exudates and Dental-Caries

To develop an evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) on caries management for the Malaysian population using the ADAPTE trans-contextual adaptation framework.. A systematic search was conducted to identify all CPGs related to caries management on guideline repository websites and other platforms. The search findings were screened and the quality of the identified guidelines was evaluated using the AGREE II tool. The currency and the content of the recommendations were assessed by multidisciplinary experts for local adaptation.. Following an extensive assessment, six high-quality CPGs were selected for adaptation. Subsequent to the content assessment, the multidisciplinary experts agreed to adopt 24 recommendations, adapt 55, and exclude two recommendations. The adaptation process generated 21 recommendations for caries management in Malaysia. The formulation of the final evidence-based recommendations for caries management in Malaysia was based on the feedback given by the external reviewers.. The use of the trans-contextual adaptation process is feasible for the development of local guidelines when there are scarce resources and insufficient local evidence. The involvement of the multidisciplinary experts ensures the comprehensiveness of the CPG in terms of its quality and validity and subsequently promotes adherence and ownership of the CPG at the local settings.

Topics: Delivery of Health Care; Dental Caries; Humans; Malaysia; Practice Guidelines as Topic

Despite the implementation of the preschool oral healthcare programme (POHP) for 5-6-year-old children over the past 3 decades in Malaysia, dental plaque and caries levels in this age group remain high. Among the child-level attributable factors are unhealthy self-care behaviours (poor oral hygiene and high sugary diet). In order to improve the children's oral health, an improved programme called the 'Senyuman Indah Milik Semua' Programme (SIMSP) or 'Beautiful Smile for All' programme is introduced. In this programme, a triad of dental hygienist-teacher-parent works together to improve children's oral hygiene levels compared with the existing POHP that involves dental hygienists only. The aim of this study is to compare the effect of the SIMSP versus the existing POHP on oral hygiene levels of 5-6-year-old children in the Kampar district, Perak state, Malaysia.. This study is a pragmatic, cluster-randomised, parallel-group, matched pair, controlled trial with blinded outcome assessment. Randomisation is performed using a computer-generated table with a 1:1 allocation comparing the SIMSP and the POHP involving 28 preschools in the Kampar district, Perak, Malaysia. The intervention consists of preschool visits by a group of dental therapists, in-class oral health lessons and daily toothbrushing conducted by class teacher, child home toothbrushing supervised by parents, and infographic oral health messages to parents. The control consists of the existing POHP that involves preschool visits by a group of dental therapists only. The trial lasts for 6 months. Primary outcome variable is the mean plaque score change after 6 months. To determine the feasibility of the SIMSP, a process evaluation will be conducted using the perspectives of dental therapists, teachers, and parents on the appropriateness, effectiveness, facilitators, and barriers to the SIMSP implementation as well as an audit trail to assess the trial intervention.. Cluster randomisation may lead to a random effect and cluster selection bias. These factors will be accounted for when analysing the data and interpreting the outcomes. The effectiveness of the SIMSP will be evaluated by comparing the results with those of the POHP.. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04339647 . Registered on 5 April 2020 - Retrospectively registered.

Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Delivery of Health Care; Dental Caries; Humans; Malaysia; Oral Hygiene; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Schools; Toothbrushing

Many children are affected by early childhood caries (ECC) with some requiring dental treatment under general anesthesia (GA). In pediatric dentistry, GA is one of the established methods of behavior management. GA data is useful for understanding the caries burden among young children. This study aimed to determine the trends, patient characteristics, and types of treatments conducted under GA among young children in a Malaysian dental hospital over a 7-year period. A retrospective study using pediatric patient records from 2013 to 2019 was conducted on children aged 2-6 years (24-71 months) having ECC. Relevant data were collected and analyzed. In total, 381 children with a mean age of 49.8 months were identified. Some of the ECC cases were associated with abscesses (32.5%) and multiple retained roots (36.7%). Over a 7-year period, there was an upward trend of preschool children receiving GA. Of the 4713 carious teeth treated, 55.1% were extracted, 29.9% were restored, 14.3% had preventive procedures, and 0.4% were pulp treated. Mean extractions were significantly higher among preschoolers compared to toddlers (

Topics: Anesthesia, Dental; Anesthesia, General; Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Care; Dental Caries; Dental Caries Susceptibility; Humans; Malaysia; Retrospective Studies

Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) can be used as a generic or condition-specific oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) instrument. It offers different contexts on how dental conditions affect OHRQoL. This cross-sectional study aimed to validate a newly translated Malay OIDP (OIDP-M), compare OHRQoL, decayed, missing, or filled teeth (DMFT) in Malaysians, and investigate factors associated with OHRQoL. A total of 368 Malaysians were surveyed and examined for DMFT. Short-form oral health impact profile-Malaysia [S-OHIP(M)] and OIDP-M were used to measure OHRQoL. The OIDP-M was tested for reliability and validity. DMFT, S-OHIP(M), and OIDP-M between ethnicities were compared. Associations between ethnicity, DMFT, S-OHIP(M), and OIDP-M of Malays and Chinese were evaluated through partial correlation. Malays and Chinese had more filled teeth and DMFT compared with Indians. Malays reported worse OHRQoL through S-OHIP(M). Decayed teeth were positively associated with S-OHIP(M), physical, psychological, social disabilities, and handicap. For OIDP-M, decayed teeth were positively associated with OIDP-M, working, and sleeping. Missing teeth and ethnicity were positively associated with eating and speaking. Filled teeth were negatively associated with cleaning teeth. The OIDP-M was reliable and valid for evaluating OHRQoL. There were differences in DMFT and OHRQoL between ethnicities. Ethnicity affects OHRQoL, where Malays experienced worse OHRQoL due to dental problems.

Topics: Anodontia; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Caries; Ethnicity; Humans; Malaysia; Oral Health; Quality of Life; Reproducibility of Results; Tooth Loss

Hall's technique preformed metal crown (HTPMC) has been used widely by pediatric dentists in developed countries as a new approach for managing decayed primary molars without local anesthesia, caries removal, and tooth preparation. Currently, inadequate information is available regarding the implementation of this technique (HTPMC) in Malaysia. This study is aimed at evaluating the implementation of HTPMC by Malaysia's pediatric dentists and identify the co-occurrence frequencies of the HTPMC implementation with the respondents' demographic profile.. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based research was conducted among 65 pediatric dentists in Malaysia. Online questionnaires were distributed to the pediatric dentists employed at public hospitals (MOH) and universities in Malaysia.. It was found that over half of the respondents (65.6%) employed HTPMC. The analysis of the co-occurrence network frequency revealed that a high frequency of female pediatric dentists who were within the age group of 31-40 years old had fulfilled their postgraduation overseas and was employed in the university mainly applied HTPMC.. The application of HTPMC among respondent pediatric dentists in Malaysia was high. However, most respondents considered HTPMC a treatment option only to manage carious primary molar rather than a treatment of choice.

Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Crowns; Dental Caries; Dental Cavity Preparation; Dental Restoration, Permanent; Dentists; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Molar; Practice Patterns, Dentists'; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tooth, Deciduous

Third molar impaction, if left untreated, has the potential to cause several complications. The evaluation of surgical difficulty of impacted third molar extraction aids in better formulation of treatment plan by minimizing surgical complications.. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of third molar impaction and related pathologic conditions in a cohort of patients living in North-eastern Peninsular Malaysia.. In this retrospective study, 490 orthopantomograms (OPGs) of patients who were referred to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery department between January 2010 and December 2019 were assessed. Data including age, gender, ethnicity, frequency of third molar impactions, their angulations and levels of eruption, retromolar space, and associated pathologic conditions were collected. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0. The significance level was set to P < 0.05.. A total of 490 patients with a mean age of 28.87 years (range: 20-64) demonstrated 1957 impacted third molars (1022 mandibular + 935 maxillary). Impacted third molars were more likely present in females than males (1:2.20) (p < 0.05); and in Malay-ethnic (44.49%) patients followed by Chinese (34.45%) and Indians (21.02%). Mesioangular was the most common angulation of impaction both in the maxilla (24.68%) and mandible (18.34%). The most common pattern of third molar impaction was IIA (61.67%), and the retromolar space was significantly larger in males (13.6 mm; P < 0.05) than females (11.6 mm). The most frequently occurring pathological condition associated with third molars impaction is dental caries in the second or third molar (15.38%).. This study highlights mesioangular impaction with their occlusal plane at the same level as the occlusal plane of the adjacent tooth being the most prevalent pattern of third molar impaction in North-eastern Peninsular Malaysia.

