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Occupational Medicine (Oxford, England) Oct 2023Hearing loss leads to increased irritability and disengagement in social activities and conversations, which may impact quality of life. Dental professionals are at risk...
BACKGROUND
Hearing loss leads to increased irritability and disengagement in social activities and conversations, which may impact quality of life. Dental professionals are at risk of developing hearing loss through daily exposure to noise from a wide range of equipment that produces significantly high decibels and noise frequencies.
AIMS
The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the risk of hearing loss in dental professionals, including dentists, dental specialists, dental hygienists and dental assistants.
METHODS
This review was conducted following the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews. PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, Science Direct, Google Scholar and ProQuest were searched up to March 2023. Seventeen of 416 studies met the inclusion criteria. Quality assessment was performed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort and case-control studies, and a modified version of this tool for cross-sectional studies.
RESULTS
The majority of included studies (82%) found a positive association with hearing loss for dentists and dental specialists, with years of clinical experience identified as a prominent risk factor. Dental hygienists and dental assistants were less commonly reported in the literature. Difference between the left and right ears was found in 71% of studies, with the left ear more affected in both dentists and dental assistants due to proximity to the noise-inducing equipment.
CONCLUSIONS
Dental professionals are at risk of hearing loss in their workplace, especially linked to years of clinical experience, which highlights the need for prevention and appropriate ear-protective devices.
PubMed: 37682842
DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqad084 -
British Dental Journal Sep 2023Background The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges to healthcare workers worldwide, including the effect on the psychological wellbeing of dentists.Aims...
Background The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges to healthcare workers worldwide, including the effect on the psychological wellbeing of dentists.Aims To evaluate the impact of the early phases of the pandemic on the psychological health, long-term wellbeing and clinical service provision of dentists, as well as the identification of the key risk and protective factors for adverse mental health outcomes (MHOs) in this group.Methods A systematic review of cross-sectional studies (n = 53) from public and private dentistry sectors was employed to delineate the risk and protective factors for adverse MHOs.Results Self-reports from these studies (1 December 2019 to 31 December 2021), involving 45,671 dentists worldwide were analysed. Study findings were classified according to their psychological impact (as risk or protective factors), categorised as 'operational' or 'organisational' and subdivided into 'psychosocial', 'occupational', 'sociodemographic' and 'environmental' elements. A GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations) certainty of evidence score was calculated for all the identified factors.Conclusions This review confirmed the negative impact of the pandemic on the MHOs of dentists worldwide. Pivotal risk factors included fear of infection, transmission to families, lack of personal protective equipment and possible direct contact with infected patients. Enhanced infection control protocols, individual resilience and organisational support were identified as important protective factors.
PubMed: 37666986
DOI: 10.1038/s41415-023-6232-8 -
BMC Oral Health Aug 2023Platelet Concentrate (PC) injection therapy has shown potential as a local therapy for oral lichen planus (OLP). However, its safety and efficacy have not yet been fully...
BACKGROUND
Platelet Concentrate (PC) injection therapy has shown potential as a local therapy for oral lichen planus (OLP). However, its safety and efficacy have not yet been fully established. Our research compared the efficacy of PC with topical steroid treatment in alleviating pain and symptoms related to OLP. We aims to present evidence-based alternatives that dentists can use to improve patient outcomes while reducing potential side effects.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic search of five electronic databases up to April 2023, including Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, OVID Medline, and WanFang, to evaluate PCs' efficacy compared to topical corticosteroid therapy for OLP. The literature quality was assessed using the Cochrane ROB tool. A fixed-effects model was used to determine the Weighted Mean Difference (WMD) and Mean Difference (MD) at a 95% confidence interval (CI) for pain severity and other relevant clinical indicators.
RESULTS
The comparison between topical corticosteroid therapy and PCs showed no significant difference for pain relief (WMD = -0.07, CI = 95% -0.34 to 0.19), symptom improvement (MD = -0.21, CI = 95% -0.55 to 0.13), or the severity of included lesions measured by REU scores (MD = -0.25, CI = 95% -0.32 to 0.82).
CONCLUSIONS
Locally injected PC have been found efficient in managing oral lichen planus, indicating that they are a promising alternative option to steroid therapy for OLP patients, particularly those who have not responded favorably to steroid therapy. However, further research is needed to establish determining the recurrence rate and long-term adverse effects.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
The systematic review protocol has been registered in advance with the PROSPERO database (CRD42023415372).
