This study aimed to determine the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions and risk factors among the institutionalized elderly Lebanese population. A representative sample of 526 individuals (49% males and 61% females) aged 65 years and above was examined. A questionnaire and clinical examination were administered. Bivariate and multivariate regressions were carried out. The frequency of oral mucosal lesions was 22.8% and it was associated to the use, integrity ( p < .002), and hygiene level ( p < .047) of removable mandibular and maxillary prosthesis. Multiple regression analysis also predicted the relationship between the mandibular prosthesis hygiene level and the occurrence of mucosal lesions. The factors controlling the occurrence of oral mucosal lesion were mainly related to the level of oral care given to the individuals. Therefore, a proper oral health care system should be implemented in the Lebanese residential homes to ensure the well-being of the residing population.

Survey results confirm the need to implement nationwide dental caries prevention measures. Since water fluoridation is not feasible, salt fluoridation would be the alternative.

No abstract

Background: The prevalence of dental cavities has been rising especially during the past ten years. Tooth brushing twice a day using a fluoridated toothpaste is a crucial preventive measure. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the yearly use of 6 tubes of toothpaste of 170g each and 4 toothbrushes per individual. Aim: To evaluate the individual yearly consumption of toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes in Lebanon using the amount supplied to the market as a proxy measure after checking if the products meet the standards. Methods: This study was based on performing secondary quantitative data analysis of the amount of supplied toothpastes and toothbrushes between 2000 and 2016 in Lebanon. The quality of toothpaste brands available in the market was evaluated by reviewing LIBNOR (Lebanese Standards Institution) guidelines that govern the quality and testing standards of oral health products in Lebanon. Results: The yearly supply of toothpaste tubes per individual increased progressively from 1.27 tubes to 1.58 tubes between the year 2000 and 2016 respectively. The yearly supply of toothbrushes per individual fluctuated between 3.1 toothbrushes in 2000 and 3.24 toothbrushes in 2016, where the trend of supply reveals a plateau phase followed by steep increases and decreases between 2012 and 2016. Guidelines governing the quality of toothpastes are regulated by LIBNOR and follow European Standards. Conclusion: The yearly consumption of both toothpaste tubes and toothbrushes was below WHO recommendations. This raises the necessity of increasing the promotion of the importance of proper oral hygiene practices as well as the distribution of tubes of toothpastes and toothbrushes to people in need.

KeywordsArabic oral health attitudes/behaviour reliability validity A B S T R A C TThe Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI) has not been adequately translated to the Arabic language. The aim of this study is the translation and cultural adaption of the English HU-DBI into standard Arabic. The English HU-DBI was translated into Arabic by three bilingual dental academics. A nonmedical professional performed backward translation into English. The three bilinguals compared both English versions and accordingly modified the Arabic version. English and Arabic versions were answered by 58 bilingual participants. Focus groups and cognitive interviews were conducted to pretest the working version, after which the final Arabic version was tested for test-retest validity on 58 dental students. Bilingual validity and test-retest validity were assessed using the kappa statistic. Responses were similar in the English and Arabic versions for bilingual individuals and on both tests in the test-retest sample. Kappa values ranged from 0.85 to 1.00 for bilingual validity and between 0.82 and 1.00 for test-retest reliability. In conclusion, the Arabic HU-DBI will enable the assessment of knowledge and attitudes toward oral diseases and their prevention in Arab countries and will allow meaningful comparisons between different countries in the region.