Topics: Adult; Dental Caries; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Mandible; Middle Aged; Molar, Third; Retrospective Studies; Tooth, Impacted; Young Adult

To investigate the oral health and nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy (CP).. Oral health assessment included dental caries and dental plaque maturity scores (DPMS) while the nutritional assessment included children's height-for-age Z-score (HAZ), body mass index-for-age Z-score (BAZ), mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC), nutrient intake, cariogenic food frequency (CFF) and daily sugar exposure (DSE). Ninety-three CP children were recruited. The prevalence of caries was 81.7% (95% CI: 72.7%-88.3%). The median (IQR) of the DMFT and dft scores were 0.5(4.0) and 3.0(8.0), respectively. Most of the participants had acid-producing plaque (90.3%), severely stunted (81.4%), and 45% were severely thin with acute malnutrition. Intakes of calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin D and total fat were below 77% of the Recommended Nutrient Intakes for Malaysian children (RNI 2017). Nine types of cariogenic foods/drinks were consumed moderately, and DSE indicated that 45% of the children were at moderate risk of dental caries.. Untreated dental caries, severe stunting and thinness were prevalent, and cariogenic foods/drinks were consumed moderately suggesting a moderate risk of caries. Therefore, controlling cariogenic food intake is crucial, but monitoring daily nutrient intake is needed for the optimum growth of children with CP.

Topics: Cerebral Palsy; Child; Dental Caries; Diet; Humans; Malaysia; Nutritional Status; Oral Health

Dental caries in primary teeth is a serious oral health concern among children. It can lead to detrimental impacts on a child's growth, development, and quality of life. Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to examine the prevalence of dental caries and its associations with nutritional status, sugar and second-hand smoke exposure among pre-schoolers.. A total of 26 pre-schools in Seremban, Malaysia were randomly selected using the probability proportional to size sampling. Dental examination was performed by a dentist to record the number of decayed teeth (dt). Weight and height of the pre-schoolers were measured. The mother-administered questionnaire was used to gather information pertaining to the sociodemographic characteristics and second-hand smoke exposure. Total sugar exposure was calculated from a 3-day food record.. Among the 396 participating pre-schoolers, 63.4% of them had at least one untreated caries, with a mean ± SD dt score of 3.56 ± 4.57. Negative binomial regression analysis revealed that being a boy (adjusted mean ratio = 1.42, 95% CI = 0.005-0.698, p = 0.047), exposed to second-hand smoke (adjusted mean ratio = 1.67, 95% CI = 0.168-0.857, p = 0.004) and those who had more than 6 times of daily total sugar exposure (adjusted mean ratio = 1.93, 95% CI = 0.138-0.857, p = 0.013) were significantly associated with dental caries among pre-schoolers.. A high prevalence of dental caries was reported in this study. This study highlights the need to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke and practice healthy eating behaviours in reducing the risk of dental caries among pre-schoolers.

Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Caries; DMF Index; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Nutritional Status; Prevalence; Quality of Life; Sugars; Tobacco Smoke Pollution

There is a lack of evidence with regards to the association between both maternal and child dental anxiety and the mother's perception of her child's oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL). The aim of this study was to investigate the association of maternal and child dental anxiety with COHRQoL and the effect of demographic factors as moderators in this relationship. In addition, the association between child's dental caries experience and the COHRQoL was also assessed.. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 1150, 5-6 year-old preschool children in Selangor, Malaysia. Mothers answered a questionnaire on socio-economic status, the Malay-Modified Dental Anxiety Scale to assess maternal dental anxiety, and the Malay-Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale to assess COHRQoL. Child's dental anxiety was assessed using the Malay-Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale via a face-to-face interview prior to oral examination to assess dental caries. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling to assess the relationship between maternal and child dental anxiety and COHRQoL.. Overall, complete data on 842 mother-child dyads were analysed. The mean scores of total ECOHIS, the child impacts section (CIS), and the family impacts section (FIS) were 17.7 (SD = 4.9), 12.6 (SD = 3.7), and 5.1 (SD = 1.9), respectively. The mean dental anxiety scores for mothers and children were 11.8 (SD = 4.5) and 16.9 (SD = 4.3), respectively. Maternal dental anxiety was associated with the CIS (b = 0.08, p < 0.001), the FIS (b = 0.01, p = 0.001), and the total ECOHIS (b = 0.14, p < 0.001). Maternal education level, income, urban/rural location, and kindergarten type were moderators to the relationship. In addition, there was also a significant relationship between child's dental caries experience and COHRQoL (p < 0.001).. Maternal dental anxiety and child's dental caries experience have significantly impacted the COHRQoL, the CIS, and the FIS domains. Demographic factors such as maternal education, income, urban/rural location, and kindergarten type acted as moderators that can strengthen or weaken the relationship between maternal dental anxiety and COHRQoL of 5-6-year-old preschool children.

Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Anxiety; Dental Caries; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Mother-Child Relations; Mothers; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires

The integration of oral health into primary health care denotes the important role of medical counterparts as the front liners in antenatal care to help screen mothers for oral symptoms and refer them to dentists accordingly. However, the validity of self-perceived oral health status is inconclusive. This study determined the association between self-perceived oral symptoms and the presence of clinically diagnosed oral diseases in a sample of pregnant women. A total of 192 pregnant women participated in this cross-sectional study. Clinical oral examinations were performed to record dental caries experience, gingival health and periodontal health. The women were also asked about their oral symptoms. Most women had at least one oral symptom (84.9%): cavitated tooth (62.0%), bad breath (38.5%), bleeding gums (28.6%), and toothache (22.9%). About half of the women had untreated dental caries (58.9%), and the odds were significantly higher in women who complained of having cavitated tooth. About half of the women had moderate to severe gingivitis (53.7%), and the odds were significantly higher in women who complained of bleeding gums. About half had periodontal pockets (46.3%), and the odds were higher in women who complained of bleeding gums and bad breath although lower in women who complained of swollen gums. In conclusion, the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal disease among pregnant women in this study were relatively high. The presence of untreated dental caries, moderate and severe gingivitis, and periodontal pockets were significantly associated with their corresponding oral symptoms.

Topics: Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Caries; Disease; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Oral Health; Periodontal Diseases; Pregnancy; Pregnant Women

To determine the prevalence and severity of dental caries (at dentine and enamel levels of diagnosis) amongst Malaysian children and to investigate determinant factors associated with caries detection at these different thresholds.. This study involved life-long residents aged 12 years-old in fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas in Malaysia (n=595). The survey was carried out in 16 public schools by a calibrated examiner, using ICDAS-II criteria. A questionnaire on socio-demographic and oral hygiene practices was self-administered by parents/guardians. Data were analysed using Mann-Whitney U tests and logistic regression.. The overall response rate was 74.4%. Caries prevalence at the dentine level or at the dentine and enamel level was significantly (p⟨0.001) higher among children in the non-fluoridated area (D₁₋₆MFT⟩0 = 82.4%, D₄₋₆MFT⟩0 = 53.5%) than in the fluoridated area (D₁₋₆MFT⟩0 = 68.7%, D₄₋₆MFT⟩0 = 25.5%). Considering only the decayed component of the index, no significant differences were observed between the two areas when the detection threshold was set at enamel caries (D₁₋₃) (p=0.506). However, when the detection criteria were elevated to the level of caries into dentine (D₄₋₆) there were clear differences between the fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas (p=0.006). Exposure to fluoridated water proved a significant predictor for lower caries prevalence in the statistical model. Children whose father and mother had a low monthly income had a significantly higher dentine caries prevalence.. Results confirmed existing evidence of the benefit of water fluoridation in caries prevention. Detection criteria set at caries into dentine shows clear differences between fluoridated and non-fluoridated areas. Exposure to fluoridated water and socio-economic status were associated with caries prevalence.

Topics: Child; Dental Caries; Dentin; DMF Index; Fluoridation; Humans; Malaysia; Prevalence; Water Supply

To evaluate the sensitivity and responsiveness of the Malay version of Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (Malay-ECOHIS) to dental treatment of early childhood caries (ECC) under general anaesthesia (GA) and determine the minimally important difference (MID) for the Malay-ECOHIS.. A sample of 158 preschool children with ECC awaiting dental treatment under GA was recruited over an 8-month period. Parents self-completed the Malay-ECOHIS before and 4 weeks after their child's dental treatment. At 4 weeks follow-up, parents also responded to a global health transition judgement item. Data were analysed using independent and paired samples t tests, ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficients.. The response rate was 87.3%. The final sample comprised 76 male (55.1%) and 62 female (44.9%) preschool children with mean age of 4.5 (SD = 1.0) years. Following treatment, there were significant reductions in mean scores for total Malay-ECOHIS, child impact section (CIS), family impact section (FIS) and all domains, respectively (P < 0.001). The effect size (ES) for the Malay-ECOHIS was +1.0; across the domains, it ranged from +0.4 to +1.9. There was a weak, positive correlation for Malay-ECOHIS change scores (r = 0.165) and CIS change scores (r = 0.175) with the number of decayed teeth (dt), respectively. Similar correlation was also observed between Malay-ECOHIS change scores and the number of extracted teeth (r = 0.129). Based on the global health transition judgement, 62.3% of parents reported their child's oral condition to be "a little improved" while 37.7% reported it to be "much improved" following treatment, with Malay-ECOHIS mean change scores of 6.7 (ES = +1.1) and 9.6 (ES = +1.2), respectively. There was an observed gradient in the Malay-ECOHIS change scores and ES in relation to parents' perception of their child's oral health improvement after treatment, supporting the responsiveness of the measure. The Malay-ECOHIS MID was found to be 7 scale points.. The Malay-ECOHIS is empirically shown to be sensitive and responsiveness to dental treatment of ECC under GA.

