Risk factors for periodontal diseases among Yemeni type II diabetic patients. A case-control study.

Background: Chronic periodontal diseases are one of diabetes mellitus complications. The present study aims to compare the periodontal status of type II diabetic patients to a control group and assess the role of risk factors in both groups. Materials and methods: A case-control study was conducted of 270 individuals (132 type II diabetics and 138 non-diabetics). Full mouth periodontal examination including plaque index, gingival bleeding, gingival recession, clinical attachment loss (CAL), tooth mobility, furcation involvement and the number of missing teeth. The case group was subdivided according to glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) status (poorly controlled HbA1c >8 and well controlled HbA1c ≤8) Likewise, the duration of diabetes mellitus as short or long duration (DM ≤10 or >10). The diabetic group was also subdivided according to smoking and Khat chewing habits.  Result: The severity of periodontal disease among type II diabetic patients were significantly higher compared to the control group regarding the plaque index 2.6 (1.6-4.3), bleeding on probing 3.5 (2.3-13.0), gingival recession 2.0 (1.2-3.4), furcation involvement 4.0 (2.3-6.7), clinical attachment loss 5.7 (3.1-10.5), tooth mobility 2.0 (1.2-3.4), and number of missing teeth 4.4 (2.3-8.5). In addition, poorly controlled type II DM and long duration had higher CAL and number of missing teeth than well-controlled DM and short duration. No significant differences were found between smokers/nonsmokers and Khat chewers/non-chewers among the diabetic group. Conclusion: Type II diabetic patients have severe periodontal destruction and tooth loss compared to non-diabetic people and there were no differences within the diabetic group in regards to smoking and Khat chewing habits

Tongue lesions and anomalies in a sample of Yemeni dental patients: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Tongue examination helps considerably in diagnosing the underlying health state of the patient, especially in the cases of chronic diseases. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and association of tongue lesions with risk factors among Yemeni dental patients. Materials and methods: An oral medicine specialist examined all 713 patients attending the dental polyclinics at the University of Sciences and Technology (Sana’a, Yemen). The examination sheet was designed to include information related to patient characteristics, medical history, dental history, habits, and tongue lesions. Results: The prevalence of tongue lesions among the examined participants was 76.5%. The prevalence rate was 83.4% for males and 69.2% for females. Fissured tongue was the most common condition. Logistic regression analysis indicated that older age (p<0.001), gender (p=0.007), khat chewing (p<0.001), and smoking (p=0.001) were associated with fissured tongue; gender (p<0.001), khat chewing (p<0.001), and smoking (p<0.001) were associated with hairy tongue; and older age (p<0.001), khat chewing (p=0.001), and smoking (p=.021) were associated with coated tongue. Conclusion: The prevalence of tongue lesions among this sample of Yemeni population was 76.5%; fissured tongue and hairy tongue were the most prevalent lesions. Khat chewing, smoking, and older age were the associated risk factors for many of studied lesions and anomalies

Oral Cancer Knowledge and Screening Practices Among Dental Professionals in Yemen: a Web-Based Survey

BackgroundGood knowledge and screening practices of dental professionals for oral cancer (OC) will inevitably improve its prognosis. The present study sought to evaluate OC knowledge and practices among dental professionals in Yemen. MethodsThis study was conducted among Yemeni dentists. The used tool was a prevalidated online questionnaire composed of items on the knowledge, practices, and barriers of OC screening and early detection. The data were managed and analysed using SPSS Version 28.0. ResultsA total of 506 dental professionals completed the questionnaire. The participants showed moderate levels of knowledge on risk factors and clinical signs of OC. While the majority reported tobacco (89.9%) as a potential risk factor, only 76.7% and 57.5% of the subjects reported a potential role for alcohol consumption and old age. Regarding clinical signs, the majority reported that OC can present as nonhealing ulcer (90.3%) or white/red patch (87.2%), yet only 73.7% reported that it can present as swelling/lump, and around 32% reported that teeth attrition is one of its clinical signs. Concerning practices, most of the participants reported asking their patients about their tobacco habits (84%), routinely examine patients’ oral mucosa (81.4%), and refer suspicious lesions to specialists (91.3%). Only 44.9% reported feeling confident regarding their knowledge and training on OC. Specialists and those who attended educational courses on OC were more knowledgeable, more confident, and showed better practices than their counterparts. Inadequate knowledge/training, lack of time, and lack of financial compensation were the most reported barriers to OC screening and early detection. ConclusionThe present study indicates marked gaps in the knowledge and screening practices of OC among Yemeni dentists. Therefore, conducting periodic continuing courses along with interventional trainings are urgently recommended to address these gaps

A scoping review of the links between early childhood caries and clean water and sanitation : the sustainable development goal 6

