche, Bennett Tochukwu Amaechi, Joachim Enax","doi":"10.1038/s41405-026-00502-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41405-026-00502-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>This in vitro study aimed to investigate whether calcium hypophosphite (CaP) mediates hydroxyapatite (HAP) formation in artificial and human saliva and, in a proof-of-principle toothbrushing model, promotes mineral deposition and occlusion of dentinal tubules.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A CaP solution was added to artificial saliva and human saliva, respectively. The resulting precipitate was analyzed using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). For the toothbrushing simulations, human dentin specimens were allocated to a test group treated with 2 wt% CaP solution and a control group treated with deionized water (n = 5 per group). The specimens were immersed in artificial saliva and subjected to five consecutive 30 s brushing treatments. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (LSM) was used to assess changes in dentinal tubule occlusion before and after treatment, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine the morphology of the deposits, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was used to analyze their elemental composition.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In artificial saliva and human saliva, CaP led to the formation of HAP. XRD analysis of the precipitates showed characteristic HAP peaks, with a mean crystallite size of (5.7 ± 0.6) nm and crystallographic parameters of a = (9.484 ± 0.003) Å, c = (6.868 ± 0.002) Å and V = (535.0 ± 0.4) ų for the formation in human saliva. LSM and SEM demonstrated mineral deposition within open dentinal tubules following toothbrushing simulations with CaP in artificial saliva, while EDX showed that the deposits contained calcium, phosphorus, and oxygen.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>CaP mediated HAP formation in artificial and human saliva. The proof-of-concept dentin experiment demonstrated mineral deposition within open dentinal tubules. Although firm conclusions regarding efficacy cannot be drawn, these promising findings merit further exploration in properly powered studies. With further confirmatory studies, CaP has potential as a desensitizing agent for oral care formulations.</p>","PeriodicalId":36997,"journal":{"name":"BDJ Open","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13675236/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149207943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in the nonsurgical treatment of periodontitis: an umbrella review.","authors":"Vini Mehta, Santosh Patil, Kabir Suman Dash, Ankita Mathur","doi":"10.1038/s41405-026-00503-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41405-026-00503-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) has been proposed as a locally acting adjunct to subgingival instrumentation for periodontitis. This umbrella review aimed to synthesize and critically appraise systematic reviews of adjunctive aPDT during active nonsurgical periodontal therapy, with emphasis on methodological confidence, clinical importance, and overlap of the evidence base.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Epistemonikos and Google Scholar were searched from inception through 24 July 2026, supplemented by backward and forward citation searching. For Google Scholar, the first 200 relevance-ranked results were screened, and exact-title and author searches were used to identify additional review reports. Systematic reviews with or without meta-analysis were eligible when they evaluated aPDT added to subgingival instrumentation and reported separable clinical evidence for adults receiving active nonsurgical treatment. Reporting followed PRISMA 2020 and PRIOR. Methodological confidence was appraised with AMSTAR 2; ROBIS domains were used as an interpretive framework rather than as a formal domain-by-domain rating tool. One reviewer completed selection, extraction and appraisal using a prespecified form and a structured second source-check pass for eligibility and numerical data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fifteen systematic reviews published from 2010 to 2025 were included. After recalculation using the AMSTAR 2 decision rules, four reviews had high methodological confidence, three had moderate confidence, three had low confidence, and five had critically low confidence. The 2024 Cochrane review included 50 randomized trials and 1407 adults. During active treatment at 6 months, adjunctive aPDT produced an additional PPD reduction of 0.52 mm (95% CI 0.31-0.74; 15 studies, 452 participants) and CAL gain of 0.44 mm (95% CI 0.24-0.64; 13 studies, 414 participants); both were very low-certainty and judged unlikely to be clinically important. BOP improved by 5.72 percentage points (95% CI 1.62-9.81; 5 studies, 171 participants), also with very low certainty. No aPDT-related adverse effects were reported in 24 active-treatment studies involving 639 participants, while pocket closure, satisfaction, quality of life and economic outcomes were sparsely reported.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Adjunctive aPDT may produce small short-term improvements in PPD and CAL after nonsurgical periodontal therapy, but the most reliable evidence remains very low certainty, and the observed mean differences have not been shown to translate into patient-important or treatment-changing benefit. Current evidence does not support routine adjunctive use; standardized trials should prioritize pocket closure, patient-reported outcomes, long-term effectiveness and economic outcomes.</p><p><strong>Prospero registration: </strong>CRD420261468530.