Topics: Anesthesia, General; Child, Preschool; Dental Care for Children; Dental Caries; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Oral Health; Parents; Quality of Life

Poor oral health among Malaysian indigenous Orang Asli (OA) children may impact on their daily performances.. To assess the oral health status, related behaviours, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among OA children in Cameron Highlands (CH), Malaysia, and to identify the predictor(s) for poor OHRQoL.. This was a cross-sectional study involving 249, 11-12 year old OA children from 4 OA primary schools in CH. The children completed a self-administered questionnaire comprising information on socio-demographics, oral health-related behaviours, and the Malay Child Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (Malay Child-OIDP) index followed by an oral examination. Data were entered into the SPSS version 23.0 software. Non-parametric tests and multiple logistic regression were used for data analysis.. The response rate was 91.2% (n = 227/249). The prevalence of caries was 61.6% (mean DMFT = 1.36, mean dft = 1.01) and for gingivitis was 96.0%. Despite the majority reported brushing their teeth ≥ 2x/day (83.7%) with fluoride toothpaste (80.2%), more than two-thirds chewed betel nut ≥ 1/day (67.4%). Majority of the children (97.8%) had a dental check-up once a year. Nearly three-fifths (58.6%) reported experiencing oral impacts on their daily performances in the past 3 months (mean score = 5.45, SD = 8.5). Most of the impacts were of "very little" to "moderate" levels of impact intensity with 90.2% had up to 4 daily performances affected. Most of the impacts were on eating (35.2%), cleaning teeth (22.0%) and relaxing activities (15.9%). Caries in primary teeth is associated with oral impacts among the OA children.. The 11-12 year old OA children in Cameron Highland had high prevalence of caries and gingivitis with the majority chewed betel nut regularly. Caries in primary teeth is associated with poor OHRQoL. Future programmes should target younger age group children to promote positive oral hygiene practices, reduce caries, and improve quality of life.

Topics: Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Caries; Humans; Malaysia; Oral Health; Oral Hygiene; Quality of Life

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of general tooth wear (GTW), i.e. tooth wear irrespective of etiology and erosive tooth wear (ETW), i.e. tooth wear predominantly due to erosion; and also to investigate the relationship between ETW and dental caries experience in 16-year-old adolescents in Kuantan, Malaysia.. A multi-staged cluster sampling method was employed. A total of 598 16-year-old adolescents participated in this study. Participants' demographic profile was assessed through a self-administered questionnaire. Clinical examinations were carried out under standardized conditions by a single examiner. The level of GTW was recorded using the modified Smith and Knight's Tooth Wear Index (TWI) whilst ETW were recorded using the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) index. This index was developed to record clinical findings and assist in the decision-making process for the management of erosive tooth wear. Dental caries was recorded using the D. The prevalence of GTW, ETW and dental caries, i.e. percentage of individuals found to have at least one lesion, was 99.8%, 45.0% and 27.8% respectively. Two thirds of affected teeth with GTW were observed to have a TWI score of 1 whereas almost all of the affected teeth with ETW had a BEWE score of 2. The mean D. Almost all adolescents examined had GTW but they were mainly early lesions. However, nearly half were found to have ETW of moderate severity (BEWE score 2). No significant relationship between the occurrence of erosive tooth wear and caries was observed in this population.

Topics: Adolescent; Dental Caries; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Prevalence; Sampling Studies; Socioeconomic Factors; Tooth Erosion; Tooth Wear

To assess the prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis and caries among Malaysian children following the reduction in fluoride concentration from 0.7 to 0.5 parts per million (ppm) in the public water supply.. This study involved lifelong residents aged 9- and 12-year-olds in fluoridated and nonfluoridated areas in Malaysia (n = 1155). In the fluoridated area, children aged 12 years and 9 years were exposed to 0.7 and 0.5 ppm, respectively, at the times when maxillary central incisors developed. Standardized photographs of maxillary central incisors were blind scored for fluorosis using Dean's criteria. Dental caries was examined using ICDAS-II criteria.. The prevalence of fluorosis (Dean's score ≥ 2) among children in the fluoridated area (35.7%, 95% CI: 31.9%-39.6%) was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than children in the nonfluoridated area (5.5%, 95% CI: 3.6%-7.4%). Of those in the fluoridated area, the prevalence of fluorosis decreased from 38.4% (95% CI: 33.1%-44.3%) for 12-year-olds to 31.9% (95% CI: 27.6%-38.2%) for 9-year-olds, although this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.139). The mean caries experience in the permanent dentition was significantly lower in the fluoridated area than in the nonfluoridated area for both age groups (P < 0.05). In the multivariate models, the difference in the differences of caries experience between fluoridated and nonfluoridated areas remained statistically significant. This suggests that caries-preventive effect is still maintained at 0.5 ppm.. Findings indicate that the change in fluoride level from 0.7 to 0.5 ppm has reduced fluorosis and maintains a caries-preventive effect. Although there is a reduction in fluorosis prevalence, the difference was not statistically significant.

Topics: Child; Dental Caries; Fluoridation; Fluorides; Fluorosis, Dental; Humans; Malaysia; Prevalence; Water Supply

This study evaluated the impact of anticipatory guidance on the caries incidence of 2-3-year-old preschool children and their 4-6-year-old siblings, as well as on their mothers' oral health literacy, as compared to the conventional Ministry of Health (MOH) programme.. This quasi-experimental study was conducted at two government dental clinics in Batu Pahat District, Malaysia. The samples comprised of 478 mother-child-sibling trios (233 families in the intervention group, and 245 families in the control group). An oral health package named the Family Dental Wellness Programme (FDWP) was designed to provide dental examinations and oral health education through anticipatory guidance technique to the intervention group at six-month intervals over 3 years. The control group received the standard MOH oral health education activities. The impact of FDWP on net caries increment, caries prevented fraction, and mother's oral health literacy was assessed after 3 years of intervention.. Children and siblings in the intervention group had a significantly lower net caries increment (0.24 ± SD0.8; 0.20 ± SD0.7) compared to the control group (0.75 ± SD1.2; 0.55 ± SD0.9). The caries prevented fraction for FDWP was 68% for the younger siblings and 63.6% for the older children. The 2-3-year-old children in the intervention group had a significantly lower incidence of white spot lesions than their counterpart (12% vs 25%, p < 0.05). At three-year follow-up, there were significant increments in the oral health literacy scores of mothers in the intervention group compared to the control group.. The FDWP is more effective than the standard MOH programme in terms of children's and siblings' caries incidence and mother's oral health literacy.. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03478748 . Registered on March 26th 2018. Retrospectively registered.

Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Caries; Female; Health Education, Dental; Health Literacy; Humans; Incidence; Malaysia; Male; Mothers

The aim of the study was to identify risk factors and treatment needs of orphan children of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Ob ectives: (1) To identify the association between the frequency of snacking and caries among orphan schoolchildren, (2) To assess Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli (microbiological assessment) in saliva of orphan children, and (3) To formulate treatment needs for orphan children.. A cross-sectional study was done among 253 children of 5-, 12-, and 15-year-olds living in various orphanage houses of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Demographic data, and dietary and oral hygiene practices were collected through a structured questionnaire. Clinical examinations of children were conducted to assess oral health status and recorded in the World Health Organization oral health assessment form (1997). Stimulated saliva was collected for S. mutans and Lactobacilli levels. The statistical software, namely, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 19.0 was used for the analysis of the data.. The final data analysis included 253 children of which 116 (45.8%) were boys and 137 (54.2%) were girls. Overall, 140 (55.33%) children were caries-free and 113 (44.66%) children presented with caries (decayed/missing/filled surface >0). High levels of salivary microbiological counts (S. mutans and Lactobacilli), i.e., ≥10. From the results of our study, orphan children have low utilization of preventive and therapeutic oral health services. Urgent attention is required to plan a comprehensive dental health-care program to improve their oral health status.. Parents are the primary caretakers of children, but woefully some of them have to lead their lives without parents, the latter either being dead or incapable of bringing up their children. Such a group of children is known as orphans. As oral health is an integral part of general health, it is essential for health-care policy makers to address oral health needs of this underprivileged group of society. This article highlights the risk factors and treatment needs among orphan schoolchildren.

