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  1. Anowar M, McGrath C, Saub R
    Clin Cosmet Investig Dent, 2020;12:199-204.
    PMID: 32581597 DOI: 10.2147/CCIDE.S248429
    Purpose: To determine the measurement equivalence of computer touch screen assessment (CTSA) and paper based assessment (PBA) of the oral health impact profile (OHIP-14).

    Patients and Methods: A randomized crossover trial was conducted. Sixty participants were randomized to either i) Arm A: completed CTSA then PBA of OHIP-14, or ii) Arm B: PBA and then CTSA of OHIP-14 within the same day. User preference and time taken to complete the assessments were recorded. Agreement between CTSA and PBA was determined using directional difference (DD), absolute difference (AD), and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).

    Results: There was no significant difference in CTSA and PBA OHIP-14 scores (P>0.05). The magnitude of the DD in scores between assessment methods was small for overall scores and all domains (<0.3). The AD in OHIP-14 scores was small (~6% for overall score, between 8-16% for domains). Agreement between CTSA and PBA was high (ICC=0.9; 95% CI=0.8-0.9) for overall OHIP-14 scores, but ICC values varied across domains. Most (78%) preferred CTSA. There was no significant difference in time taken to complete assessments (P=0.09). Regression analyses did not identify any significant socio-demographic factor associated with absolute difference between CTSA and PBA scores.

    Conclusion: There is equivalence of measurements in OHRQoL assessments from CTSA and PBA, and the time taken to complete assessment by either means is similar. There is a greater preference for CTSA. This has implications to support the use of CTSA in OHRQoL assessments.

  2. Ab Malik N, M Yatim S, Lam OLT, Jin L, McGrath C
    JDR Clin Trans Res, 2017 Jul;2(3):312-319.
    PMID: 30938632 DOI: 10.1177/2380084417693784
    During a stroke, the mouth tends to become an unhealthy place and may give rise to various life-threatening conditions. To this end, there have been repeated calls to incorporate oral hygiene guidelines and practices for hospitalized stroke patients to prevent aspiration pneumonia and improve patients' oral health. The objective of the study was to determine health care providers' practices of oral health care among patients hospitalized after an occurrence of stroke and to determine health care providers' background and work environment effect on these practices. A cross-sectional study was conducted among stroke care providers in 13 public hospitals in Malaysia. The questionnaires distributed were self-administered, where nursing staff provided details of their oral health care practices for stroke patients. Information on the background of health care providers and work environment was also collected. Overall, a total of 780 responses from the registered nurses were obtained. Almost half of the respondents (48.1%) reported that they recommended toothbrushing twice or more per day to stroke patients. Two-thirds (64.7%) reported that they performed daily mouthwashing on their patient, while less than half (38.8%) reported daily oral hygiene assistance. Result of the analysis revealed that oral hygiene practices were significantly associated with having working wards ( P < 0.05), level of qualification ( P < 0.05), having oral health care guidelines ( P < 0.001), specific resources ( P < 0.05), and attending previous training in oral care ( P < 0.001). Provision of oral hygiene practices for hospitalized stroke patients is important. A lack of oral health care guidelines, support from dental professionals, specific resources, training, and assistance in daily oral care for patients is evident and detrimental to oral hygiene practices. The current findings have significant implications for new initiatives to support health care providers, particularly the registered nurses performing oral health care for hospitalized stroke patients. Knowledge Transfer Statement: This study may provide a basis of information for improving the delivery of oral health care to stroke patients. Enhancement in the training and improvement in the existing guidelines and resources is pivotal for the provision of better oral health care for the potential benefits to these patients, including their improved quality of life and disease prevention.
  3. Ab Malik N, Mohamad Yatim S, Hussein N, Mohamad H, McGrath C
    J Clin Nurs, 2018 May;27(9-10):1913-1919.
    PMID: 29266493 DOI: 10.1111/jocn.14241
    AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate oral health knowledge for stroke care and the clinical practices performed for oral hygiene care in Malaysia.

    BACKGROUND: Oral hygiene care following stroke is important as the mouth can act as a reservoir for opportunistic infections that can lead to aspirational pneumonia.

    DESIGN: A national cross-sectional survey was conducted in Malaysia among public hospitals where specialist stroke rehabilitation care is provided.

    METHODS: All (16) hospitals were invited to participate, and site visits were conducted. A standardised questionnaire was employed to determine nurses' oral health knowledge for stroke care and existing clinical practices for oral hygiene care. Variations in oral health knowledge and clinical practices for oral hygiene care were examined.