</p>","PeriodicalId":36997,"journal":{"name":"BDJ Open","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13655158/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149168641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Limits of questionnaire-based prediction of oral health-related quality of life in non-smokers.","authors":"Gowri Sivaramakrishnan, Mariam Abdulla Alselait, Jaber Emad Basri, Bushra Fadi AlThawadi, Sufyan Ansari, Samah Ebrahim Alalawi, Kannan Sridharan, Mohammed Abdulla AlMuharraqi","doi":"10.1038/s41405-026-00498-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41405-026-00498-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) reflects the perceived impact of oral health on daily functioning, psychosocial well-being, and social interaction. While clinical symptoms strongly influence OHRQoL, it is unclear how well OHRQoL can be estimated using only non-clinical information, particularly in non-smoking populations. This study evaluated whether sociodemographic, behavioral, and self-perceived health variables can predict OHRQoL in non-smokers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study recruited 130 adults. Participants completed a questionnaire capturing demographics, behavioral habits, and self-rated health. OHRQoL was measured using the OHIP-14. Bayesian regression was used to examine associations between these variables and OHIP-14 scores. Additional analyses were performed to identify the variables contributing most to predictions and examine predictions at the individual level. Predictions were compared with 14 machine learning (ML) models to evaluate whether algorithmic complexity could overcome model limitations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The Bayesian model explained 30% of variance in OHIP-14 scores (Bayesian R² = 0.30, 95% CrI: 0.20-0.39). Educational level, gender, and self-rated oral health were the strongest predictors. Simulated changes in self-rated oral health and dental attendance produced the largest reductions in predicted population-level OHIP-14 scores. The model performed reasonably well for individuals with mild-to-moderate impairment but systematically underestimated individuals with severe impairment (OHIP-14 > 30). ML methods did not substantially improve identification of severe cases.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Non-clinical questionnaire information can provide moderate estimation of OHRQoL, particularly among individuals with mild-to-moderate impairment, but has limited ability to identify severe burden. These findings suggest that digital or questionnaire-based screening should incorporate a small number of symptom- or clinically relevant questions when the goal is to detect individuals with severe OHRQoL impairment. However, given the modest sample size, convenience sampling, and absence of cross-validation and external validation, the generalizability and robustness of these findings require confirmation in larger studies with independent external validation.</p>","PeriodicalId":36997,"journal":{"name":"BDJ Open","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13649655/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149138631","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between climate change and oral health outcomes: a systematic review of time-series studies.","authors":"Mahati Bhadania, Vini Mehta, Toufiq Noor, Kabir Suman Das, Ankita Mathur","doi":"10.1038/s41405-026-00482-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41405-026-00482-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>This Systematic review aimed to assess the association between short term environment exposures and oral health outcomes using evidence from time-series studies.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews). A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar were conducted to identify relevant studies. Records were imported to Rayyan AI for multistage screening by two independent reviewers, and any conflicting views were resolved with the third reviewer. Data extraction followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) guidelines, and findings were summarized narratively and in tabular form.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>Seven time-series studies involving over 4 million epidemiological observations were included. Summarized evidence suggested association between change in climate and oral health outcomes. Lower air temperature was associated with 75% risk of periodontal diseases over a lag of 1 to 7 days. Every 10 µg/m³ increase in NO₂ was associated with a 30% increase in outpatient visits for periodontitis over 0-4 lag days particularly on warmer days, whereas consistent exposure above threshold limits was associated with 12% risk of oral cancer over 3 years lag (at 95% CI: 10%, 13%). Furthermore, a unit increase in concentration level of pollutants such as PM_2.5 and CO, was associated with increased risk of pulpitis by 2.4%, 5%, and 9.1%, respectively. Similarly, mean temperature 12.5 °C and air pollution was associated with higher risk of dental caries. Demographic characteristics appear to modify risk and O₃ acts as a protective factor against periodontitis [RR = 0.99 at 95% C.I. (0.991, 0.995)].</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Environmental exposures, particularly air pollution and temperature, may influence the outcome of oral health. Further well-designed studies are needed to clarify causal pathways and strengthen evidence base.</p>","PeriodicalId":36997,"journal":{"name":"BDJ Open","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13642927/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149116005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between salivary alkaline phosphatase levels and periodontal disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Mario Alberto Alarcón-Sánchez, Sarah Monserrat Lomelí-Martínez, Daniel Ortuño-Sahagún, Julieta Sarai Becerra-Ruiz, Seyed Ali Mosaddad, Artak Heboyan","doi":"10.1038/s41405-026-00488-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41405-026-00488-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This updated meta-analysis evaluated salivary alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels in individuals with gingivitis and periodontitis compared to periodontally healthy individuals.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>The review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251273461). Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Google Scholar. Methodological quality was assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies. Meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model with Review Manager (RevMan) version 5.4.1 and STATA version 19.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty studies (n = 1459) were included; twelve were eligible for meta-analysis. No statistically significant differences emerged in salivary ALP levels between gingivitis and healthy controls (p = 0.15) or between those with gingivitis and periodontitis (p = 0.18). However, individuals with periodontitis had significantly higher salivary ALP levels compared to periodontally healthy individuals (MD = 44.62 [95% CI: 22.55 to 66.69]; p = 0.0010), with high heterogeneity (I² = 100%). The included studies demonstrated variable methodological quality according to the JBI criteria, and the GRADE certainty was very low.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Current data suggest an association between elevated salivary ALP levels and periodontitis, although methodological heterogeneity requires cautious interpretation and underscores the need for well-designed, standardized future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":36997,"journal":{"name":"BDJ Open","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13634036/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biological effects of N-acetylcysteine, calcium hydroxide, chlorhexidine and their combinations as intracanal medications: cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and cytokine modulation.","authors":"Ana Caroline Freitas da Silva, Sabline Martinele Soares Silva, Dyovana Ribeiro, Victória Aparecida Morais, Lara Steffany de Carvalho, Juliana Dos Santos Lupp, Talal Al-Nahlawi, Luciane Dias de Oliveira, Amjad Abu Hasna","doi":"10.1038/s41405-026-00486-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41405-026-00486-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate whether the combination of N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a compound with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties, with conventional intracanal medications calcium hydroxide [Ca(OH)₂] and chlorhexidine (CHX) alters their biological effects on murine macrophage cells (RAW 264.7) and human osteoblasts-like cells (MG-63), with particular emphasis on cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and cytokine production.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>The study groups were control group of Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM), Ca(OH)₂ (100 mg/100 µL saline solution), 2% CHX gel (100 µL), NAC (100 mg/100 µL saline solution), NAC + Ca(OH)₂ (50 + 50 mg/100 µL saline solution), NAC + CHX (100 mg/100 µL 2% CHX gel), Ca(OH)₂ + CHX (100 mg/100 µL 2% CHX gel), and NAC + Ca(OH)₂ + CHX (50 + 50 mg/100 µL 2% CHX gel). The preparations were conditioned in culture medium for 24 h, and 100 µL of the resulting conditioned medium was used for cell exposure. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT colorimetric assay that measures the metabolic activity of the cells after 5 min and 24 h. Genotoxicity was evaluated by cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay after 24 h with Ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) as control group. In addition, cytometry bead arrays to quantify different cytokine production by RAW 264.7 and MG63 cells under LPS-stimulated conditions. Data were statistically analyzed with a significant level of α ≤ 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most experimental groups maintained metabolic activity comparable to the control group in both cell lines, although NAC, NAC + CHX, and Ca(OH)₂ + CHX reduced RAW 264.7 metabolic activity after 24 h. Most experimental groups showed significantly lower micronucleus frequency in RAW 264.7 and MG-63 cells compared with the EMS positive control group (P < 0.0001). However, the CHX group in RAW 264.7 cells exhibited a micronucleus frequency that was not significantly different from the EMS group. Still, NAC increased IL-12p70, IL-6, IFN-γ, and IL-10 production in RAW 264.7, and increased IL-12p70, TNF-α, IL-10, IL-6, and IL-1β levels in MG-63.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>NAC modulated cytokine production in both cell models under LPS-stimulated conditions, resulting in a mixed profile of pro-inflammatory and regulatory mediators rather than a purely anti-inflammatory response. Most tested medications maintained acceptable metabolic activity and low genotoxic potential under the evaluated conditions, although CHX increased micronucleus formation in RAW 264.7 cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":36997,"journal":{"name":"BDJ Open","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13631315/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cytotoxicity, antibacterial efficacy, and fluoride content of commercial herbal toothpastes.","authors":"Nuttanun Poeaim, Pasiree Thongthai, Pimduean Sivavong, Phakvalunch Rujiraprasert, Thanaphum Osathanon, Thawanrat Singthong, Budsaraporn Boonsuth, Dusit Nantanapiboon","doi":"10.1038/s41405-026-00489-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41405-026-00489-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study evaluated fluoride concentration, antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans, and cytotoxicity of commercially available herbal toothpastes to assess their safety and clinical potential.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Fifteen herbal toothpastes were tested. Fluoride concentration was measured using a fluoride ion-selective electrode. Antibacterial activity against S. mutans was assessed by agar diffusion, and cytotoxicity was evaluated using the MTT assay in L929 fibroblasts and human gingival fibroblasts. Antibacterial and cytotoxicity data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA with Tukey's HSD test, fluoride concentrations using the Kruskal-Wallis test, and associations among the three outcomes using Spearman's rank correlation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Fluoride concentrations varied considerably, with 66.67% of products containing less than 600 ppm and only 20% reaching approximately 1500 ppm. Most products did not clearly indicate fluoride type or concentration on their labels. Strong antibacterial activity, with inhibition zones of 2.12-2.18 cm comparable to vancomycin, was observed in 26.67% of samples (p < 0.05). LC₅₀ values ranged from 0.715 to 9.410, and four formulations showed high cytotoxicity (p < 0.05). Antibacterial activity was inversely correlated with the LC₅₀ of L929 cells (rs = -0.579, p < 0.001) and of human gingival fibroblasts (rs = -0.328, p < 0.05), whereas fluoride concentration showed no association with greater cytotoxicity.