Topics: Adolescent; Child; Child, Orphaned; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Care for Children; Dental Caries; Female; Health Services Needs and Demand; Humans; Lactobacillus; Malaysia; Male; Oral Health; Oral Hygiene; Orphanages; Risk Factors; Saliva; Smoking; Streptococcus mutans; Surveys and Questionnaires

To assess the knowledge, attitude and utilisation regarding fissure sealants (FS) and preventive resin restorations (PRR) among Malaysian dentists.. A questionnaire consisting of 35 questions was distributed by mail or an online survey to 425 registered dentists selected according to place of work by stratified random sampling.. One hundred fifty-three dentists responded to the survey. A positive attitude towards FS and PRR was noted among most Malaysian dentists. About half of the respondents used FS/PRR occasionally (48.4%), while few (13.7%) applied them routinely. The majority of the dentists agreed that minimally invasive dentistry is important and FS are effective in caries prevention, using them on high caries-risk individuals. Most of the dentists used pumice or paste to clean teeth before placing FS/PRR. A significant number of dentists used a bonding agent prior to placing FS. Although only 57.5% dentists were aware of guidelines for FS use, most dentists agreed that guidelines are important.. Although there was a positive attitude towards FS/PRR, few dentists applied them routinely. Some of the steps undertaken for placement of FS and PRR were outdated. Updating local guidelines for dentists to ensure uniform practice of FS and PRR is justified.

Topics: Acid Etching, Dental; Adult; Age Factors; Attitude of Health Personnel; Composite Resins; Dental Atraumatic Restorative Treatment; Dental Caries; Dental Caries Susceptibility; Dental Cements; Dental Materials; Dental Prophylaxis; Dentists; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Pit and Fissure Sealants; Practice Guidelines as Topic; Practice Patterns, Dentists'; Professional Practice; Tooth Preparation; Young Adult

People with chronic schizophrenia have high rates of physical ill-health such as heart disease. However, there has been less attention to the issue of poor oral health including dental caries (tooth decay) and periodontal (gum) disease, although both have consequences for quality of life and systemic physical health. We therefore measured tooth decay and gum disease in Malaysians with schizophrenia.. We recruited long-stay inpatients with schizophrenia from June to October 2014. Four dental specialists assessed oral health using the decayed-missing-filled teeth index, the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs and the Debris Index of the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index. Results were compared with the 2010 Oral Health survey of the general Malaysian population.. A total of 543 patients participated (66.7% males, 33.3% females; mean age = 54.8 years [standard deviation = 16.0]) with a mean illness duration of 18.4 years (standard deviation = 17.1). The mean decayed-missing-filled teeth was 20.5 (standard deviation = 9.9), almost double that of the general population (11.7). Higher decayed-missing-filled teeth scores were associated with both older age (p < 0.001) and longer illness duration (p = 0.048). Only 1% (n = 6) had healthy gums. Levels of decay and periodontal disease were greatest in those aged between 45 and 64 years, coinciding with the onset of tooth loss.. Dental disease in people with schizophrenia deserves the same attention as other comorbid physical illness. The disparity in oral health is most marked for dental decay. Possible interventions include oral health assessments using standard checklists designed for non-dental personnel, help with oral hygiene, management of iatrogenic dry mouth and early dental referral.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Comorbidity; Cost of Illness; Dental Caries; Female; Health Promotion; Humans; Linear Models; Logistic Models; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Oral Health; Oral Hygiene Index; Periodontal Index; Public Health; Quality of Life; Schizophrenia; Tooth Loss; Young Adult

This survey evaluated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of general dental practitioners (GDPs) in Selangor regarding early childhood caries (ECC) prevention and the recommended timing of a child's first dental visit. A questionnaire was mailed to 521 licensed GDPs. Descriptive statistics were used, and bivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed. The response rate was 52.6%. Although 89.8% mentioned counseling parents and caregivers, only 44.2% were familiar with anticipatory guidance. Whereas 98.2% agreed that early examinations are important to prevent ECC, only 51.8% were aware of the recommendation for a first visit by 12 months of age. GDPs who recommended early dental visits were significantly more likely to be recent graduates, more familiar with professional guidelines, and less likely to be deterred by a child's crying or behavior. In conclusion, GDPs in Selangor are aware about the importance of early dental visits in ECC prevention. However, a considerable number of them are still not aware of the recommendation that children must first visit the dentist by 12 months of age. Furthermore, some of their current practices in ECC management and prevention do not match professional recommendations.

Topics: Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Child, Preschool; Dental Caries; Dentists; Female; Guideline Adherence; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Practice Guidelines as Topic

The Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) is used to assess oral impacts on the quality of life of preschool aged children and their families. The objective of this study was to perform a cross-cultural adaptation of the ECOHIS into Malay and assess its psychometric properties.. The cross-cultural adaptation of ECOHIS into Malay comprised of translating the ECOHIS into the Malay language (Malay-ECOHIS) by experts followed by face validation of the Malay-ECOHIS by a group of mothers. The Malay-ECOHIS was back translated into English and this was compared with the original ECOHIS. Minor changes were made to the Malay-ECOHIS before it was finalised. The Malay-ECOHIS' psychometric properties were assessed in terms of construct, convergent and discriminant validity as well as internal and test-retest reliability based on two separate studies involving 127 parents of 4-6 year old preschool children followed by oral examinations of 860 preschool children from 25 kindergartens from two districts in Selangor state, Malaysia. Non-parametric statistics were used to assess the relationships between the Malay-ECOHIS and the subjective and clinical outcome measures.. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.83 and the weighted Kappa was 0.95 (intraclass correlation = 0.94). The Malay-ECOHIS demonstrated significant associations with different subjective and normative measures, i.e. levels of oral health satisfaction, perceived oral health status, perceived oral health need, toothache experience, pattern of dental attendance, and caries status of preschool children. These significant associations supported its construct, convergent and discriminant validity as well as internal and test-retest reliability.. This study showed that the Malay-ECOHIS is a valid and reliable instrument to assess the negative impacts of oral disorders/conditions on the quality of life of 4-6 year old preschool children and their families in Malaysia.

Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Caries; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Oral Health; Psychometrics; Quality of Life; Reproducibility of Results; Sickness Impact Profile; Surveys and Questionnaires; Translating

To investigate the role of geography (place of residence) as a moderator in the relationship between dental caries disease and treatment experience and dental fear in 16-year-olds living in Malaysia.. A multi-stage-stratified sampling method was employed. Five hundred and three, 16-year-olds from 6 government secondary schools participated in this study. The questionnaire examined participants' demographic profile and assessed their dental fear using the Dental Fear Survey (DFS). The clinical examination consisted of the DMFT as the outcome measure of dental caries disease and treatment experience by a single examiner (ICC = 0.98). Structural equation modelling inspected the relationship between dental fear and dental caries disease and treatment experience.. The mean DMFT was 2.76 (SD 3.25). The DT, MT and FT components were 0.64 (SD 1.25), 0.14 (SD 0.56) and 1.98 (SD 2.43) respectively. Rural compared with urban adolescents had significantly greater mean numbers of decayed and missing teeth. The mean DFS score was 40.8 (SD 12.4). Rural compared with urban adolescents had significantly higher mean scores for physical symptoms of dental fear. The correlation between dental fear (DFS) and dental caries disease and treatment experience (DMFT) was 0.29, p < 0.0001. The structural equation model fitted the raw data well (χ2 = 9.20, df = 8, p = 0.34). All components of DMFT were closely associated in equal strength to the unidimensional hypothetical latent variable of dental caries disease and treatment experience. The strength of the relationship between dental fear and dental caries disease and treatment experience varied in accordance with place of residence.. In conclusion a relationship between dental fear and dental caries disease and treatment experience was shown to exist in 16-year-old adolescents living in Malaysia. This study showed that the rural-urban dichotomy acted as a moderator upon this relationship.

