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Effective Strategies for Oral Health and Dentistry Education

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 December 2023) | Viewed by 8084

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Dentistry, University of Antioquia, Calle 70 # 52-21, Medellín, Colombia
Interests: social inequalities in oral health; qualitative research in dentistry; systematic reviews; public health dentistry; social epidemiology; migration and oral health; oral epidemiology; life course approaches in oral health
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to the World Health Organization, health education helps individuals and communities improve their health by using learning experiences to increase knowledge and influence attitudes. For that purpose, five principles should be considered for application in health education: (1) a broad and positive health concept; (2) participation and involvement; (3) action and action competence; (4) a setting perspective; and (5) equity in health.

From this perspective, the oral health component is part of the health–disease process. To guarantee the conditions to maintain a good state of health, it is mandatory to implement health and education strategies based on the social reality of communities and social groups. In addition, the dental profession cannot be considered isolated from the rest of the health professions. In this case, it is relevant to discuss the role of dental practitioners in establishing effective strategies and policies for improving oral health.

Health education should also recognize the training of future oral health professionals. Universities assume a fundamental commitment to the comprehensive training of dental students to contribute to the development of communities.

In this Special Issue, we call on general practitioners and clinical specialists in different dentistry areas to submit collaborative works; original research that uses quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods; systematic or narrative reviews; and other types of manuscripts according to the journal requirements.

Some topics for this Special Issue (non-exclusive) could be:

  • Quality of life of dental students and professionals;
  • Effective practices for the training of undergraduate and postgraduate students;
  • Knowledge, attitudes, and practices in oral health in different communities;
  • Oral health beliefs in diverse populations;
  • Evaluation of educative strategies in oral health (efficacy, effectiveness);
  • Oral health promotion policies;
  • Innovative approaches to learning and teaching in dental students;
  • Multidisciplinary approaches in dental education and oral health;
  • Tele-education and tele-dentistry.

Dr. Andrés Alonso Agudelo-Suárez
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

Keywords

  • quality of life
  • attitude to health
  • health knowledge, attitudes, and practice
  • oral health
  • health education
  • dental education
  • distance
  • internet-based intervention