    RESULTS: Questionnaires were completed by 806 nurses across 13 hospitals. Oral health knowledge scores varied among the nurses; their mean score was 3.7 (SD 1.1) out of a possible 5.0. Approximately two-thirds (63.6%, n = 513) reported that some form of "mouth cleaning" was performed for stroke patients routinely. However, only a third (38.3%, n = 309) reported to perform or assist with the clinical practice of oral hygiene care daily. Their oral health knowledge of stroke care was associated with clinical practices for oral hygiene care (p 

  4. Ab Malik N, Zhang J, Lam OL, Jin L, McGrath C
    J Am Med Inform Assoc, 2017 01;24(1):209-217.
    PMID: 27274013 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocw045
    Computer-aided learning (CAL) offers enormous potential in disseminating oral health care information to patients and caregivers. The effectiveness of CAL, however, remains unclear.

    OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to systematically review published evidence on the effectiveness of CAL in disseminating oral health care information to patients and caregivers.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A structured comprehensive search was undertaken among 7 electronic databases (PUBMED, CINAHL Plus, EMBASE, SCOPUS, WEB of SCIENCE, the Cochrane Library, and PsycINFO) to identify relevant studies. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies were included in this review. Papers were screened by 2 independent reviewers, and studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected for further assessment.

    RESULTS: A total of 2915 papers were screened, and full texts of 53 potentially relevant papers (κ = 0.885) were retrieved. A total of 5 studies that met the inclusion criteria (1 RCT, 1 quasi-experimental study, and 3 post-intervention studies) were identified. Outcome measures included knowledge, attitude, behavior, and oral health. Significant improvements in clinical oral health parameters (P 

  5. Ab Malik N, Mohamad Yatim S, Lam OLT, Jin L, McGrath C
    Disabil Rehabil, 2018 04;40(8):889-893.
    PMID: 28129510 DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2016.1277397
    OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine "intention to" and "performance of" oral hygiene care to stroke patients using the Theory of Planned Behavior.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A large scale survey of 13 centers in Malaysia was conducted involving 806 nurses in relation to oral hygiene care intentions and practices. In addition, information on personal and environmental factors was collected.

    RESULTS: The response rate was 95.6% (778/806). The domains of the Theory of Planned Behavior were significantly associated with general intention to perform oral hygiene care: attitudes (β = 0.21, p 

  6. Ab Malik N, Mohamad Yatim S, Abdul Razak F, Lam OLT, Jin L, Li LSW, et al.
    J Oral Rehabil, 2018 Feb;45(2):132-139.
    PMID: 29090475 DOI: 10.1111/joor.12582
    Maintaining good oral hygiene is important following stroke. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of two oral health promotion (OHP) programmes to reduce dental plaque levels following stroke. A multi-centre randomised clinical control trial was conducted among patients hospitalised following stroke in Malaysia. Patients were randomly allocated to two OHP groups: (i) control group who received the conventional method for plaque control-daily manual tooth brushing with a standardised commercial toothpaste, (ii) test group-who received an intense method for plaque control-daily powered tooth brushing with 1% Chlorhexidine gel. Oral health assessments were performed at baseline, at 3 months and 6 months post-intervention. Within- and between-group changes in dental plaque were assessed over time. Regression analyses were conducted on dental plaque levels at 6 months controlling for OHP group, medical, dental and socio-demographic status. The retention rate was 62.7% (54 of 86 subjects). Significant within-group changes of dental plaque levels were evident among the test group (P  .05). Regression analyses identified that baseline plaque levels (adjusted ß = 0.79, P 
  7. Hamzah HS, Gao X, Yung Yiu CK, McGrath C, King NM
    Pediatr Dent, 2014 Jan-Feb;36(1):29-33.
    PMID: 24717706
    PURPOSE:
    Internet social media offers a rich source for soliciting the public's views on health issues. This qualitative research, using You-Tube as a platform, aimed to explore the public's perspectives on management of dental fear and anxiety (DFA) in pediatric patients.

    METHODS:
    Using three keywords ("dental fear," "dental phobia," and "dental anxiety"), YouTube videos were searched. Twenty-seven videos related to DFA in children and adolescents were reviewed by three investigators, including a nondental layperson. Inductive thematic analysis was adopted for interpreting the data.