Topics: Adolescent; Anxiety; Chi-Square Distribution; China; Dental Anxiety; Dental Caries; Dental Restoration, Permanent; DMF Index; Ethnicity; Female; Health Behavior; Humans; India; Likelihood Functions; Malaysia; Male; Residence Characteristics; Rural Health; Tooth Loss; Urban Health

The urban low income has often been assumed to have the greatest dental treatment needs compared to the general population. However, no studies have been carried out to verify these assumptions. This study was conducted to assess whether there was any difference between the treatment needs of an urban poor population as compared to the general population in order to design an intervention programme for this community.. A random sampling of living quarters (households) in the selected areas was done. 586 adults over 19 years old living in these households were clinically examined using World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Survey criteria 4th edition (1997).. The overall prevalence of dental caries, periodontal disease, denture wearers and temporomandibular joint problems were 70.5%, 97.1%, 16.7% and 26%, respectively. The majority (80.5%) needed some form of dental treatment. The highest treatment needs were found in the oldest age group while the lowest were in the youngest group (19-29 years) (p = 0.000). The most prevalent periodontal problem was calculus; regardless of gender, ethnicity and age. Significantly more females (20.5%) wore prosthesis than males (11.1%) (p = 0.003). Prosthetic status and need significantly increased with age (p = 0.000). About one in four adults had Temporo-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) problems. Overall, it was surprising to note that the oral disease burden related to caries, prosthetic status and treatment need were lower in this population as compared to the national average (NOHSA, 2010). However, their periodontal disease status and treatment needs were higher compared to the national average indicating a poor oral hygiene standard.. The evidence does not show that the overall oral disease burden and treatment needs in this urban disadvantaged adult population as higher than the national average, except for periodontal disease. The older age groups and elderly were identified as the most in need for oral health intervention and promotion. An integrated health intervention programme through a multisectoral common risk factor approach in collaboration with the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry and other agencies is needed for the identified target group.

Topics: Adult; Cost of Illness; Dental Care; Dental Caries; Dental Health Surveys; Dentures; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Needs Assessment; Periodontal Diseases; Poverty Areas; Prevalence; Temporomandibular Joint Disorders; Urban Health; Young Adult

To assess the progression of dental caries among Malaysian infantry soldiers after 5 years in military service. A retrospective cohort study with a self-administered questionnaire and a clinical oral examination. Data were available for 173 (67.3%) soldiers. Mean decayed, missing, or filled teeth had increased significantly by 20.6% (P = .001) over 5 years. The highest increase was in the missing teeth component (+120%), followed by filled teeth (+23%). This was accompanied by a decrease in decayed teeth (-23.5%; P < .05). In terms of surfaces, mean decayed, missing, or filled surfaces, missing surfaces, and filled surfaces had increased significantly (P < .05). Caries experience was significantly associated with smoking status and rank (P < .05). Dental caries experience was worse after 5 years in military service compared with during recruitment, and there were more tooth extractions than restorations. Health promotion interventions are needed to prevent further tooth loss among soldiers.

Topics: Adult; Dental Caries; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Malaysia; Male; Military Personnel; Prevalence; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult

The aim of this 5-year longitudinal cohort study was to assess the prevalence, severity, and trends in caries increment and impact of the School Dental Incremental Care Programme (SDICP). Data were gathered from school dental records as part of the SDICP. A sample of 1830 children were included and checked for caries experience annually using World Health Organization criteria. In total, 95.4% of the children were caries free in 2004, and caries experience declined to 70.5% in 2009 with an average of 4.9% annually. At baseline, the mean DMFT (confidence interval [CI]) was 0.06 (0.05-0.08) and increased to 0.58 (0.53-0.63) in 2009. Children with active caries were 4.4% in 2004, and figures rose to 9.6% in 2009. The FT component increased most rapidly during these 5 years from 0.2% to 25.1%. Overall caries prevalence and increment was low in this study. Proportions of FT component were higher as compared with DT component with low rate of extractions during the latter years of the study.

Topics: Child; Dental Caries; Ethnicity; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Malaysia; Male; Prevalence; Program Evaluation; School Dentistry; Severity of Illness Index; Sex Distribution

To assess the salivary levels of Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), Manganese (Mn) and Iron (Fe) obtained from children of different ethnic backgrounds in Shah Alam, Malaysia and investigate the possible relationships with caries.. One hundred and twenty primary school children were included. They were divided into caries and caries-free groups. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected from each participant using spitting method. The salivary elements were measured using an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and Pearson's correlation analysis were performed.. Salivary Cu and Zn levels were significantly higher in children with dental caries compared to those caries-free (p < 0.05). Moreover, these elements had a positive correlation with dental caries (Cu: r=0.698, p<0.001; Zn: r=0.181, p<0.05). No significant variations in Mn and Fe were observed between caries and caries-free group (p>0.05). Additionally, there were significant differences in salivary Zn and Fe among different age groups (p<0.05) and highly significant differences in salivary Cu, Mn and Fe among different ethnic groups (p<0.001). However, all elements exhibited no significant differences between males and females.. The salivary Cu and Zn levels showed significant differences between caries and caries-free groups. The findings also revealed significant variations in the levels of salivary Cu, Mn and Fe among different ethnic groups and salivary Zn and Fe among different age groups.

Topics: Age Factors; Child; China; Copper; Dental Caries; DMF Index; Ethnicity; Female; Humans; India; Iron; Malaysia; Male; Manganese; Saliva; Sex Factors; Spectrophotometry, Atomic; Trace Elements; Zinc

The study objective was to compare children's oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) in schools with 6 years of implementation of a health promoting school model in Malaysia, i.e. the Doktor Muda Programme (DMP) and in schools without the DMP.. This report was part of a larger study to evaluate the DMP impact on schoolchildren's oral health knowledge, attitudes, behaviour, caries progression and OHRQoL. It was conducted in Negri Sembilan state. The sample comprised 3455, Year 6 (11-12 year old) children; 1282 from DMP (intervention) and 2173 from non-DMP (control) schools. The Malay Child-OIDP index was used to evaluate children's levels of oral impacts on 8 daily performances after 6 years of DMP implementation (2006-2011). Prevalence, score, impact intensity, causes and extent of impacts were compared. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests were used in the data analysis.. Overall response rate was 95.1%. Prevalence of overall impacts was 57.8% and 60.8% (mean total impact score was 7.10 and 7.77) in the intervention and control group, respectively. The three most frequently affected performances in both groups were eating, cleaning teeth and emotional stability. Significantly less DMP children had oral impact on cleaning teeth (p = 0.034). The majority of children with impacts in both groups reported 'very little' to 'moderate' levels of impact intensity. Significantly more DMP children reported having 'very little' and 'little' levels of impact intensity on cleaning teeth (p = 0.037) and emotional stability (p = 0.020), respectively. Significantly less DMP children reported having 'very severe' level of impact intensity on speaking (p = 0.038). The most prevalent cause of impacts in both groups was toothache. Significantly less DMP children reported bleeding gums (p = 0.016) and presence of plaque/calculus as causes of impacts (p = 0.032). About 75% of children with impacts in both groups reported having up to four daily performances affected.. This study showed that the health promoting school model, i.e. the Doktor Muda Programme for primary schools in Malaysia had some positive impacts on 11-12 year old children's oral health related quality of life.

Topics: Child; Dental Caries; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Promotion; Health Status; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Oral Health; Program Evaluation; Quality of Life; Schools

In Malaysia, Early Childhood Caries (ECC) was found to affect 76.2% of 5-year-olds (2005). General practitioners are more likely to encounter preschool children and are in a better position to educate parents and caretakers about ECC and make appropriate referrals. This study assessed the knowledge and opinions on early childhood oral health among medical and dental undergraduates.. This cross sectional study involved 245 students enrolled in the first year medical (M1) and dental (D1) course and fourth year medical (M4) and dental (D4) course. The students completed a self-administered questionnaire which included knowledge and opinions on early childhood oral health. Comparisons between the groups were done using chi-square test.. Dental students showed significantly better knowledge than medical students. D1 students showed significantly better knowledge of age of first tooth eruption over M1. Knowledge of recommended age for bottle weaning was higher among D4 students but not significantly more than M4 students.. The majority of medical students showed inadequate knowledge indicating that medical curriculum should emphasise on oral health topics of public health relevance like ECC and its prevention. Dental students had better knowledge regarding early childhood oral health, but lacked knowledge on its preventive aspects.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Attitude of Health Personnel; Attitude to Health; Bottle Feeding; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Care for Children; Dental Caries; Education, Dental; Education, Medical; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Oral Health; Self Report; Students, Dental; Students, Medical; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tooth Eruption; Weaning; Young Adult

This was a retrospective cohort study undertaken to assess the rate and pattern of dental caries development in 6-year-old school children followed-up for a period of 5 years, and to identify baseline risk factors that were associated with 5 years caries experience in Malaysian children.. This 5-years retrospective cohort study comprised primary school children initially aged 6 years in 2004. Caries experience of each child was recorded annually using World Health Organization criteria. The rates of dental caries were recorded in prevalence and incidence density of carious lesions from baseline to final examination. Risk assessment was done to assess relative risk for caries after 5 years in children with baseline caries status. Simple and multiple logistic regression analysis were performed to identify significant independent risk factors for caries.. The sample consisted of 1830 school children. All components of DMFT showed significant differences between baseline and final examination. Filled teeth (FT) component of the DMFT showed the greatest increases. Results revealed the initial baseline caries level in permanent dentition was a strong predictor for future caries after 5 years (RR=3.78, 95% CI=3.48-4.10, P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed significant association between caries occurrence and residence (urban/rural) (OR=1.80, P<0.001). However, it was not significantly associated with gender and ethnicity. The incidence density of caries, affected persons (IDp) observed from baseline and after 5 years was 5.80 persons/100 person-year of observation. The rate of new caries-affected tooth (IDt) in the period from baseline and after 5-years was 0.76 teeth/100 teeth-year of observation.. The majority of 12-year-old school children (70%) were caries-free and most of the caries were concentrated in only a small proportion (30%) of them. We found that the presence of caries in permanent teeth at the age of 6 years was a strong predictor of future caries development in this population. The strong evidence of early permanent teeth caries at six years old to predict future caries incidence at 12-year-olds, which could be obtained at almost no cost, questions the need for and cost-effectiveness of expensive technology-based commercial caries predictions kits.