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT: All data is provided within the manuscript and supplementary information files.INTRODUCTION: The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 calls for universal access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), which are crucial elements of health and well-being and fundamental for a life in dignity. Early childhood caries (ECC) is a preventable disease affecting health and quality of life of millions of young children worldwide. This scoping review aims to explore the connection between ECC and access to clean water and sanitation. METHODS: This scoping review, registered on the Open Science Framework and following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, conducted a thorough search in databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Google Scholar, SciELO) and websites (via Google) in November 2023. The search, without date limitations, targeted studies in English and Spanish linking ECC to SDG6. Exclusions were made for studies solely focusing on ECC without a direct connection to clean water and sanitation. Descriptive statistics summarized the retrieved papers. RESULTS: The initial search yielded 303 articles. After removing duplicates, 264 articles remained for title and abstract screening after which 244 were excluded and one report was added through citation searching. The 21 remaining articles underwent full text review. There were no studies on a direct association between access to clean water and sanitation and the prevalence of ECC. There were nine studies that showed indirect associations between ECC and access to clean water and sanitation through the links of: water and sanitation access as a marker for poverty (n=1), water consumption as a feeding practice (n=4), and the effectiveness of water fluoridation (n=4). These were used to develop a conceptual model. CONCLUSIONS: While it is conceivable that a direct link exists between ECC and access to clean water and sanitation, the available body of research only offers evidence of indirect associations. The exploration of potential pathways con‑ necting water access to ECC warrants further investigation in future research.https://bmcoralhealth.biomedcentral.com/Community DentistrySDG-06:Clean water and sanitatio

Factors associated with COVID-19 pandemic induced post-traumatic stress symptoms among adults living with and without HIV in Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

Background: Nigeria is a country with high risk for traumatic incidences, now aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify differences in COVID-19 related post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among people living and not living with HIV; to assess whether PTSS were associated with COVID-19 pandemic-related anger, loneliness, social isolation, and social support; and to determine the association between PTSS and use of COVID-19 prevention strategies.Methods: The data of the 3761 respondents for this analysis was extracted from a cross-sectional online survey that collected information about mental health and wellness from a convenience sample of adults, 18 years and above, in Nigeria from July to December 2020. Information was collected on the study's dependent variable (PTSS), independent variables (self-reported COVID-19, HIV status, use of COVID-19 prevention strategies, perception of social isolation, access to emotional support, feelings of anger and loneliness), and potential confounder (age, sex at birth, employment status). A binary logistic regression model tested the associations between independent and dependent variables.Results: Nearly half (47.5%) of the respondents had PTSS. People who had symptoms but were not tested (AOR = 2.20), felt socially isolated (AOR = 1.16), angry (AOR = 2.64), or lonely (AOR = 2.19) had significantly greater odds of reporting PTSS (p p Conclusion: The present study identified some multifaceted relationships between post-traumatic stress, HIV status, facemask use, anger, loneliness, social isolation, and access to emotional support during this protracted COVID-19 pandemic. These findings have implications for the future health of those affected, particularly for individuals living in Nigeria. Public health education should be incorporated in programs targeting prevention and prompt diagnosis and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder at the community level.</p

Risk factors for periodontal diseases among Yemeni type II diabetic patients. A case-control study.

Background: Chronic periodontal diseases are one of diabetes mellitus complications. The present study aims to compare the periodontal status of type II diabetic patients to a control group and assess the role of risk factors in both groups. Materials and methods: A case-control study was conducted of 270 individuals (132 type II diabetics and 138 non-diabetics). Full mouth periodontal examination including plaque index, gingival bleeding, gingival recession, clinical attachment loss (CAL), tooth mobility, furcation involvement and the number of missing teeth. The case group was subdivided according to glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) status (poorly controlled HbA1c >8 and well controlled HbA1c ≤8) Likewise, the duration of diabetes mellitus as short or long duration (DM ≤10 or >10). The diabetic group was also subdivided according to smoking and Khat chewing habits.  Result: The severity of periodontal disease among type II diabetic patients were significantly higher compared to the control group regarding the plaque index 2.6 (1.6-4.3), bleeding on probing 3.5 (2.3-13.0), gingival recession 2.0 (1.2-3.4), furcation involvement 4.0 (2.3-6.7), clinical attachment loss 5.7 (3.1-10.5), tooth mobility 2.0 (1.2-3.4), and number of missing teeth 4.4 (2.3-8.5). In addition, poorly controlled type II DM and long duration had higher CAL and number of missing teeth than well-controlled DM and short duration. No significant differences were found between smokers/nonsmokers and Khat chewers/non-chewers among the diabetic group. Conclusion: Type II diabetic patients have severe periodontal destruction and tooth loss compared to non-diabetic people and there were no differences within the diabetic group in regards to smoking and Khat chewing habits