Oral Health Knowledge, Perceptions, and Habits of Adolescents from Portugal, Romania, and Sweden: A Comparative Study

Aims

The study aimed to assess and compare the self-reported oral health knowledge, habits, and perceptions of adolescents in Portugal, Romania, and Sweden and the factors that may affect them.

Materials and Methods

An oral health questionnaire with 25 questions was put together in English language and translated into Portuguese, Romanian, and Swedish language to investigate and compare oral health-related knowledge, habits, and perceptions of adolescents from the different countries. A voluntary sample of 879 teenagers completed it, mean aged 14.9 (±1.83) years, from Romania (n = 455), Portugal (n = 200), and Sweden (n = 224) as part of the EuHyDens project. The survey took place between November 2015 and June 2016.

Results

It showed some differences between the countries studied but more similarities between Portuguese and Romanian adolescents as related to perceptions of oral health and the use of oral services. Sweden and Portugal are more similar regarding oral health habits (toothbrushing and diet) as compared to Romanian adolescents. Portuguese adolescents have a higher oral health-related knowledge.

Conclusion

Assessment of knowledge, perceptions, and habits of a population is essential for the adequate understanding of the oral health-care needs of the society. From the data collected, several differences were found. These differences can be used for tailor interventions to minimize inequalities between countries.

Self-reported oral health-related habits, attitudes and knowledge in adults from Portugal, Romania and Sweden-A comparative study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to compare the self-reported oral health knowledge, habits and attitudes of adults in Portugal, Romania and Sweden, each benefitting from a different oral health system.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1081 adults in the three countries, using an adapted version of the WHO oral health questionnaire. This survey took place between November 2015 and June 2016.

RESULTS

The mean age of the respondents was 46.85 with 95% CI (45.84, 47.86). Over 85% of the Portuguese and the Swedish, but only 55% of the Romanians, reported having 20 or more teeth left (P < 0.001). Most Swedes visit the dental office regularly, but only 50.5% of the Portuguese and 20.6% of the Romanians do so (P < 0.001). Interdental cleaning aids and fluoridated toothpaste were used the most in Sweden and the least in Romania. Daily consumption of sweets was lowest for Portugal and highest for Romania (P < 0.001), and daily intake of fresh fruits and vegetables was lowest for Sweden (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

There is a difference between the three countries regarding oral health, diet, dental attendance and oral health-related quality of life, with Romania being in most need of improvement in these areas. The differences could be explained by the distinct healthcare systems adopted by the countries.

Anatomical features and prosthetic considerations of edentulous patients with mandibular reconstruction with autograft performed more than 40 years ago

In this manuscript there are presented two cases, both with mandibular reconstruction with autograft harvested from the iliac crest, performed more than 40 years ago, but with different bone defect etiology, i.e., mandibular dysplasia and mandibular fracture, both having currently extensive tooth loss in the mandible, being in need for prosthetic rehabilitation. These cases confirm that reconstructive surgery of mandibular bone defects with autograft from iliac crest has a satisfactory long-term outcome, providing acceptable conditions for prosthetic rehabilitation. Bone resorption in the grafted area seems to be related to the etiology of bone defect, and influenced by preservation of dental occlusion and masticatory function. Reconstructive surgery made decades ago has sequelae that increase the difficulty of prosthetic treatment of edentulous patient, that need to be proper evaluated and included in the treatment plan, in an individualized approach, in order to obtain an acceptable functional outcome.

Validation of a Romanian version of the short form of the oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) for use in an urban adult population

PURPOSE

To obtain a valid Romanian version of the OHIP-14 for use among Romanian adults, either in Romania or abroad.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Romanian version of the OHIP-14 was obtained through the back translation technique and pre-tested in a pilot study. Subsequently, it was self-administered to 187 adults who also underwent a clinical examination. Cronbach alpha was used to check the internal consistency and reliability analysis and validity tests were used to determine the psychometric properties of the questionnaire.

RESULTS

The Cronbach alpha coefficient obtained was 0.88. Inter-item correlation coefficients were between 0.01 and 0.74; item-total correlation values ranged between 0.25 and 0.77. There were statistically significant associations (p <= 0.001) between the respondents' self-perceived oral health (r = 0.41), the dental treatment need (r = 0.35) and the mean of the OHIP-14 total scores. Similar statistically significant associations (p <= 0.001) existed between the OHIP-14 total scores mean and the clinical data - the number of decayed (D) and of missing (M) teeth and the prosthetic treatment need - proving the construct validity of the questionnaire. The subscales 'physical pain' and 'psychological disability' have the most important impact on the overall OHIP-14 score. The subscales 'social disability' and 'handicap' seem to make the least contribution to the overall OHIP-14 score.

CONCLUSION

The Romanian version of the OHIP-14 is a valid and reliable questionnaire that can be used in future studies.

Heterothermal acclimation: an experimental paradigm for studying the control of thermal acclimation in crabs

A method for the study of the control of the attainment of thermal acclimation has been applied to the crabs, Cancer pagurus and Carcinus maenas. Crabs were heterothermally acclimated by using an anterior-posterior partition between two compartments, one at 8 degrees C and the other at 22 degrees C. One compartment held a three-quarter section of the crab including the central nervous system (CNS), eye stalks, and ipsilateral legs; the other held a quarter section including the contralateral legs. Criteria used to assess the acclimation responses were comparisons of muscle plasma membrane fatty acid composition and "fluidity." In both species, the major fatty acids of phosphatidylcholine were 16:0, 18:1, 20:5, and 22:6, whereas phosphatidylethanolamine contained significantly less 16:0 but more 18:0; these fatty acids comprised 80% of the total. Differences in fatty acid composition were demonstrated between fractions obtained from the ipsilateral and contralateral legs from the same heterothermally acclimated individual. In all acclimation states (except 22CNS, phosphatidylcholine fraction), membrane lipid saturation was significantly increased with acclimation at 22 degrees as compared with 8 degrees C. Membrane fluidity was determined by using 1,3-diphenyl-1,3,5 hexatriene (DPH) fluorescence polarization. In both species, membranes from legs held at 8 degrees were more fluid than from legs held at 22 degrees C irrespective of the acclimation temperature of the CNS. Heterothermal acclimation demonstrated that leg muscle membrane composition and fluidity respond primarily to local temperature and were not predominately under central direction. The responses between 8 degrees C- and 22 degrees C-acclimated legs were more pronounced when the CNS was cold-acclimated, so a central influence cannot be excluded.

Procaine incorporation into human erythrocyte membrane--a spin label study

The positioning of procaine among the components of human erythrocyte membranes was investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) using several spin labelled molecules: fatty acids 5-, 12- and 16-doxyl-stearic acids (5DSA, 12DSA, 16DSA), procaine (SLP) and a quaternary ammonium salt (CAT4). It was proved that while procaine significantly modified EPR parameters of both CAT4 and 5DSA, it had no effect at the level of the twelfth or sixteenth carbon atom of the membrane lipid chains. Simultaneous incorporation of 5DSA and SLP and SLP in erythrocyte membranes revealed a shorter than 10 A distance between paramagnetic centers of 5DSA and SLP. It is inferred that procaine interacts with the membrane not only at lipid water interface, but also (at least) up to the fifth carbon atom of the hydrophobic tail of phopolipids. Procaine inclusion does not change the transition point (40 degrees C) at which a break appears in the temperature dependence of the erythrocyte volume, hence no strong interaction between the procaine and the cytoskeleton or the integral proteins responsible for this phase transition occurs. In the temperature domain of 25-42 degrees C, procaine seems to be freely diffusible within the membrane (Debye model can be applied).