Topics: Child; Dental Caries; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Retrospective Studies; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors

The aim of this study was to determine the dental health status and treatment needs of personnel in the Infantry Regiment of the Malaysian Territorial Army (TA).This cross-sectional study involved stratified and systematic random sampling with a total sample size of 300. Dental health status and treatment needs were assessed using the standard WHO oral assessment criteria (1997). The prevalence of caries experience was 96% (mean ± SD DMFT [decayed, missing, filled teeth] = 8.0 ± 5.5). Active decay prevalence was high (85%; mean ± SD = 3.6 ± 3.1) indicating high unmet treatment need. Missing teeth prevalence was high (69%; mean ± SD = 2.8 ± 3.7). Filled teeth prevalence was low (56%, mean ± SD = 1.5 ± 2.0). In all, 90% of participants required some form of dental treatment, of whom 85% required restorative treatment, 5% advanced restorative treatment, 36.7% extractions, and 45.3% prosthetic treatment. These findings suggest that there was a high need for dental treatment in the Infantry Battalions of Malaysian TA Regiments and the service must be made available to cater to the needs.

Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Caries; Dental Health Services; Dental Restoration, Permanent; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Military Personnel; Needs Assessment; Oral Health; Tooth Loss; Young Adult

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between dental anxiety and dental decay experience among antenatal mothers attending Maternal and Child Health clinics in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted on a consecutive sample of 407 antenatal mothers in Seremban, Malaysia. The questionnaire consisted of participants' demographic profile and the Dental Fear Survey. The D(3cv)MFS was employed as the outcome measure and was assessed by a single examiner (intraclass correlation = 0.98). A structural equation model was designed to inspect the relationship between dental anxiety and dental decay experience. The mean Dental Fear Survey score for all participants was 35.1 [95% confidence interval (34.0, 36.3)]. The mean D(3cv)MFS score was 10.8 [95% confidence interval (9.5, 12.1)]. Participants from low socio-economic status groups had significantly higher D(3cv)MFS counts than those from high socio-economic status groups. The path model with dental anxiety and socio-economic status as predictors of D(3cv)MFS showed satisfactory fit. The correlation between dental anxiety and dental decay experience was 0.30 (standardized estimate), indicating a positive association. Socio-economic status was also statistically significantly associated with the D(3cv)MFS count (beta = 0.19). This study presented robust evidence for the significant relationship between dental anxiety and dental decay experience in antenatal mothers.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Chi-Square Distribution; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Anxiety; Dental Caries; DMF Index; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Manifest Anxiety Scale; Models, Statistical; Multivariate Analysis; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Social Class; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult

The aims of this study were to determine factors associated with dental visit and to describe barriers to utilisation of oral health care services among antenatal mothers attending the Obstetric and Gynaecology Specialist clinic in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia.. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was used obtain information on the variables of interest pertaining to the current pregnancy from 124 antenatal mothers.. The majority of the mothers claimed that their oral health status was good (67.0%) or very good (2.4%). On the contrary, most of them admitted of having had at least one oral health problem (59.7%) including cavitated (43.5%) and painful teeth (15.3%), bleeding gum (21.0%), and bad breath (10.5%). However, only 29% of the mothers visited dentist during the current pregnancy. Factors associated with the mothers' dental visit were exposure to oral health education before the pregnancy and awareness of relationship between poor maternal oral health and adverse pregnancy outcomes with odds ratio of 4.06 (95% CI: 1.67-9.78) and 3.57 (95% CI: 1.30-9.77) respectively. Common excuses given by most mothers include perceptions of not having any oral health problems (65.9%), long waiting time at the clinic (71.6%), and no immediate treatment given by the dentist (64.8%).. Utilisation of oral health care services among antenatal mothers was low. Mothers who reported dental visit were more likely to be those who had received oral health education before the current pregnancy and knew of the association between poor maternal oral health and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Dissatisfaction with the services rendered and perceptions of not having any oral health problems were the main barriers.

Topics: Adult; Dental Care; Dental Caries; Female; Humans; Logistic Models; Malaysia; Mothers; Oral Health; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Pregnancy; Prenatal Care; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult

Policymakers' understanding of and ability to reduce health disparities are pivotal for health promotion worldwide. This study aimed to verify the behavioral pathways leading to oral health disparities. Oral examinations were conducted for 1782 randomly selected preschoolers (3-6 yrs), and 1576 (88.4%) participants were followed up after 12 months. Parents were surveyed on their knowledge (K), attitude (A), and practices (P) regarding their children's oral health homecare (infant feeding, diet, and oral hygiene) and dental attendance. Structural equation modeling substantiated the links between specific KAs and corresponding practices, while generic KA did not affect practices. KAP pathways partly explained the ethnic and socio-economic disparities in oral health. Deprivation had a direct effect (not mediated by KA) on dental attendance, but not on oral health homecare. Ethnicity directly influenced oral health homecare practices, but not dental attendance. These behavioral pathways, furthering our understanding of health disparity, may have practical implications for health promotion and policy-making.

Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; China; Dental Caries; Diet, Cariogenic; Educational Status; Ethnicity; Female; Health Behavior; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Status Disparities; Humans; Incidence; India; Least-Squares Analysis; Malaysia; Male; Oral Hygiene; Parents; Principal Component Analysis; Prospective Studies; Singapore; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Toothbrushing

This study was undertaken to assess the impact of fluoride mouth rinsing on caries experience in a cohort of schoolchildren 3 years after implementation.. 270 children aged 8-9 years from four schools in Sarawak were selected at baseline. Baseline data was collected to ensure that the selected schools did not differ significantly. Children from two schools rinsed with 0.2% sodium fluoride under supervision, while those from the other schools did not.. After 3 years, 242 schoolchildren remained in the study. At the end of the study, the mean DMFT for the test group was 2.3 (95% CI, 1.93-2.67) while the mean DMFT for the control group was 4.01 (95% CI, 3.39-4.63). The mean DMFS for the test group was 3.40 (95% CI, 2.68-4.12) while the mean DMFS for the control group was 6.67 (95% CI, 5.47-7.87). After 3 years, 24.2% of those in the test group remained caries free compared to 11.5% in the control group. The risk of developing caries decreased 0.52 times among the children from the 'test' group exposed to the fluoride mouth rinsing programme as compared to the unexposed 'control' group (RR = 0.48, 95% CI, 0.26-0.85).. The findings show that a school-based weekly 0.2% sodium fluoride mouth rinsing programme is an effective caries preventive measure and should be implemented in fluoride-deficient areas as a means of reducing the prevalence of dental caries in these communities.

Topics: Beverages; Cariostatic Agents; Child; Cohort Studies; Dental Caries; Dental Caries Susceptibility; Dietary Sucrose; DMF Index; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Food; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Mouthwashes; Risk Factors; School Dentistry; Sodium Fluoride; Toothbrushing; Toothpastes; Water Supply

To reassess the recall frequency interval for dental examinations for children, based on annual caries increments.. Cross sectional data collected on school children in eight rural and urban schools through the national Incremental Dental Care Programme (IDCP) for one district in Malaysia were analysed to assess their annual caries increment and trend lines. The Restorative Index was calculated to assess the success of the IDCP in rendering children dentally fit.. The annual caries increments were low; the current caries levels were between 0.65 and 1.50 for 12 year-old children in Kota Tinggi District. Most of the caries experience was on pits and fissures. From 7 to 12 years old, the overall annual caries increment for the total study population was 0.19. The mean annual caries increment increased slightly between the ages of 12 to 14 years and 14 to 16 years and was 0.24 and 0.25 respectively. Two distinct caries incremental trend lines were observed for children aged 7 to 16 years. One group reached a mean DMFT of about 0.75 while the other group a mean DMFT of about 1.4 at 12 years. The trend lines continued over the next 4 years until the children were 16 years old. The Restorative Index was higher in urban schools that also had low DMFT levels.. Based on the low annual caries increments of between 0.65 and 1.50, yearly dental examination intervals can safely be extended to 2-yearly intervals or even longer. Such a change of screening recall intervals would help improve resource allocation. Resources saved by extending recall intervals can be redirected to the small proportion of children with higher disease levels. This will help render more school children dentally fit and reduce inequalities in oral health.