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 320 KiB  
Article
Significance of Non-Statistically Significant Results in the Prediction of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Orthodontic Patients: A Survey Using Two Linking Questionnaires
by Peerapong Santiwong, Kantrakorn Dutsadeeviroj, Kittithad Potchanarungvakul, Thanpat Leartchotikul, Thanachot Jiwsiritrakul and Kawin Sipiyaruk
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(8), 5446; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20085446 - 10 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1758
Abstract
Patients with a fixed orthodontic appliance may have difficulties in maintaining good oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and evaluating self-perceived OHRQoL in orthodontic patients could be challenging for their orthodontists. Therefore, this research was conducted to investigate whether orthodontic postgraduates would accurately [...] Read more.
Patients with a fixed orthodontic appliance may have difficulties in maintaining good oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and evaluating self-perceived OHRQoL in orthodontic patients could be challenging for their orthodontists. Therefore, this research was conducted to investigate whether orthodontic postgraduates would accurately evaluate the OHRQoL of their patients. Two self-administered questionnaires were designed for patients to rate their OHRQoL and for their orthodontic postgraduates to evaluate them on OHRQoL. All pairs of patients and their orthodontic postgraduates were requested to independently complete the questionnaires. Pearson’s correlation and multiple linear regression were performed to determine the relationships of the variables and to identify significant predictors on OHRQoL, respectively. There were 132 pairs of orthodontic patients and their residents who completed the questionnaires. There were no significant correlations between OHRQoL perceived by patients and evaluated by their orthodontic postgraduates in all aspects of treatment needs and dietary difficulties (p > 0.05). In addition, the regression model demonstrated no significant predictors for the self-perceived treatment needs and dietary difficulties of orthodontic patients. There seemed to be challenges for orthodontic postgraduates to evaluate their patients’ oral health-related quality of life. Therefore, the OHRQoL measures should be increasingly implemented in orthodontic education and practice in order to enhance the concept of patient-centered care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effective Strategies for Oral Health and Dentistry Education)
11 pages, 1336 KiB  
Article
Bracket Bond Failures: Incidence and Association with Different Risk Factors—A Retrospective Study
by Reda Jakavičė, Kristina Kubiliūtė and Dalia Smailienė
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4452; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054452 - 2 Mar 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2190
Abstract
Background: Bracket bonding failure is one of the relevant problems in fixed orthodontics therapy, which affects the total treatment and quality of treatment results. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the frequency of bracket bond failure and find out risk [...] Read more.
Background: Bracket bonding failure is one of the relevant problems in fixed orthodontics therapy, which affects the total treatment and quality of treatment results. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the frequency of bracket bond failure and find out risk factors. Methods: A total of 101 patients with an age range of 11–56 years were included in this retrospective study and treated for a mean period of 30.2 months. Inclusion criteria were: males and females with permanent dentition and completed orthodontic treatment in both fully bonded dental arches. Risk factors were calculated using binary logistic regression analysis. Results: The overall bracket failure rate was 14.65%. The bracket failure rate was significantly higher in the younger patients’ group (p = 0.003). In most cases, patients experienced bracket failures in the first month of the treatment. Most of the bracket bond failures occurred on the left lower first molar (29.1%) and were twice as common in the lower dental arch (66.98%). Patients with increased overbite had an increased likelihood of bracket loss (p = 0.042). Class II malocclusion increased the relative risk of bracket failure, while Class III decreased the rate of bracket failure, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.093). Conclusions: The bracket bond failure rate was higher in younger patients than in older patients. Brackets placed on mandibular molars and premolars had the highest failure rate. Class II was associated with an increased bracket failure rate. Increased overbite statistically significantly increases bracket failure rate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effective Strategies for Oral Health and Dentistry Education)
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20 pages, 756 KiB  
Article
A Comprehensive Mixed Methods Approach for Studying the Quality of Life of Colombian Periodontists
by Wilmer A. Romo-Cabrera and Andrés A. Agudelo-Suárez
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16102; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316102 - 1 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1506
Abstract
This study analyzed the association of the sociodemographic, labor, and health conditions on the quality of life (QOL) of the periodontists in Colombia. A mixed study (explanatory sequential design) was conducted. The first quantitative phase was carried out by a cross-sectional survey ( [...] Read more.
This study analyzed the association of the sociodemographic, labor, and health conditions on the quality of life (QOL) of the periodontists in Colombia. A mixed study (explanatory sequential design) was conducted. The first quantitative phase was carried out by a cross-sectional survey (n = 187; 60.4% females). Variables: sociodemographics, labor, and health conditions, QOL (WHOQOL-BREF). Normality tests, descriptive statistics, and bivariate analyzes were performed. Factors associated with QOL were established using multivariate linear regression. A second qualitative phase with two focus groups (FGs) delved into those aspects of relevance, through qualitative content analysis and triangulation of information. The multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the factors associated with the QOL scores were in the case of men and negatively (QOL decreases): having low social support (p < 0.001), reporting poor mental health (p < 0.01). For women, QOL scores were negatively associated with low social support (p < 0.001), reporting poor general and mental health (p < 0.01), having greater stress at work (p < 0.05), having a temporary contract (p < 0.05), and living in a medium or low socioeconomic status (p < 0.05). The analysis of the FG allowed us to understand how QOL is permeated by the social context. The specialization of periodontics has generated a change in living conditions, and an adaptation to the workplace that allows them to gain recognition and a higher QOL. In conclusion, the QOL of periodontists is defined in subjective terms (standards) and related to social and labor conditions. Follow-up and evaluation strategies of the general conditions of these clinical specialists in Colombia are required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effective Strategies for Oral Health and Dentistry Education)
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Review

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12 pages, 711 KiB  
Review
Orthodontic Curricula in Undergraduate Dental Education—A Scoping Review
by Shailaja Raghavan, Elham Abu Alhaija and Kamran Ali
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 4914; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20064914 - 10 Mar 2023
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2047
Abstract
Objective: To investigate commonalities and variations in the learning outcomes, curriculum content, assessment methods, and competencies in undergraduate orthodontic curricula globally. Methods: This scoping review followed the updated methodological guidance proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute and reported in accordance with the Preferred [...] Read more.
Objective: To investigate commonalities and variations in the learning outcomes, curriculum content, assessment methods, and competencies in undergraduate orthodontic curricula globally. Methods: This scoping review followed the updated methodological guidance proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). A search on electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, and Embase was conducted for the last 25 years. Google Scholar was used to identify eligible unpublished and grey literature. Results: The total number of reports identified was 231. After removal of 62 duplicates, 169 reports were included in the title and abstract screening. Finally, 17 studies were included in the review, which included 13 cross-sectional surveys, three expert panel proceedings, and one discussion paper. Marked variations were reported in undergraduate orthodontic curricula and competency assessments at the level of individual countries, regionally as well as globally. The challenges of imparting competency in orthodontic treatment during undergraduate dental education are also acknowledged. Conclusion: Lack of consistency in undergraduate orthodontic education was evidenced by several Delphi studies aiming to develop a consensus on orthodontic teaching in undergraduate programs. A common message emanating from the available studies on undergraduate orthodontic education seems to emphasize a focus on assessment and diagnosis of the orthodontic treatment needs of patients and a basic understanding of contemporary treatment options to facilitate patient referral. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effective Strategies for Oral Health and Dentistry Education)
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