Prevalence of the patients with history of hepatitis in a dental facility. (1/11)

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study is to investigate the prevalence of the dental patients who had a history of hepatitis. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 13.527 records of patients who were examined between October 1, 2002 and October 1, 2004 were reviewed retrospectively. The medical histories of patients were taken before routine clinical and radiographic examination. A dental software program was used for the collection of data. The chi-square test was utilized to evaluate correlations between different parameters. RESULTS: The percentage of the patients who had a medical history of hepatitis was 7.9% (n=1065). Within the total patients; history of hepatitis A was found as 3.2% (n=438), hepatitis B was 2.3% (n=308), hepatitis C was 0.1% (n=16). The frequency of the patients who were hepatitis B carriers was 0.8% (n=113) and 17% (n=181) of patients did not know which type of hepatitis they had suffered from. CONCLUSIONS: Because dentists are particularly at risk for contacting hepatitis, a strict sterilization procedure is mandatory to prevent the transmission.  (+info)

A survey of North Carolina safety-net dental clinics' methods for communicating with patients of limited english proficiency (LEP). (2/11)

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Effectiveness of a community health worker program on oral health promotion. (3/11)

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Geographic distribution of postgraduate dental trainees in Japan. (4/11)

Postgraduate clinical training for dentists in Japan became mandatory in April 2006. Mandatory postgraduate clinical training for physicians has been criticized as having accelerated the imbalance in distribution of physicians. This suggests the danger that the same phenomenon might occur in distribution of dentists. It is also necessary to investigate the geographic distribution of dental trainees and practicing dentists in Japan. In this study, the number of dental trainees enrolled in each clinical training program and number that had actually received clinical training at each facility were compared by prefecture. The results suggest that disparities in the number of dental trainees among prefectures are being compensated for by movement across prefectural borders under the clinical training facilities-group system. Postgraduate dental trainees, however, showed a significantly greater imbalance in geographic distribution than practicing dentists. Continuation of the postgraduate clinical training for dentists under the existing system may accelerate this imbalance in distribution of dentists. To prevent this, practical measures should be taken in accordance with the coming review of the system, based on research regarding changes in geographic distribution of dental trainees.  (+info)

Workplace determinants of endotoxin exposure in dental healthcare facilities in South Africa. (5/11)

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Can technical, functional and structural characteristics of dental units predict Legionella pneumophila and Pseudomonas aeruginosa contamination? (6/11)

Legionella pneumophila and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are common colonizers of water environments, particularly dental unit waterlines. The aim of this study was to assess whether the technical, functional and structural characteristics of dental units can influence the presence and the levels of opportunistic pathogens. Overall, 42 water samples were collected from dental units in a teaching hospital in Palermo, Italy, including 21 samples from the 21 taps supplied by the municipal water distribution system and 21 samples from oral rinsing cups at 21 dental units. L. pneumophila was present in 16 out of 21 water samples (76.2%) from dental units, and the median concentration was higher in samples from oral rinsing cups than in those from taps (P < 0.001). P. aeruginosa was equally distributed in water samples collected from oral rinsing cups and from taps. Some characteristics of dental units (age, number of chairs per room, number of patients per day and water temperature) were slightly associated with the presence of P. aeruginosa, but not with contamination by L. pneumophila. Our experience suggests that L. pneumophila is frequently detected in dental units, as reported in previous studies, whereas P. aeruginosa is not a frequent contaminant. As a consequence, microbiological control of water quality should be routinely performed, and should include the detection of opportunistic pathogens when bacterial contamination is expected.  (+info)

Oral health status and access to oral health care for U.S. adults aged 18-64: National Health Interview Survey, 2008. (7/11)

OBJECTIVES: This report presents statistics from the 2008 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) on selected measures of oral health status and oral health care access for adults aged 18-64. Estimates are presented by sex, age, race and ethnicity, nativity, education, poverty status, health and dental insurance status, region, place of residence, dentition status, current smoking status, current drinking status, and diabetes status. DATA SOURCE: NHIS is a multistage probability sample survey conducted annually by interviewers of the U.S. Census Bureau for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, and is representative of the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States. Data are collected for all family members during face-to-face interviews with adults present at the time of interview. Additional health information is obtained from one randomly selected adult. If the selected adult is physically or mentally incapable of responding for himself or herself, a proxy respondent is used. SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS: Among adults aged 18-64, about three-quarters had very good or good oral health, 17% had fair oral health, and 7% had poor oral health. Adults with Medicaid were almost five times as likely as adults with private health insurance to have poor oral health. Adults with Medicaid (21%) were almost twice as likely as adults overall (12%) to not have had a dental visit in more than 5 years. Among adults aged 18-64, the main reason to forgo a dental visit for an oral health problem in the past 6 months was cost; 42% could not afford treatment or did not have insurance. Fear was the reason that 1 out of 10 adults did not visit the dentist for an oral health problem.  (+info)

The management of dental waste in dental offices and clinics in Shiraz, Southern Iran. (8/11)

BACKGROUND: Dental waste can be hazardous to humans and the environment. OBJECTIVE: To determine the current status of dental waste management in private and public dental clinics and private dental offices in Shiraz, southern Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences from February through June 2013. A stratified random sampling method was used to study 86 private offices, 14 private clinics and 10 public clinics. Types of waste studied included mercury and amalgam, lead foil packets, sharps, infectious tissues and fluids, pharmaceuticals and domestic waste materials. Compliance with established standards by the monitored dental offices and clinics and public clinics were compared. RESULTS: 89.1% of dental offices and clinics disposed their infectious waste with domestic waste. Only 60% of centers used standard method for sharps disposal. None of the dental centers disposed their pharmaceutical waste and x-ray fixer waste by standard methods. Less than 10% of centers recycled the amalgam and lead foil pockets waste to the manufacture. CONCLUSION: Government agencies should establish monitoring programs for all dental offices and clinics to identify noncompliant activity and enforce recommended regulations.  (+info)