Topics: Humans; Lichen Planus, Oral; Palliative Care; Pain; Pain Management; Adrenal Cortex Hormones
PubMed: 37626383
DOI: 10.1186/s12903-023-03296-1 -
Cureus Jul 2023Dental anxiety is one of the main problems dentists may face during the treatment of pediatric dental patients; therefore, clinicians tend to perform different behavior... (Review)
Review
Dental anxiety is one of the main problems dentists may face during the treatment of pediatric dental patients; therefore, clinicians tend to perform different behavior management techniques to reduce dental anxiety in children. This review aimed to systematically compare and evaluate the published literature regarding the effects of distraction techniques on anxiety, pain perception, and patient experience during dental practice. A detailed electronic search was conducted on 3 databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library. The databases were searched for articles published in the English language between 2015 and 2022. Among 102 studies, 27 studies fulfilled the criteria of eligibility and were included in this study to be analyzed. Numerous approaches have been proposed for the reduction of dental anxiety, out of which the use of audio-visual aids and instruments, active distraction such as tablets, smartphones, and virtual reality glasses showed governance in decreasing the children's anxiety followed by cognitive and behavioral methods.
PubMed: 37621781
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.42366 -
F1000Research 2023To estimate the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) among dental surgeons and the effect of possible moderators on it. A systematic literature search (Medline... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
To estimate the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) among dental surgeons and the effect of possible moderators on it. A systematic literature search (Medline and Scopus databases) was conducted independently by two reviewers. Only observational studies that examined specifically the prevalence rates of CTS among dentists were included. Quality assessment was performed. The pooled prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was estimated. Outlier and influential analysis were conducted. Moderator analysis was performed in order the effect of categorical and continuous variables on the estimated prevalence to be investigated. In total, ten eligible studies (3,547 participants) were finally included in this meta-analysis. Two of them were estimated as high quality (low risk of bias) and the remaining ones as moderate quality (moderate risk of bias). The overall prevalence of CTS among dental surgeons was estimated as 9.87% (95%CI 6.84%-14.03%) with significant heterogeneity between studies. No study was identified as influential. Potential sources of heterogeneity were not identified through meta-regression analysis. In the subgroup analysis the prevalence was 12.47% (95%CI 6.38%-22.95%) for the group identified as having CTS through medical history and at least clinical examination or electrodiagnostic testing and 8.56% (95%CI 5.53%-13.01%) among those who identified solely through questionnaire. Our findings are important to provide the pooled prevalence of CTS among dentists. Our results were based on highly heterogeneous studies. Our study reports a considerable prevalence, consequently, significance of awareness among dental surgeons regarding the etiology of this issue is more than necessary. More studies need to be conducted that could guide researchers in order this issue to be fully investigated.
Topics: Humans; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; Databases, Factual; Dentists; MEDLINE; Prevalence
PubMed: 37614565
DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.131173.3 -
BMC Infectious Diseases Aug 2023Vaccination is essential to protect from influenza and recently from COVID-19, yet uptake in Lebanon is suboptimal. Several factors determine uptake including knowledge,...
BACKGROUND
Vaccination is essential to protect from influenza and recently from COVID-19, yet uptake in Lebanon is suboptimal. Several factors determine uptake including knowledge, attitude and policies. We conducted a scoping review of the literature to explore the determinants of influenza and COVID-19 vaccine intent or uptake in Lebanon.
METHODS
Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines, thirty one peer reviewed studies indexed in six databases Pub Med, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL, Medline, and the Cochrane Library were screened. Two students, a senior Librarian and an Associate Professor in nursing searched for eligible studies. The library search strategy followed a combination of three broad concepts (viral influenzas; vaccines; Lebanon). The search timeframe was up till December 31, 2022. Determinants of influenza and COVID-19 vaccine intent or uptake were categorized following the constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior.
RESULTS
Nine studies investigated influenza vaccine intent or uptake among the public community, parents and healthcare workers. Twenty one studies investigated COVID-19 vaccine intent or uptake among the public community, older refugees, university students, patients with cancer, dentists, and social media users. One study investigated both types of vaccines. A conceptual model of the determinants of vaccine intent and uptake within the Lebanese context was developed. Various determinants included environmental factors, norms, knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, past experiences, behavioral control and hesitancy.
CONCLUSIONS
Research on vaccine intent and uptake in Lebanon is still in its infancy, while that of COVID-19 is on the rise. Multifaceted reasons behind the low vaccination rates were observed yet few attempts were made to target vulnerable groups. Further research studies are needed to target vulnerable groups.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; Influenza Vaccines; Influenza, Human; Lebanon; Vaccination
PubMed: 37544988
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08478-4 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Jul 2023Diagnosis is a key aspect in endodontic treatment, in a decade where invasive interventions are misapprehended as social tendency instead of medical necessity. All... (Review)
Review
Diagnosis is a key aspect in endodontic treatment, in a decade where invasive interventions are misapprehended as social tendency instead of medical necessity. All diagnostic facets should be considered before intending the operative phase. Intraoral endodontic radiology-based diagnosis has been shown to be limited. Periapical X-ray is the most used endodontic imaging, yet it does not provide high accuracy. Traditionally, dentists have been trained to diagnose a cyst by certain aspects (size, shape and appearance); hence, an assumption that teeth are affected by "periapical cyst" were subjected to unnecessary extraction or apicoectomy. The aim of this systematic review is to critically appraise the publications that relate the histological diagnosis of a periapical lesion (considered the gold standard) to intraoral X-ray investigation. Ovid Medline, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Mendeley and Scopus were searched for English-language studies comparing periapical diagnosis obtained by using two techniques (histopathology and X-ray). Sixteen articles were included for the final analysis (qualitative and quantitative evaluation) out of which only two supported the statement that periapical diagnosis can be coherently assessed through periapical imaging. Although there is not enough evidence to deliver a definitive conclusion, there are many publications that refute the diagnosis of a cyst via periapical X-ray.
