Occurrence and predictors of gingivitis and supragingival calculus in a population of Brazilian adults

Assessment of the professional dental cleaning knowledge, behavior and medical compliance among dentists, medical doctors and non-medical staffs: a cross sectional study in Chongqing, China

BACKGROUND

The professional dental cleaning (PDC) is an effective supplement that can make up for the lack of self-oral health care. Everyone should develop the habit of regular PDC. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, behaviors and medical compliance of dentists, medical doctors and non-medical staffs about the PDC, identify the gaps, and provide information to help individuals develop healthy oral hygiene habit.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A web-based survey with 21 questions designed based on the characteristics, the PDC knowledge, behaviors, and medical compliance of respondents. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the main districts of Chongqing, China, in the period of September-November 2020. A total of 456 respondents including 153 dentists, 137 medical doctors and 166 non-medical staffs in 3 communities and 4 hospitals were sampled online with multistage sampling and surveyed. The data was analyzed by chi-square test using IBM SPSS Statistics v. 21.0.

RESULTS

The cognitive level and behavior of dentists on the PDC was significantly better than that of medical doctors and non-medical staffs (p = 0.000-0.044). The rates of not knowing "dental plaque" were 32.85% and 61.45%, of the medical doctors and non-medical staffs. Meanwhile, most of them had misunderstanding about effects of the PDC. They thought it would whiten teeth (72.99%, 80.72%), damage gums (16.79%, 19.88%) and teeth (15.33%, 21.69%), and create bigger gaps between teeth (24.82%, 33.13%). In terms of gum health and the PDC behavior, significant differences were observed, 23.53% of dentists experienced irritated gum bleeding in the last 12 months, 42.28% did not have their teeth cleaned professionally in the last 12 months, even 7.84% never had it before. Compared with it, in the same situation, the ratios of medical doctors and non-medical staffs were about 60% experiencing irritated gum bleeding, 69.34% and 77.71% not experiencing the PDC in the last 12 months, up to 33.58% and 45.18% never experienced it before. 41 respondents (8.99%) disagreed with the reasonable and necessary medical behaviors before the PDC.

CONCLUSION

People's understanding about the PDC was insufficient, and many people, included some dentists, had not developed the habit of regular dental cleaning. Our study provided a new understanding of the PDC among dentists, medical doctors, and non-medical staffs, which may help to improve their awareness and behavior of oral hygiene health, and establish the multidisciplinary collaborations between dentists and medical doctors.

Changes in gingivitis and protective factors among adults: A 4-year prospective population-based study

OBJECTIVES

There are limited longitudinal data regarding gingival inflammation in adults. This study aimed to assess changes in gingivitis over 4 years and to determine protective factors.

METHODS

A representative sample of 1023 adults living in Porto Alegre, Brazil, was obtained in the Caries-Perio Collaboration Study. At follow-up, 402 individuals were re-examined. Gingivitis was assessed by the gingival bleeding index (GB) at both time points. Individuals were dichotomized into those showing reductions ≥ 15% and those showing reductions < 15% or increase in bleeding sites. Multivariable Poisson regression models were fitted with 11 possible risk factors, estimating relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI).

RESULTS

Percentage of individuals with GB ≥ 10% reduced from 72.4% to 53.8%. Bleeding sites significantly reduced (25.9%-20.1%), and in a higher magnitude in buccal/palatal sites (34.1%-24.0%). 31.0% of individuals presented GB reduction ≥ 15% in all sites. Toothbrushing ≥ 3 times/d increased 72% the probability of ≥15% GB reduction compared with ≤1/d (RR = 1.72; 95% CI 1.01-3.16). For each 10 pack-years smoked, the probability of ≥15% GB reduction was 3% higher (RR = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01-1.04). At buccal/palatal sites, normal weight individuals had 26% higher probability of reducing GB than overweight-obese individuals (RR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.01-1.62). A 5% higher decrease in GB sites was observed in the absence than the presence of periodontitis. Younger individuals had higher reduction in GB sites.

CONCLUSIONS

In the studied population, gingivitis reduced over time, with younger age, better oral hygiene, absence of periodontitis and normal weight being found to be protective factors. Smoking was associated with lower levels of gingivitis over time, probably due to its vasoconstrictive effect.

The correlation of altitude with gingival status among adolescents in western China: a cross-sectional study

Periodontal disease is common in Chinese adolescents. There is little information about the effect of different altitudes on gingival health. This study aimed to investigate the gingival status at different altitudes and to identify relative factors that affect adolescents' gingival status. A total of 1033 adolescents aged 12-14 years were included in this cross-sectional study in Ganzi (plateau, 1400 m, 2560 m, 3300 m) and Suining (plain, 300 m). Gingival status was assessed by the presence of gingival bleeding on probing (BOP) and dental calculus (DC). Demographic variables, socioeconomic status, dairy habits and oral health-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors were obtained via questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify potential relative factors. A total of 64.09% and 77.15% of adolescents had BOP and DC, respectively. The prevalence rates of BOP and DC were higher in the plateau than the plain (P < 0.05). After adjusting for all other factors and interaction terms, residence altitudes of 2560 m [300 m as reference: P < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) = 4.072] and 3300 m (300 m as reference: P = 0.002, OR = 4.053) were significant relative factors of BOP, and an altitude of 2560 m (300 m as reference: P = 0.001, OR = 3.866, 1400 m as reference: P = 0.001, OR = 3.944) was an important relative factor of DC. Gingival bleeding and calculus deposits were common at different altitudes. High altitude was a significant relative factor of gingival bleeding and calculus deposits.

Incidence and progression of gingival recession over 4 years: A population-based longitudinal study

AIM

To describe changes in gingival recession (GR) at buccal and palatal sites in adults over an average follow-up of 4 years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Baseline data were obtained from a multistage probabilistic representative sample of 1023 individuals aged ≥35 years from Porto Alegre, Brazil. Buccal and palatal/lingual GR were analysed.

RESULTS

402 individuals (6,862 teeth) were followed. At baseline, 3,356 (48.9%) teeth did not have GR at the buccal site and 1206 developed the condition overtime (incidence =35.9%; 95% CI 32.6-38.9). Percentage of incident teeth was higher among individuals with (42.3%) than those without (29.5%) periodontitis stages III/IV. Also, 38.5% of teeth with proximal attachment loss at follow-up had incident GR compared to 7.6% of those without proximal attachment loss. Incidence of palatal GR was observed in 32.5% of teeth (95% CI 29.7-35.3). Mean buccal and palatal/lingual GR incidence was 2.11 mm and 2.33 mm, whereas buccal and palatal/lingual GR progression equalled 0.40 mm and 0.48 mm. The prevalence of GR ≥3 mm increased in individuals with (from 35.9% to 47.4%) and without (from 25.2 to 41.5%) periodontitis.

CONCLUSION

Incidence and progression of GR are high in a general urban Brazilian population of adults.