The purpose of this study was to discover and record the present dental conditions of the pupils in the Wolflin Elementary School, Amarillo, Texas, and to use this as an informative basis for the establishment of a concentrated dental program.

Diploma work with the theme Knowledge of selected respondents about oral health consists of a theoretical and a practical part and it deals with level of awareness about oral health by dental hygiene pacients. The main aim of this work is to provide a summary of information about oral health, free from myths and marketing manipulative techniques through a leaflet which is the product of this work. While creating the educational leaflet the author reflects results of a questionnaire survey which is a research tool of the practical part of the diploma thesis. Based on the answers given in the individual questionnaires, the information brochure is primarily directed to refute the most common misconceptions or beliefs of respondents, and at the same time, it was useful for obtaining information about correct oral care in both dental surgeries and e.g. at schools during lessos of health education. The theoretical part of the diploma work is devoted to basic anatomical and histological description of oral cavity, oral health in general, distinction of the terms gingiva, dental plaque or dental calculus. The hinge part is the chapter devoted to dental hygiene, in which the author deals with both profession of a dental hygienist and means of oral cavity care in the setting of the dental hygiene surgery and...

This qualitative study focused on the dental disparities in Blount County, TN and sought to determine if there are enough dental clinics within the dental safety net. Interviews were conducted with 18 individuals who were either service providers or clients of organizations such as the Salvation Army, Alcoa Good Samaritan Clinic, the local health department, Trinity Dental Clinic, Volunteer Ministry Center, Remote Area Medical, and Blount Memorial Hospital. Inclusion criteria for clients included: homeless or living below the poverty level, uninsured, 18 to 65 years of age, has not seen a dentist in the past year and currently suffering a dental problem. The most obvious common theme among the 11 clients interviewed was that they struggle with getting dental care. Patients were asked when the last time they had seen a dentist and they answered years ago, most over ten years ago. Eight of the eleven clients did not know of any facilities they could go to. Cost was the main reason for these clients not seeking dental care. Two dentists were asked about the reasons for disparities in dental care. The major common themes between the dentists were cost, access to care, and education. All five case managers said that they had clients experiencing dental needs ranging from a simple cleaning to an abscess. Currently in Blount County only one dental clinic serves over 17,000 residents who live in poverty.

There is a great demand and need for oral health care during the course of HIV disease (HIV Costs and Services Utilization Study; Marcus et. al., 2005). HIV+ patients identified three key barriers to obtaining oral health treatment: 1) beliefs and attitudes of dental health care providers (DHCPs) may have lead to their unwillingness to treat HIV/AIDS patients; 2) the existence of racial and ethnic disparities in health care in the United States, and 3) how DHCPs perceive their risk of contracting HIV. The fear and stigma associated with treating patients with HIV further compromises their access to care and their health status. Oral health conditions associated with HIV disease are frequently more severe than those of the general population, making access to both dental and medical care imperative. Plus, Florida has some of the highest numbers of HIV/AIDS patients in the nation. This study was descriptive, cross-sectional and used quantitative methods to explore the dental hygienists' behavioral and normative beliefs, attitudes, and intentions toward treating patients with HIV/AIDS. A three-phase pilot study was conducted to assess the validity and reliability of the survey instrument. An email delivery method was used to implement the survey, and a 22% response rate was achieved (n=219). The majority of respondents were female (96%), white (89%), married (77%), currently working (86%), and had treated HIV/AIDS patients in private practice (80%). Bivariate analysis showed that dental hygienists' intentions toward treating HIV/AIDS patients were significantly associated with five independent variables, and binary logistic regression confirmed the significance of two of these associations. Overall, study participants indicated that they were willing to, and had positive attitudes toward, clinically treating HIV/AIDS patients; they were confident in their ability to treat them, and their normative beliefs did not hinder their intention to do so, and they did not worry about acquiring HIV in the workplace. Three recommendations were made: increase access to oral health care for HIV/AIDS patients within community settings by removing barriers to care, incorporate cultural/sensitivity training in all dental/dental hygiene school curriculums, and mandate Florida HIV/AIDS continuing education requirements every biennium for dentists and dental hygienists.