Topics: Adolescent; Age Distribution; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Care; Dental Caries; DMF Index; Humans; Incidence; Malaysia; Mass Screening; Reminder Systems

The aim of the present study was to determine the oral health status of 16-year-old Malaysian school children. The prevalence of caries was 75.5%. More than 60% of subjects had caries experience by teeth (DMFT) scores of 0-3. The largest component of the DMFT and caries experience by surface index was the filled component. Females had higher caries prevalence and caries scores than males. The mouth and tooth prevalences of enamel defects were 56% and 21.8%, respectively. The most common type of enamel defects observed were diffuse opacities, affecting 95.5% of affected subjects and 92.1% of affected teeth. One-third of subjects had healthy gingival conditions, 8.6% had bleeding gingivae, 55.1% had calculus and 3% had pockets. Less than 1% of subjects wore or required dentures. Cleft lip and/or palate was uncommon. This study shows that the prevalence of caries and DMFT scores have declined over the last 30 years.

Topics: Adolescent; Dental Caries; Dental Enamel Hypoplasia; DMF Index; Female; Humans; Incisor; Malaysia; Male; Oral Health; Periodontal Diseases; Periodontal Index; Prevalence; Tooth Fractures

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Australia; Child; Child, Preschool; China; Dental Caries; DMF Index; Ethnicity; Female; Humans; Indian Ocean Islands; Malaysia; Male; Pit and Fissure Sealants; Prevalence; Tooth, Deciduous

Two hundred and twenty-nine children aged 12-15 years who were continuous residents of Penang island, in the north of Peninsular Malaysia were examined for caries and enamel defects. Caries prevalence was 82.2% with a DMFT score of 3.4 and DMFS score of 4.9; there were very few missing teeth and very little untreated caries in the population examined. Majority of DF (decayed/filled) lesions were pits and fissures with approximal and smooth surfaces relatively caries free. The prevalence of enamel defects was 76.4% with 19.1% of all teeth examined being affected. More posterior than anterior teeth were affected by enamel defects just as there were more maxillary than mandibular teeth affected by enamel defects. Diffuse patchy opacities were the most common defect diagnosed and this was found in 60.2% of the population examined. A bilateral distribution of diffuse patchy opacities was seen in 41.5% of the population examined. Tooth surfaces with enamel defects were no more susceptible to caries than defect-free surfaces.

Topics: Adolescent; Analysis of Variance; Child; Dental Caries; Dental Enamel; Dental Fissures; DMF Index; Female; Fluoridation; Fluorosis, Dental; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Observer Variation; Pilot Projects; Prevalence; Statistics, Nonparametric

A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the parents' level of knowledge, and their attitudes to nursing bottle syndrome. Of 284 children aged 2-6 years clinically examined, 153 were diagnosed as having nursing bottle syndrome based on the criterion that at least one upper maxillary incisor was affected by caries. The parents of the 153 affected children were then interviewed by questionnaire. The findings suggested that parents had adequate knowledge and a positive attitude towards maintaining satisfactory dental care for their children. However, these attitudes were not reflected in the dental health of their children. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Topics: Attitude to Health; Bottle Feeding; Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Care; Dental Caries; Fluoridation; Health Education, Dental; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Malaysia; Oral Health; Parent-Child Relations; Parents; Tooth, Deciduous; Toothbrushing

This study evaluates the level of dental knowledge among 328 antenatal mothers from different ethnic groups and ascertains the importance of the various sources of dental information. The mothers were interviewed based on a structured questionnaire. Most mothers knew about the number of sets of teeth they possessed throughout their life. This was most evident among the Chinese and least among the Malays. Only 42.7% of the mothers interviewed were positive about the preservation of their teeth throughout life. This belief was highest among the Chinese followed by the Indians. However about 40% of the Chinese believed that tooth decay is hereditary. Generally the principal sources of dental information cited by most mothers were television or radio followed by dentists, school and family. This order of importance was similarly observed among the Malays and Chinese. However, among Indians, family members represent the second most important source of dental information. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Topics: Attitude to Health; China; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Dental Caries; Female; Health Education, Dental; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; India; Malaysia; Prenatal Care

As part of the student elective, the author organized a small research project into Government Dental Services in Sarawak, East Malaysia. The resulting article gives an insight into dentistry in this country.

Topics: Dental Caries; Dental Health Services; Health Education, Dental; Humans; Malaysia; Mobile Health Units; State Dentistry

Knowledge of prevention can influence preventive dental behaviours. This study surveyed knowledge and preventive dental behaviours on the prevention of dental caries and gum disease among the adult population of the three major racial groups in Singapore. Respondents were asked to rate the importance of several preventive measures against dental caries and gum disease. Questions were also fielded on dental behaviours such as preventive visits to the dentist, toothbrushing and flossing. Results showed that there was a general lack of appreciation for the use of flossing, dental sealants and fluoride supplements. Although a majority of respondents thought that regular dental checkups would be essential for prevention, the proportion who actually saw the dentist for preventive care was significantly lower. Respondents provided inappropriate reasons for brushing their teeth. Differences in both preventive knowledge and preventive dental behaviours among racial groups were evident although these were attributed to differences in education and exposure to product information rather than to racial or cultural factors.

Topics: Adult; Attitude to Health; China; Dental Care; Dental Caries; Dental Devices, Home Care; Educational Status; Ethnicity; Female; Fluoridation; Health Behavior; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; India; Malaysia; Male; Oral Health; Periodontal Diseases; Singapore; Toothbrushing

A cross-sectional survey involving 303 6-15-year-old aboriginal children was carried out in Selangor, West Malaysia. Dental caries status was assessed on the basis of the methods of the World Health Organization Oral Health Survey. The findings indicated a generally low prevalence of dental caries with a mean df of 4.94 for children below the age of 10 years. Mean DMFT and DMFS values of 1.71 and 3.22, respectively, were also observed for the 6-15-year-old children.

Topics: Adolescent; Asian People; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Caries; Ethnicity; Female; Health Services Needs and Demand; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Sex Factors; Tooth, Deciduous

Diet and sugar eating habits, in particular sweet preference levels, are gradually nurtured over time by culturally accepted dietary norms. The dietary habits of Malaysia's three main ethnic groups are distinctively different from each other and expectedly, many studies have discovered significant ethnic variations in caries experience. In order to guide further research work into the causes of these variations, this pilot study was designed to establish whether ethnic variations exist in sweet preference levels. This study found that although the difference in sweet preference between boys and girls in this sample was not statistically significant, the ethnic variation was statistically significant. The implications of this study and suggestions for further research in this field are discussed.

Topics: Child; Dental Caries; Diet, Cariogenic; Dietary Carbohydrates; Ethnicity; Female; Food Preferences; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Pilot Projects; Sucrose

The aims of this study were to determine the dental and periodontal status and the associated treatment needs, other than that for prosthetic care, in patients who requested removable partial dentures. Forty-six patients who had never worn removable partial dentures before were examined for plaque index, tooth status, gingival index, loss of periodontal attachment and tooth mobility. Prior to prosthetic treatment, 15% of the teeth needed conservative treatment and 1% needed extractions. From the periodontal point of view, 65% of the teeth needed some form of related therapy, and 2% of the teeth were at risk of extraction due to advanced mobility.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Dental Caries; Dental Plaque Index; Denture, Partial, Removable; DMF Index; Female; Humans; Jaw, Edentulous, Partially; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Periodontal Diseases; Periodontal Index; Periodontal Pocket; Tooth Diseases; Tooth Extraction; Tooth Mobility

A preliminary survey on sixty-nine 7 to 12 year old Temuan tribe school children living some 30 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur was conducted. The examinations were carried out using a chair-table set up with natural daylight as the source of light. The DMF index of klein, Palmer and Knutson was used to assess the dental caries status. In spite of low fluoride content in their water supply, the findings revealed a generally low prevalence of caries experience (DMFT 1.26). The highest DMFT was in the 11 year olds. The relationship between these findings and their possible causes are discussed.

Topics: Child; Dental Caries; DMF Index; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; Prevalence

The reasons underlying the need for extraction of 2765 permanent teeth carried out over a 6 month period in the Out-patient Clinic in the Dental Faculty, University of Malaya, was investigated. The present study showed that dental caries (67.4%) is the leading cause for extraction followed by periodontal disease (19.6%). Caries accounted for the highest proportion of extractions up to the age of 50 whereas periodontal disease becomes the major factor beyond this age. The highest frequency of extractions carried out was between the ages of 21-30.