    RESULTS:
    Several strategies were considered useful for controlling DFA in pediatric patients, including: verbal and nonverbal communication to establish closeness and effective guidance (explanation, permission-seeking, reassurance, and negotiation); desensitization to dental settings and procedures; tell-show-do; positive reinforcement; distraction by imagination and thoughtful designs of clinic; and parental presence and support. Some self-coping strategies adopted by patients alleviated their DFA, such as self-reasoning and trust-building through long-term connection. Dentists' clinical competence, favorable treatment outcomes, and state-of-the-art devices and technologies (dental lasers, intraoral camera, and adapted anaesthesia method) contributed to reducing DFA.

    CONCLUSIONS:
    Authentic testimonials in YouTube videos endorsed and interpreted a variety of strategies adoptable by patients, parents, and dental professionals for managing children's and adolescents' dental fears and anxieties.
  8. Mohd-Said S, Mohd-Dom TN, Suhaimi N, Rani H, McGrath C
    Front Med (Lausanne), 2021;8:600769.
    PMID: 34179030 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.600769
    Background: Aerosol-producing dental procedures are of concern in the spread of infections, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Periodontal prophylaxis is the most common aerosol-producing procedure conducted in dental practice globally. During COVID-19, many national and international organizations advocated the use of pre-procedural mouth rinsing to prevent the spread of infections from aerosol-generating procedures in the dental setting; however, many questioned the scientific basis for such recommendations. Objective: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of pre-procedural rinsing when preforming periodontal prophylaxis in reducing aerosol contamination in the dental setting. Methods: A comprehensive standardized search strategy was employed, informed by a defined PICO question across four electronic databases. The review of the literature was conducted using the PRISMA framework. Agreement between assessors was determined throughout. Synthesis of study characteristics and key outcomes were conducted. Cochrane's risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials (RoB 2) was employed to assess the quality/bias among studies. Results: The initial search yielded 731 citations across the four databases; 95 potentially effective studies were identified, with 56 effective studies found. Thirty randomized control trial studies were identified, 21 with a focus on effectiveness of pre-procedural mouth rinsing, involving 984 participants (aged 18-70). Agreement between assessors was high (Kappa >0.80). Various pre-procedural mouth rinses were tested, most frequently chlorhexidine (CHX) in 18 studies. The concentrations, volume, and prescribed duration of rinsing varied among studies, hampering meta-analyses. Nonetheless, all studies identified significant reductions in bacterial contamination, as measured by colony forming units (cfu). The effectiveness of CHX over other agents was evident with more than half of the studies (7/15) reporting over a 70% reduction in bacterial contamination (cfu). There were concerns over the risk of bias in most studies (76.2%); 19.0% had a high risk of bias and 4.8% were of low risk of bias. Conclusion: There is substantial evidence to support pre-procedural mouth rinsing, such as with chlorohexidine, to effectively reduce aerosol contamination when performing periodontal prophylaxis compared to mouth rinsing with water or not rinsing.
  9. Ab Malik N, Abdul Razak F, Mohamad Yatim S, Lam OLT, Jin L, Li LSW, et al.
    J Evid Based Dent Pract, 2018 06;18(2):99-109.
    PMID: 29747810 DOI: 10.1016/j.jebdp.2017.08.002
    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the presence of oral opportunistic pathogens among stroke survivors, both before and after oral health care interventions.

    METHODS: A multicenter randomized clinical trial was conducted on hospitalized stroke survivors. Those in the control group were given standard care of oral hygiene (a manual toothbrush and toothpaste), whereas those in the test group were given intense care of oral hygiene (a powered toothbrush and 1% chlorhexidine oral gel). Oral clinical assessments were carried out, and microbiological samples were collected, using concentrated oral rinse samples at 3 time points: baseline, 3 months, and 6 months.

    RESULTS: The prevalence of oral yeast was significantly reduced in the test group at 6 months (P < .05), but no significant difference was observed over time. A significant reduction was observed in the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus (P < .01) and aerobic and facultative gram-negative bacilli over time (P < .05), but there were no significant differences noted between groups at 6 months. Candida albicans and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the prominent pathogens determined throughout the trial. Kluyvera strains have also been isolated from this cohort.

    CONCLUSION: Oral hygiene intervention using a powered tooth brush and 1% chlorhexidine oral gel was effective in reducing the prevalence of oral opportunistic pathogens.

