Ohasa Journal - 3rd Quarter 2023 - Volume 24 Issue 3

Introduction

The associations among dental anxiety, self-esteem, and oral health-related quality of life in children

Dental anxiety can lead to the avoidance of dental treatment, which, over time, may lead to poorer oral health, and together with health related and psychosocial outcomes, may increase dissatisfaction with facial and dental appearance. Lower satisfaction with the appearance of teeth may be associated with embarrassment and feeling tense, fostering low self-esteem. Children experiencing high levels of dental anxiety have been found to have poorer oral health outcomes, such as a greater prevalence of dental carie, and they experience more pain and discomfort than non-dentally anxious children. In addition, poorer oral health has been recognised to have negative influences on children’s ability to socialise with others and complete their schoolwork, thereby potentially affecting their quality of life. Consequently, it may be proposed that dental anxiety could negatively impair children’s self-esteem and their oral health-related quality of life. Furthermore, self-esteem was also found to have a negative influence on COHRQoL. Aguo et al. reported that self-esteem is a determinant of COHRQoL in children seeking orthodontic treatment. A longitudinal study found that there were significant longitudinal associations between the changes in COHRQoL and changes in self-esteem in those seeking orthodontic treatment. Hence, we propose to investigate the underlying profile of a number of key dental-related constructs held by children, including their dental anxiety, their beliefs about the impact of oral health, and their sense of identity. This more inclusive approach to understanding children may be predictive of their response towards new educational oral health programmes. Therefore, we believe it is important to invest substantial effort in constructing a wider working model to describe children’s views about oral health based on our previous systematic review.

The performance of paralleling technique and bisecting angle technique for taking periapical radiographs

Intraoral periapical radiographs are integral tools used to visualize the teeth and the surrounding structures. Proper periapical radiographs allow dental professionals to examine oral structures and associated pathologies with great accuracy to inform diagnosis, treatment planning, and the evaluation of prognosis. Taking periapical radiographs is a routine procedure performed by dentists almost on a daily basis, and there are many online videos providing educational information on the radiographic procedures related to this imaging modality. Since it is frequently taken, it is important to ensure its diagnostic value to minimize the image reject rate or retake rate. A recent systematic review reported that the average reject rate of periapical radiography was approximately 16.4%. Digital intraoral radiography is critical for providing comprehensive dental care and has gradually become the mainstream in dental clinics for many different purposes. There are two radiographic techniques for taking periapicals: the paralleling technique (P tech) and bisecting angle technique (B tech) (Figure 1). P tech involves placing the film receptor parallel to the long axis of the target tooth such that the central x-ray beam is directed perpendicular to both the receptor and the tooth. The common notion, derived from earlier works such as, is that P tech is more reproducible and produces less distortion. Meanwhile, B tech can be more comfortable and it involves positioning the film film receptor as close to the lingual (or palatal) side of the target tooth as possible, such that the central x-ray beam is directed perpendicular to an imaginary line that bisects the angle formed between the long axis of the tooth and the receptor. Indeed, a recent study reported that the P tech may not be applied well in the Asian population due to insufficient space in the upper maxilla region.

Oral potentially malignant disorders and candida

In oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma patients

Oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) include leukoplakia, erythroplakia, erythroleukoplakia, proliferative verrucous leukoplakia, oral lichen planus, oral submucous fibrosis, palatal lesions in reverse smokers, smokeless tobacco keratosis, oral lupus erythematosus, actinic keratosis, dyskeratosis congenita, oral lichenoid lesion, oral graft versus host disease, syphilic glossitis, and chronic candidiasis. OPMD conditions have an increased risk of progressing into malignancy, but the risk varies individually. The composition of oral microbiota may be one factor contributing to the malignant transformation of premalignant lesions to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In particular, changes in the relative abundance of certain oral microbes such as Candida species, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Streptococcus species have been shown to associate with OSCC.

Effects of the occupational ethics of healthworkers on job satisfaction

Focusing on dental technicians and dental hygienists

The ethical friction in everyday life due to the diversification and complexity of social structures can arise in a variety of settings, especially in the medical system that is related to human health, where ethical friction or judgment is required. These ethical problems cannot be solved with a simple and truthful approach, and rational decisions and judgments based on accurate ethical theories for a variety of situations become essential. This theory can be learned by the method of inquiry, called ethics. If ethics has a mix of moral and legal tendencies, then professional ethics refers to the code of conduct required of those who perform a profession. The knowledge and skills of professions are important in society, but can produce both benefit and harm. This is why a strict sense of professional ethics is required, especially in healthcare professionals who treat and care for patients at medical institutions. For these professionals, personal ethics are of significance; personal ethics include traits such as diligence, honesty, and integrity, as well as community ethics such as service, responsibility, compliance, and workplace etiquette.

Understanding the psychology of the dentine hypersensitivity patient

Is it time to think differently about dentine hypersensitivity?

Dentine hypersensitivity (DH) is estimated to affect 1 in 3 people. Its ubiquity as a condition can mean that it is regarded, by both patients and dental practitioners, as a minor oral health concern. Yet, even among those with mild symptoms, coping measures to manage DH can affect their daily activities.