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The purpose of this study was to assess the awareness of pre-school teachers concerning the management of traumatized teeth. A questionnaire survey of teachers' backgrounds, attitudes/practices and knowledge was distributed to all teachers who attended a dental education program organized by the Singapore Dental Health Foundation. Of a total of 291 teachers surveyed, 29% had received tertiary education, while the rest (71%) had received secondary education. The mean teaching experience was 6.8 +/- 6.9 years. About a quarter had previous experience in handling dental trauma. Sixty-three percent admitted having no knowledge of dental trauma; 79% were unsatisfied with their level of knowledge in this area; 95% were keen to have further education in dental trauma; 65% thought dental trauma emergency should be dealt with as soon as possible. Concerning knowledge, during-office hour emergency services were more familiar (84%) than after-office hour emergency services (15%), as was the concept of management of avulsed teeth (71%) compared to that of fractured teeth (51%). Knowledge about optimal storage media for avulsed permanent teeth was especially poor--being as low as 15%. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, it was found that teaching experience significantly influenced the respondents' self-assessed knowledge and their level of satisfaction with their knowledge (P = 0.012). Teachers with more teaching experience had better knowledge about the replantation of permanent teeth (P = 0.003). It is recommended that public education targeted at teachers should be carried out to increase dental trauma management awareness.

The level of glycaemic control as measured by HbA1c emerged as the most consistent risk factor associated with the extent and severity of periodontal disease in this study cohort.

Neurological assessment of Japanese encephalitis survivors at hospital discharge does not predict long-term outcome. Seizures and shock are treatable risk factors for a poor outcome at hospital discharge and at long-term follow-up visits.

The purpose of this study was to assess patient and parental awareness of the importance of immediate management of traumatised teeth. A three-part questionnaire comprising questions on demographic data, attitude and knowledge was distributed to patients or accompanying parents who presented to the principal author for treatment in an 8-week period. One hundred and fifty-seven respondents with a mean age of 31.1 years participated in the study. Only 30% of the respondents recalled having had previous experience of dental trauma. The majority of the respondents, especially those with a higher educational background, had a positive attitude, expressing enthusiasm for public education on emergency management of dental trauma (85%). The availability of an emergency service during office hours was known by 71% of the respondents while only 26% were aware of the after-office-hour emergency service. Participants generally had a better concept of management of avulsed teeth (63%) compared to that of fractured teeth (35%). Knowledge on some critical aspects of the handling of avulsed teeth was poor (6%). Using multiple logistic regression analysis, it was found that the respondents' attitude tended to be influenced by their educational background (P = 0.08). In addition, subjects with higher education were more knowledgeable regarding the emergency service available during office hours (P = 0.05) and the concept of management of fractured teeth (P = 0.02). Educational background appeared to influence the level of awareness of the importance of immediate management of traumatised teeth.

In this study, the provision of PM led to minimal tooth loss, especially due to periodontitis, for a mean period of 10 years after APT. The completion of APT without PM may predispose patients to lose more teeth compared with patients who undergo PM.

Optimisation of plaque control is essential for the success of non-surgical and surgical periodontal therapy. This cannot be achieved with brushing alone; hence, there is a need for adjunctive interdental cleaning aids. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of different interdental cleaning aids and review the literature for consensus on their effectiveness. A literature search of articles in English, up to December 2018, was conducted in Pubmed. High-quality flossing is difficult to achieve, and ineffective routine use of floss may not confer significant benefits over brushing alone. Interdental brushes are more effective than brushing as a monotherapy. They are at least as good if not superior to floss in reducing plaque and gingivitis. Although they are effective for patients regardless of their periodontal status (healthy or active), they are especially indicated in periodontal patients where widened embrasures are common. Added benefits include ease of use, patient acceptance, and recontouring of interdental tissues. Rubberpiks do not demonstrate inferiority to conventional interdental brushes. Wooden interdental aids appear to offer no significant advantage over brushing with respect to plaque removal; they may, however, reduce gingival bleeding. Oral irrigators are a promising tool for reducing gingival inflammation, despite minimal changes to plaque levels. For cleaning around dental implants, oral irrigators and interdental brushes are preferred over floss.

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