  10. Ab Malik N, Mohamad Yatim S, Mokhtar KN, Md Ramli SNR, Dissanayaka WL, Pelekos G, et al.
    Br J Nutr, 2022 Apr 13.
    PMID: 35416136 DOI: 10.1017/S0007114522000964
    This systematic review aimed to provide a synthesis of the evidence relating to how the provision of Vitamin D supplements influences oral health status. An electronic database search was performed across six databases using a standardised search strategy. The PICO framework was used to define the review question. The screening and selection followed PRISMA process. The quality of reporting was assessed using CONSORT guidelines, and the bias was assessed using the revised Cochrane tool RoB2. A total of 1812 studies were retrieved. 1427 studies were excluded due to unmet inclusion criteria. Full texts of 75 potential studies were retrieved and ultimately six studies met the inclusion criteria. There were limitations in the quality of reporting of studies (between 49% and 73%). 70% of the risk of bias items were in the low risks category. Vitamin D interventions varied with respect to dosage and duration. Qualitative syntheses identified significantly better oral health outcomes. Heterogeneity of study design, intervention and outcomes precluded quantitative synthesis. Few clinical trials investigated the effect of Vitamin D supplementation on oral health. There is considerable heterogeneity among studies interventions and oral health outcomes. Quality of reporting of studies have limitations and there is evidence of study biases. Nonetheless, qualitative synthesis of the evidence suggest that Vitamin D supplements improve oral health outcomes, particularly periodontal health. Calcium may also play a significant role. Further high-quality trials are required of comparable Vitamin D supplements with similar oral health outcomes focus to inform quantitative synthesis of the evidence.
  11. Thomson WM, Foster Page LA, Robinson PG, Do LG, Traebert J, Mohamed AR, et al.
    Community Dent Oral Epidemiol, 2016 12;44(6):549-556.
    PMID: 27477903 DOI: 10.1111/cdoe.12248
    OBJECTIVE: To examine the factor structure and other psychometric characteristics of the most commonly used child oral-health-related quality-of-life (OHRQoL) measure (the 16-item short-form CPQ11-14 ) in a large number of children (N = 5804) from different settings and who had a range of caries experience and associated impacts.

    METHODS: Secondary data analyses used subnational epidemiological samples of 11- to 14-year-olds in Australia (N = 372), New Zealand (three samples: 352, 202, 429), Brunei (423), Cambodia (244), Hong Kong (542), Malaysia (439), Thailand (220, 325), England (88, 374), Germany (1055), Mexico (335) and Brazil (404). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine the factor structure of the CPQ11-14 across the combined sample and within four regions (Australia/NZ, Asia, UK/Europe and Latin America). Item impact and internal reliability analysis were also conducted.

    RESULTS: Caries experience varied, with mean DMFT scores ranging from 0.5 in the Malaysian sample to 3.4 in one New Zealand sample. Even more variation was noted in the proportion reporting only fair or poor oral health; this was highest in the Cambodian and Mexican samples and lowest in the German sample and one New Zealand sample. One in 10 reported that their oral health had a marked impact on their life overall. The CFA across all samples revealed two factors with eigenvalues greater than 1. The first involved all items in the oral symptoms and functional limitations subscales; the second involved all emotional well-being and social well-being items. The first was designated the 'symptoms/function' subscale, and the second was designated the 'well-being' subscale. Cronbach's alpha scores were 0.72 and 0.84, respectively. The symptoms/function subscale contained more of the items with greater impact, with the item 'Food stuck in between your teeth' having greatest impact; in the well-being subscale, the 'Felt shy or embarrassed' item had the greatest impact. Repeating the analyses by world region gave similar findings.

    CONCLUSION: The CPQ11-14 performed well cross-sectionally in the largest analysis of the scale in the literature to date, with robust and mostly consistent psychometric characteristics, albeit with two underlying factors (rather than the originally hypothesized four-factor structure). It appears to be a sound, robust measure which should be useful for research, practice and policy.

  12. Chau RCW, Li GH, Tew IM, Thu KM, McGrath C, Lo WL, et al.
    Int Dent J, 2023 Oct;73(5):724-730.
    PMID: 37117096 DOI: 10.1016/j.identj.2023.03.007
    OBJECTIVES: Gingivitis is one of the most prevalent plaque-initiated dental diseases globally. It is challenging to maintain satisfactory plaque control without continuous professional advice. Artificial intelligence may be used to provide automated visual plaque control advice based on intraoral photographs.

    METHODS: Frontal view intraoral photographs fulfilling selection criteria were collected. Along the gingival margin, the gingival conditions of individual sites were labelled as healthy, diseased, or questionable. Photographs were randomly assigned as training or validation datasets. Training datasets were input into a novel artificial intelligence system and its accuracy in detection of gingivitis including sensitivity, specificity, and mean intersection-over-union were analysed using validation dataset. The accuracy was reported according to STARD-2015 statement.