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Herbal toothpastes with strong antibacterial effects often showed moderate to high cytotoxicity. Formulations containing biocompatible ingredients, antioxidants, and adequate fluoride may provide a safer balance, highlighting the need for clearer labeling and optimized ingredient concentrations.</p>","PeriodicalId":36997,"journal":{"name":"BDJ Open","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13631355/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Developing a peer-led approach to assess the oral health needs and experiences of people in prison and on release.","authors":"Joelle Booth, Samantha Gould, Robert Witton, Martha Paisi","doi":"10.1038/s41405-026-00485-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41405-026-00485-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study used a participatory research approach to develop population-specific oral health questionnaires and a peer-researcher model to explore the oral health needs and experiences of people in prison and after their release.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A two-phase co-design approach using the Double Diamond framework engaged people with lived experience of prison, dental professionals, and support workers. Phase one involved collaborative workshops to design two questionnaires: one for use in prison and one following release. A peer-researcher model was also co-designed. Phase two piloted the questionnaires and peer-researcher model with people who had previously been in prison.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The questionnaire development process indicated that population specific questionnaires, rather than generic oral health questionnaires, were required to capture the distinct experiences of people in prison and following release. This included broader impacts of poor oral health, such as reduced self-esteem, barriers to employment, and substance use to manage dental pain. The peer-researcher model was deemed essential by the engagement group to improve uptake of the questionnaires through building trust. This model also enabled dialogue facilitated by peer-researchers that supported risk reduction (e.g. tobacco use), health education, and signposting to support services.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A co-design approach enabled the development of population-specific oral health questionnaires and a peer-researcher model. These tools can be used in future studies to collect oral health data and support positive changes in both oral and general health behaviours.</p>","PeriodicalId":36997,"journal":{"name":"BDJ Open","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13627706/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149115972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating single-best-answer questions in dental materials education: a retrospective item analysis from an online undergraduate dentistry question bank.","authors":"Oliver Vij, Alannah Herbert, Joshua Penning-Lambert, Tyler Longbone, Sanjukta Deb","doi":"10.1038/s41405-026-00481-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41405-026-00481-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>High-quality single-best-answer (SBA) questions require appropriate construction, alignment with intended learning outcomes, absence of technical item flaws and psychometric evaluation. Dentistry-specific evidence linking these constructional features to item performance remains limited. This study analysed Dental Materials responses from DentTest, an online undergraduate dentistry question bank, to identify item characteristics associated with higher discrimination.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective learning-analytics item analysis was performed using first-attempt response data. At extraction, 134 users were eligible, of whom 76 provided research consent (56.7%). The dataset contained 44,964 user×item observations from 76 users across 1560 Dental Materials items. Primary analyses were restricted to 691 items with ≥30 unique first-attempt users. Analyses included item psychometric parameters (facility, discrimination index, number of functioning distractors and distractor entropy) and selected constructional features (option-length cueing, stem word count and negative-stem wording).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Discrimination index was inversely correlated with facility (r = -0.471; 95% CI -0.527 to -0.411). In the multivariable quadratic model, the estimated peak discrimination occurred at p = 0.578, consistent with an inverted-U relationship between facility and discrimination. Functioning distractors (r = 0.531; 95% CI 0.475-0.582) and distractor entropy (r = 0.471; 95% CI 0.411-0.527) were positively associated with discrimination index. However, split-half stability was low (r = 0.15), with 542/691 items (78.4%) changing discrimination band at least once across repeated splits.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In this formative dentistry question bank, Dental Materials SBAs with higher discrimination were associated with moderate facility, stronger distractor functioning and more informative distractor-choice patterns. Item analytics should be viewed as an early-warning system rather than a final judgement, guiding educators towards items that require revision.</p>","PeriodicalId":36997,"journal":{"name":"BDJ Open","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13619631/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149076131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}