PubMed: 37510762
DOI: 10.3390/jcm12144647 -
Dentistry Journal Jun 2023Periapical radiography is a routine radiographic procedure performed by dentists on a daily basis. It can be taken with two techniques, the paralleling technique (P... (Review)
Review
Periapical radiography is a routine radiographic procedure performed by dentists on a daily basis. It can be taken with two techniques, the paralleling technique (P tech) and the bisecting angle technique (B tech). This systematic review aimed to identify the relevant literature, compare the use of P and B techs across various dental specialties, and determine the most appropriate technique to be used for different purposes in taking periapical radiographs. In January 2023, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar to identify the studies that compared the two radiographic techniques. The search string was: (paralleling AND ("bisecting angle" OR "bisected angle")). Manual reference tracing was also performed to identify the studies potentially missed. After screening, 26 studies were included for the qualitative review. The 26 included studies were published between 1976 and 2021. Ten of the studies were about general dentistry (dental radiology in general applications), whereas another ten studies were related to endodontics, such as working length estimation. Most studies advocated the use of the P tech for general, endodontics, implantology, and other indications. B tech was advocated for patients with a low palatal height. More future studies are needed to evaluate their performance in different scenarios with standardized equipment and radiographic positioning.
PubMed: 37504221
DOI: 10.3390/dj11070155 -
Brazilian Oral Research 2023This systematic review evaluated the available evidence on whether children with molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) have more dental fear and anxiety (DFA) and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
This systematic review evaluated the available evidence on whether children with molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) have more dental fear and anxiety (DFA) and dental behavior management problems (DBMPs) than those without MIH (Prospero CDR42020203851). Unrestricted searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Lilacs, BBO, Embase, Cochrane Library, APA PsycINFO, Open Grey, and Google Scholar. Observational studies evaluating DFA and/or DBMPs in patients with and without MIH were eligible. Reviews, case reports, interventional studies, and those based on questionnaires to dentists were excluded. The methodological quality assessment was based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted to synthesize data on DFA. The certainty of evidence was performed according to GRADE. Seven studies that evaluated a total of 3,805 patients were included. All of them presented methodological issues, mainly in the comparability domain. Most studies observed no significant difference in DFA between children with and without MIH. The meta-analysis did not show a significant effect of MIH on the standardized units for the DFA scores (SMD = 0.03; 95%CI: -0.06-0.12; p = 0.53; I2 = 0%). Synthesis including only the results for severe cases of MIH also did not show a significant effect of the condition on DFA scores (MD = 8.68; 95%CI: -8.64-26.00; p = 0.33; I2 = 93%). Two articles found DBMPs were significantly more frequent in patients with MIH. The overall certainty of evidence was very low for both outcomes assessed. The current evidence suggests no difference in DFA between children with and without MIH; DBMPs are more common in patients with MIH. This information should be viewed with caution because of the very low quality evidence obtained.
Topics: Child; Humans; Dental Enamel Hypoplasia; Dental Anxiety; Molar; Molar Hypomineralization; Surveys and Questionnaires; Prevalence
PubMed: 37436292
DOI: 10.1590/1807-3107bor-2023.vol37.0069 -
European Journal of Oral Sciences Aug 2023This systematic review aimed to investigate whether root canal treatment caused greater stress than other dental treatments for patients and dentists. All peer-reviewed... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
This systematic review aimed to investigate whether root canal treatment caused greater stress than other dental treatments for patients and dentists. All peer-reviewed literature published in English between January 1990 and January 2023 was included. This included randomized/non-randomized control trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, and cross-sectional studies. An electronic search used PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Cochrane Collaboration, and Embase. Hand searching supplemented the screening pool. Studies examining physiological or psychological stress measures within patients or providers of dental treatment (dentists, dental specialists, and dental students) were eligible. The study must have reported on the stress outcome for root canal treatment and at least one other dental procedure. After screening 3639 eligible records, there were 23 studies included, varying from very-low to low certainty of evidence. This review found that root canal treatment was more psychologically stressful for patients than routine restorative or cleaning procedures. However, the stress of root canal treatment relative to other dental procedures, especially extractions, was inconclusive for both dental patients and providers. Since patients regard root canal treatment as more stress-evoking than other routine dental procedures, providers should endeavour to minimise their own bias toward root canal treatment when providing adequate information for an informed treatment choice.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dental Pulp Cavity; Root Canal Therapy; Dentists; Case-Control Studies
PubMed: 37357152
DOI: 10.1111/eos.12941