published_or_final_version / Dentistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Darbo tikslas. Įvertinti privataus ir viešojo odontologijos centrų pacientų nuomonę apie profesionalią burnos higieną. Tyrimo metodika. Buvo atlikta anoniminė anketinė apklausa viename privačiame ir viename viešajame odontologijos centruose, esančiuose Kauno mieste. Buvo išdalinta 200 anketų, jas užpildė ir gražino 172 respondentai (atsako dažnis 86 proc.). Tyrimo objektas – pacientai nuo 18 metų amžiaus, atėję atlikti profesionalios burnos higienos procedūros į burnos higienos kabinetą. Statistinė duomenų analizė atlikta naudojant SPSS 13.0 for Windows versijos programinį paketą. Kokybinių kintamųjų ryšio hipotezėms tikrinti taikytas Chi kvadrato (χ²) kriterijus. Proporcijų lygybei tikrinti taikytas z kriterijus. Rezultatai. Pirmą kartą burnos higienos procedūrą atliko 16,9 proc. pacientų, kartą per pusę metų procedūrą atlieka 26,7 proc. pacientų, kartą per metus – 43,6 proc. pacientų, o kas kelis metus – 12,8 proc. pacientų. Geresnius burnos higienos įgūdžius bei žinias turėjo moterys. Jaunesnio amžiaus pacientai dažniau lankėsi pas burnos higienistą nei vyresnio amžiaus pacientai (atitinkamai 31,9 proc. ir 16,1 proc.; p<0,05) bei geriau vertino savo dantų būklę. Aukštąjį išsilavinimą turintys pacientai, turėjo geresnius burnos higienos įgūdžius bei geriau vertino savo dantų būklę, lyginant juos su aukštesnįjį ar vidurinį išsilavinimą turinčiais pacientais. Pacientai rinkosi viešąją, o ne privačią gydymo įstaigą dėl to, kad viešojoje gydymo įstaigoje pigesnės paslaugos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Aim of the study. To evaluate the opinion of patients in private and public odontology centers about professional dental hygiene. Methods. An anonymous questionnaire was accomplished in one private and one public odontology centers in Kaunas. 200 questionnaires were distributed to patients and 172 patients responded (response rate 86 %). Patients older than 18 years were surveyed after their visits to dental hygienists. The data was analyzed by SPSS 13.0 for Windows statistical software. Chi square and z criterions were used to evaluate relations between the variables. Results. First time professional dental hygiene procedure was accomplished by 16,9 % pacients, one time per 6 months – 26,7 %, once a year – 43,6 % and one time in a few years – 12,8 % pacients. In a comparison of the responses of women and men, women had better dental hygiene skills and knowledge. Dental condition was estimated better in younger patients (younger than 45 years) and these patients were having professional dental hygiene procedures more often than older patients (31,9 % and 16,1 % respectively, p<0,05). While evaluating patient‘s skills, knowledge and opinion about dental hygiene it was noticed that respondents with higher education had more knowledge about dental hygiene, compared with respondents with secondary education. Patients selected public odontology centre because of cheaper service, good geographical location and a belonging to these institutions. Patients chose private odontology... [to full text]

Work Orthodontic tooth defects at elementary tries through a questionnaire survey on selected basic school in Kladno to detect and identify the main orthodontic dental problems among older pupils, barriers to possible improvements and potential solutions. The topic of thesis and falls into an increasingly topical issue of children's dental health, which devotes many experts and research worldwide. The pivotal part based on the information obtained during the survey of students, parents and orthodontists in the extra work completed with valuable insights and suggestions addressed dentists and dental hygienists. The text has also focused on the role and effectiveness of preventive school programs, as well as theoretical and professional aspect of the topic, when most attention is devoted to the actual anatomy of the teeth, bite disorders, orthodontic apparatuses and their maintenance in dental hygiene. KEY WORDS Anatomy of the tooth, bite disorders, orthodontic appliances, dentistry, dental hygiene

Magister Scientiae Dentium - MSc(Dent) / The aim of this study was to compare the oral health status between well and malnourished children under five years old attending Mother and Child Health clinic in Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Maseru, Lesotho. / South Africa

The ability to perform local anesthesia on dental patients is an important clinical skill for a dental hygienist. When learning this procedure in an academic situation, students often practice on their peers to build their skills. There are multiple reasons why the peer practice is not ideal; consequently, educators have sought the means to simulate the practice of local anesthetic procedures without endangering others. Mixed-reality technologies offer a potential solution to the simulated procedure problem. The purpose of this research was to determine if students could learn the techniques for providing local anesthesia using a mixed-reality system that allows them to manipulate 3D objects in virtual space. Guiding research questions were: In what ways do using 3D objects allow for a greater understanding of anatomical, spatial, and dimensional acuity? Will students develop conceptual understandings regarding the application of anatomical and technical concepts through iteration? Will students demonstrate the proper technique and verbalize a level of confidence for administering local anesthesia after using the mixed-reality system? Design-based research methods allowed for multiple iterations of design, enactment, analysis, and redesign. The first iteration focused on building a knowledge base for designing and developing virtual reality technologies for use in dental hygiene education. The second phase of research increased in technical sophistication and involved a virtual system that allowed for student interaction and manipulation of 3D objects. The interactions supported students' learning through the association of anatomical, spatial, and dimensional acuity. Built-in learner prompts promoted the understanding and identification of anatomical landmarks for performing an injection for the lower jaw. Further, the system promoted self-controlled practice and iterative learning processes. Redesign and development in the final iteration focused on design improvements of the system that included an output metric for assessing student performance, a data glove, and a marker to assist in following student interactions. Results support that students learned "while doing" in a specific immersive environment designed for dental hygiene education and they increased their level of confidence for performing a specific procedure.

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