    RESULTS: A total of 567 intraoral photographs were collected and labelled, of which 80% were used for training and 20% for validation. Regarding training datasets, there were total 113,745,208 pixels with 9,270,413; 5,711,027; and 4,596,612 pixels were labelled as healthy, diseased, and questionable respectively. Regarding validation datasets, there were 28,319,607 pixels with 1,732,031; 1,866,104; and 1,116,493 pixels were labelled as healthy, diseased, and questionable, respectively. AI correctly predicted 1,114,623 healthy and 1,183,718 diseased pixels with sensitivity of 0.92 and specificity of 0.94. The mean intersection-over-union of the system was 0.60 and above the commonly accepted threshold of 0.50.

    CONCLUSIONS: Artificial intelligence could identify specific sites with and without gingival inflammation, with high sensitivity and high specificity that are on par with visual examination by human dentist. This system may be used for monitoring of the effectiveness of patients' plaque control.

  13. Baker SR, Foster Page L, Thomson WM, Broomhead T, Bekes K, Benson PE, et al.
    J Dent Res, 2018 09;97(10):1129-1136.
    PMID: 29608864 DOI: 10.1177/0022034518767401
    Much research on children's oral health has focused on proximal determinants at the expense of distal (upstream) factors. Yet, such upstream factors-the so-called structural determinants of health-play a crucial role. Children's lives, and in turn their health, are shaped by politics, economic forces, and social and public policies. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between children's clinical (number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth) and self-reported oral health (oral health-related quality of life) and 4 key structural determinants (governance, macroeconomic policy, public policy, and social policy) as outlined in the World Health Organization's Commission for Social Determinants of Health framework. Secondary data analyses were carried out using subnational epidemiological samples of 8- to 15-y-olds in 11 countries ( N = 6,648): Australia (372), New Zealand (three samples; 352, 202, 429), Brunei (423), Cambodia (423), Hong Kong (542), Malaysia (439), Thailand (261, 506), United Kingdom (88, 374), Germany (1498), Mexico (335), and Brazil (404). The results indicated that the type of political regime, amount of governance (e.g., rule of law, accountability), gross domestic product per capita, employment ratio, income inequality, type of welfare regime, human development index, government expenditure on health, and out-of-pocket (private) health expenditure by citizens were all associated with children's oral health. The structural determinants accounted for between 5% and 21% of the variance in children's oral health quality-of-life scores. These findings bring attention to the upstream or structural determinants as an understudied area but one that could reap huge rewards for public health dentistry research and the oral health inequalities policy agenda.
  14. Stamm TA, Omara M, Bakerc SR, Foster Page L, Thomson WM, Benson PE, et al.
    J Dent, 2020 02;93:103267.
    PMID: 31866414 DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2019.103267
    OBJECTIVE: To be fit-for-purpose, oral health-related quality of life instruments must possess a range of psychometric properties which had not been fully examined in the 16-item Short Form Child Perceptions Questionnaire for children aged 11 to 14 years (CPQ11-14 ISF-16). We used advanced statistical approaches to determine the CPQ's measurement accuracy, precision, invariance and dimensionality and analyzed whether age range could be extended from 8 to 15 years.

    METHODS: Fit to the Rasch model was examined in 6648 8-to-15-year-olds from Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, Germany, United Kingdom, Brazil and Mexico.

    RESULTS: In all but two items, the initial five answer options were reduced to three or four, to increase precision of the children's selection. Items 10 (Shy/embarrassed) and 11 (Concerned what others think) showed an 'extra' dependency between item scores beyond the relationship related to the underlying latent construct represented by the instrument, and so were deleted. Without these two items, the CPQ was unidimensional. The three oral symptoms items (4 Food stuck in teeth, 3 Bad breath and 1 Pain) were required for a sufficient person-item coverage. In three out of 14 items (21 %), Europe and South America showed regional differences in the patterns of how the answer options were selected. No differential item functioning was detected for age.

    CONCLUSION: Except for a few modifications, the present analysis supports the combination of items, the cross-cultural validity of the CPQ with 14 items and the extension of the age range from 8 to 15 years.

    CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The valid, reliable, shortened and age-extended version of the CPQ resulting from this study should be used in routine care and clinical research. Less items and a wider age range increase its usability. Symptoms items are needed to precisely differentiate between children with higher and lower quality of life.

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