Topics: Dental Caries; Dental Clinics; Humans; Malaysia; Periodontitis; Tooth Extraction

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Child; Dental Caries; Ethnicity; Humans; Malaysia; Middle Aged; Sex Factors; Tooth Extraction

The present study analysed the development of caries in 653 first permanent molars annually over a period of 5 years in children who were 7 years-old at baseline. The cumulative caries experience increased from 6.0% at baseline to 35.2% at the end of the study period. There were no appreciable differences in the annual incremental rate of caries experience among males and females. At baseline, the Malays and Indians have the highest and lowest caries experience respectively. At 12 years of age, the Chinese have the highest caries experience whilst the data for the Malays and Indians were comparable. The highest cumulative percentage increase in caries experience for the Malays, Chinese and Indians were between the ages of 7 to 8, 9 to 10 and 8 to 9 respectively while the average annual caries increment were 4.5%, 7.3% and 5.0% respectively.

Topics: Child; China; Dental Caries; Female; Humans; India; Longitudinal Studies; Malaysia; Male; Molar

Topics: Adult; China; Dental Caries; Dental Caries Susceptibility; Female; Humans; India; Malaysia; Male

Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Caries; Dental Health Surveys; Female; Gingivitis; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Oral Hygiene; Prevalence

The dental needs, demands and patterns of service utilization were assessed in a randomly selected sample of 750 subjects attending the Dental Faculty, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. Toothache accounted for the most frequent overall dental complaint. However, the most common motives for seeking dental care varied among children (2-12 yr), adolescents (13-18 yr) and adults (19 + yr). The attendance behavior of women is more preventively orientated and more inclined towards rehabilitation compared to that of men. The proportion of normative needs of the patients varies from 7.5% for dentures to 66% for dental caries. About 50% of service utilization for the first visit consisted primarily of extractions in the oral surgery department.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Care; Dental Caries; Female; Health Services Needs and Demand; Health Services Research; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Oral Health; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Toothache; Urban Population

Topics: Child; China; Dental Caries; DMF Index; Female; Humans; India; Malaysia; Male

Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Caries; DMF Index; Humans; Malaysia; Tooth, Deciduous

The problem of dental decay was studied in a sample of 495 Chinese preschool children in Petaling Jaya. The children; 253 males and 242 females ranged in age from 3-6 years. 18.6% of the children was observed to suffer from rampant caries. Only 18.8% were caries free. The dft values ranged from 2.9 +/- 3.12 at 3 years to 5.85 +/- 3.41 at 6 years. The overall mean dft for this group was 4.99 +/- 3.81. Dental treatment was very inadequate. The decayed filled tooth ratio was 6.5:1.

Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; China; Dental Caries; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male

Singapore is an island republic of 616 km2. Four main ethnic groups make up its population of 2.4 million; these are the Chinese, Malays, Indians and others. Singapore's successful housing, industrialization and modernization programmes have caused tremendous changes in the lifestyles and expectations of the people. This very success has rendered some traditional customs impractical and irrelevant. Older Indians and Malay women still chew betel-nut. During the Hindu Thaipusam ceremony a traditional practice of dental interest is the piercing of devotees' cheeks and tongues with slivers of silver. There is no pain, bleeding or permanent tissue damage. The Chinese pick their teeth, crack melon seeds and scrape their tongues every morning. They also drink large quantities of unsweetened tea. Yet they remain caries-prone. Singaporeans have recently adopted the practice of eating at all hours of the day and night. This may have a bearing on their future caries state. Singapore has two categories of dental practitioner: the graduate and the registered but unqualified dentist who is invariably of Chinese descent. The swaged metal crown over sound and diseased tooth structure is frequently the unfortunate trademark of the latter. Often abscesses and cysts develop beneath these crowns. Successful dental health programmes have produced a DMFT of 2.8 in 12-year-old children, which betters the DMF target of 3.0 set by WHO for the year 2000. The progressive outlook of Singaporeans may eventually reduce further the number of traditional practices which are harmful to oral health.

Topics: Adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; China; Culture; Dental Caries; Dental Health Services; Feeding Behavior; Female; Humans; India; Malaysia; Male; Oral Health; Oral Hygiene; Public Health; Singapore

Three epidemiological surveys have been carried out in Malaysia since 1971. All showed a high level of caries prevalence. Ninety per cent of school children between the ages of 6 and 18 suffered from dental caries, with a DMFT of approximately 3 and a dft of approximately 2. Ninety-five per cent of the adult population had caries experience, with the mean DMFT being 13.2. Approximately 55 per cent of children showed the presence of gingivitis with the mean number of inflamed gingival units per child ranging from 1.9 to 2.8, while 72.4 per cent of adults had some form of periodontal disease with 29 per cent having pockets deeper than 3 mm. The OHI-S score for adults was 2.2 and 81 per cent used toothbrushes to clean their teeth. A further 5.1 per cent used twigs and fingers with powdered charcoal or salt. One-third of the child population needed orthodontic treatment, with 0.3 per cent examined in peninsular Malaysia having cleft lip or palate or both. In the adult population 10.4 per cent of those examined required some form of orthodontic treatment. Twenty per cent of the children in the survey were in need of dentures; 54.7 per cent of the adults were either in need of dentures or were wearing dentures. Of these 25 per cent had complete dentures. The smoking habit was most commonly associated with pre-cancerous/cancerous lesions with alcohol consumption a close competitor; 114 adults, that is 1.3 per cent of those examined, suffer from leukoplakia but only one case of oral cancer was detected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Child; Child Health Services; Dental Caries; Dental Health Services; Education; Health Services; Humans; Jaw, Edentulous; Jaw, Edentulous, Partially; Malaysia; Middle Aged; Mouth Neoplasms; Oral Health; Oral Hygiene; Periodontal Diseases; Population

Topics: Child; Dental Caries; Dental Health Surveys; DMF Index; Female; Humans; Malaysia; Male

Topics: Child; China; Dental Caries; DMF Index; Female; Humans; India; Malaysia; Male; Singapore; Urban Health

Topics: Child; China; Dental Caries; Dental Caries Susceptibility; Female; Humans; India; Malaysia; Male; Molar; Singapore

The influx of refugees from Vietnam to the industrialized countries has attracted a certain interest to studies describing the oral health status of these population groups. The present study comprises 361 refugees arriving in Malaysia from Vietnam and collected immediately at the refugee camp on Pulau Bidong. Dental caries, calculus, gingival bleeding and loss of periodontal attachment were recorded. Mean dmft increased from 1.3 for 0-2-yr-olds to 7.4 for 3-5-yr-olds. For 6-9-yr-olds mean DMFT was 2.4 while it ranged between 8.5 and 10.10 for the older age groups. The frequency of secondary lesions was high for all age groups. Calculus increased consistently with age, while gingival bleeding was common even in the youngest age group. Loss of periodontal attachment greater than or equal to 6 mm was rare in all age groups except the oldest (45 yr or older). A strategy for oral health care for these population groups is discussed.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Caries; DMF Index; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Malaysia; Male; Middle Aged; Oral Health; Periodontal Diseases; Periodontal Index; Refugees; Vietnam

Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Caries; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Female; Heart Defects, Congenital; Humans; Malaysia; Male; Rheumatic Heart Disease; Risk

A dental health survey of 15,197 schoolchildren age 6-18 years was conducted in West Malaysia. The caries experience in the permanent teeth of the three racial groups, namely Malay, Chinese and Indian/Pakistani, showed a distinct variation. The prevalence was highest among the Chinese children, being about twice that of the Malay and Indian/Pakistani children. In the primary dentition, however, the caries experience in the three racial groups was comparable. An analysis of the factors contributing to the racial variation showed that dietary influence was not the only factor responsible. The possibility of a racial variation in caries susceptibility has been postulated. In the primary dentition the similar caries experience observed in the three groups of children was most probably due to the widespread occurrence of rampant caries which would heavily weight the dift score of the children in all three groups. The need to fluoridate the public water supply as an effective preventive measure is emphasized.

Topics: Adolescent; Age Factors; Child; China; Dental Caries; Dental Health Surveys; DMF Index; Humans; India; Malaysia; Pakistan; Racial Groups; School Dentistry

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Child; Child, Preschool; Dental Caries; Dental Health Surveys; DMF Index; Hong Kong; Humans; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; Middle Aged; Periodontal Diseases; Philippines; Singapore; Taiwan; Thailand; Vietnam; World Health Organization

Topics: BCG Vaccine; Child; China; Dental Caries; Diphtheria; Ethnicity; Feces; Female; Humans; Immunization; India; Lice Infestations; Malaysia; Male; Morbidity; Nematoda; Poliomyelitis; Scabies; School Health Services; Smallpox; Socioeconomic Factors; Tetanus; Vitamin A Deficiency; Whooping Cough

Topics: Adolescent; China; Dental Caries; Health Status; Humans; Malaysia; Military Medicine; Military Personnel; Nutrition Surveys; Oral Health; Periodontal Diseases; Thailand; Tooth Calcification