Suchergebnisse

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to report on the evaluation of an attitude scale for General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) and Dental Auxiliaries/Professionals Complementary to Dentistry (PCDs), to determine the reliability of the scale with these two groups and to note any inter‐group differences. Seventy‐four GDPs and 89 PCDs completed the self‐administered questionnaires. The main outcome measures were reliability statistics, attitude scores, and factor analysis statistics. Reliability was satisfactory for both groups. PCDs scored consistently higher than GDPs on this attitude scale. Six factors were found to underlie the responses of GDPs, accounting for 62% of the variance. Seven factors were found to underlie the responses of PCDs, accounting for 65% of the variance. PCDs expressed more positive views about provision of care for patients with learning disabilities than did GDPs. Factor analysis revealed that GDPs were concerned about effectiveness of treatment and the stress related with treating patients with disabilities. PCDs appeared to be more concerned with the human rights of people with learning disabilities and how they fit into society.

ABSTRACTThis study was conducted to determine the attitudes of dentists, working in Riyadh, toward people with a sensory impairment (SI), according to the Scale of Attitude Towards Disabled Persons (SADP). The SADP scale was modified to focus solely upon sensory impairment. The modified scale was pre‐tested and then incorporated into a self‐administered questionnaire. This was then administered to 600 dentists (response rate, 73.7%) working in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The modified scale showed itself to be reliable, with a Chronbach's coefficient α 0.616 and four‐factor analysis, which accounted for 38.5% of the variance. Ninety‐four percent of the dentists were generally positive toward SI in the society. There were, however, significant variations in attitudes, with a more positive score for dentists who had worked for 30 years or more (p± 0.005), were specialists (p < 0.005), received little or no undergraduate training in this subject (p < 0.05), and who received their undergraduate training in Europe/North America (p < 0.001). However, in a stepwise regression model, all these variables were significant except for the years of practice. The modified SADP showed dentists, working in Saudi Arabia, having a positive attitude toward people with SI.

SUMMARYBecause many of the dental students have not previously been in direct contact with people with handicapping conditions, a 10‐week course was introduced into the dental curriculum with the objective of promoting an awareness of the special needs and positive attitudes toward patients with handicapping conditions. Community‐based and clinical experience in providing dental care for the patient with handicapping conditions was introduced to the traditional lecture and seminar presentation. It is hoped that students will recognize and come to terms with their own feeling about this group and so be able to provide them with effective dental care.

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to determine differences in behavior and attitudes of dentists in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in providing orthodontic care for children who are sensory impaired. A self‐administered questionnaire was sent to all dentists working in Riyadh to assess the following domains: personal characteristics of the dentists and their practices, provision of dental care for children who are visually‐impaired (VI) and/or hearing‐impaired (HI), and their attitude toward providing orthodontic care for these children. Attitudes were measured on two scales and the overall score of these two scales represented each respondent's attitude. Thirty percent of the dentists provided dental care for children with VI and 45.3 percent did for children with HI. The provision of orthodontic care was significantly affected by the country in which the dentists had received their dental training, both for children with VI and HI (p<0.01), and by number of years they had been in practice for children with VI (p<0.05). Regression analysis showed that only the country of dental training significantly affected the dentist's attitude score. There were also significant variations in attitudes toward the provision of orthodontic treatment for children with sensory impairment (SI), influenced by dental training and experience. In practical terms, this means that improvement in attitudes needs to be initiated at the dental undergraduate level. Establishing global guidelines for the provision of orthodontic treatment for patients with sensory impairment is likely to assist both professionals and patients.

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) was developed in Japan in the 1960s. It is a clear solution containing silver and fluoride ions. Because of its anti-bacterial and remineralizing effect, silver diamine fluoride has been used in managing dental caries for decades worldwide. This paper aims to summarize and discuss the global policies, guidelines, and relevant information on utilizing SDF for caries management. SDF can be used for treating dental caries in most countries. However, it is not permitted to be used in mainland China. Several manufacturers, mainly in Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, and the United States, produce SDF at different concentrations that are commercially available around the world. The prices differ between contents and brands. Different government organizations and dental associations have developed guidelines for clinical use of SDF. Dental professionals can refer to the specific guidelines in their own countries or territories. Training for using SDF is part of undergraduate and/or postgraduate curriculums in almost all countries. However, real utilization of SDF of dentists, especially in the private sector, remains unclear in most places because little research has been conducted. There are at least two ongoing regional-wide large-scale oral health programs, using SDF as one of the components to manage dental caries in young children (one in Hong Kong and one in Mongolia). Because SDF treatment does not require caries removal, and it is simple, non-invasive, and inexpensive, SDF is a valuable strategy for caries management in young children, elderly people, and patients with special needs. In addition, to reduce the risk of bacteria or virus transmission in dental settings, using SDF as a non-aerosol producing procedure should be emphasized under the COVID-19 outbreak.