Background:There is a great deal of studies on the relationship between the existence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in oral cavity (dental plaque) and in stomach of patients, with conflicting results worldwide. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the existing litreature to assess if the dental plaque could be a source of gastric H. pylori infection and to explore the source of heterogeneity around it.Methods:We searched all the papers published since 2000 on international (Medline, ISI, Embase) databases using standard keywords. Two researchers evaluated the articles with standard critical appraisal form independently and those articles with the quality acquired greater than 70% were included in the study. The combined results were calculated with weighted average and the source of hetrogeneity was tested by meta-regression (random) model.Results:Finally, 23 studies were included (1861 patients). The prevalence of co-infection of gastric and dental plaque H. pylori was 49.7% (95% CI 16–83.4%) and the percent of agreement between the dental plaque H. pylori status and the gastric H. pylori was estimated as 82%. Only one study has reported that dental treatment has a preventive effect on the recurrence of gastric H. pylori infection.Conclusion:Co-infection of gastric H. pylori and dental plaque is reported by half of the studies. However, there is not enough evidence for the efficacy of dental treatment on prevention of recurrent gastric H. pylori infection.

abstract:Objectives: There is scant information regarding the multifactorial aetiology of denture stomatitis (DS) in the world and, despite its frequency, associated factors are not completely understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the risk factors that may be associated with this lesion. Methods: A total of 70 edentulous patients, all wearing removable dentures, were divided into two groups. The test group comprised 43 patients with DS and the control group comprised 27 subjects with clinically healthy palatal mucosa. A thorough history-taking and physical examination were carried out; the subjects also answered a questionnaire. The serum level of vitamin A for each subject was assayed from a blood sample taken after the examination. Results: This study showed a significant relationship between the incidence of DS and three major factors: denture age (in terms of years), the practitioner manufacturing the dentures (general dental practitioner versus dental hygienist), and the nightlong wearing of dentures. Also, the vitamin A serum level was low in 94.29% of all subjects (cases and controls). Conclusion: Although many predisposing conditions were related to this situation, the most important risk factor was the continuous use of the dentures. Keywords Application to Patient Care-The results of this study will help in increasing awareness of DS for dentists.-Dentists can help prevent this condition by instructing patients to take their dentures out for 6-8 hrs each day.-Mechanical plaque control and appropriate denture-wearing habits are the most important measures in preventing and treating the disease.

abstract:Objectives: Oral cancer is a global health problem; however, many dentists lack the necessary skills, knowledge and capacity to diagnose oral cancers early. This study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of a Persian short-form version of a standardised questionnaire to assess dentists' knowledge, practice and attitudes towards oral cancer. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in May 2015 in Tehran, Iran. An original 39-item English-language questionnaire developed by Yellowitz et al. was translated into Persian using forward and backward translation methods. A total of 15 dental professionals were asked to assess the questionnaire for content validity. Based on their feedback, a 20-item short-form version was prepared, including six demographic, six knowledge, four attitude and four practice items. The translated short-form questionnaire was subsequently distributed to 973 general dental practitioners attending a dental conference in Tehran. Internal consistency and reliability were assessed with Cronbach's alpha coefficient and item-total correlation calculations. Results: A total of 13 professionals and 313 general dentists participated in the study (response rates: 86.7% and 32.2%, respectively). After the elimination of six items (two knowledge, two attitude and two practice items), the validity and reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed. Conclusion: The final Persian 14-item version of the questionnaire had acceptable validity and internal consistency. These results indicate that researchers can use this translated short-form version to evaluate oral cancer knowledge, attitudes and practices among Persian-speaking dentists; this will allow for a comparison of data between different populations.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:Examinations have an important role in evaluating students’ learning outcomes and their mastery of a subject. Passing or failing an examination can have far-reaching consequences for the students. Therefore, it is not surprising that international studies consistently show that dental students report examinations and grades among the highest ranking stressors in dental schools.PURPOSE:The aim of this research was to measure the levels of anxiety, self-perception of preparation and expectations for success using an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), a written examination and a preclinical preparation test, and to examine the effects of the three predictive variables on the outcomes of assessments.MATERIALS AND METHODS:The present research is a cross-sectional study. The population under consideration was students of Kerman Dental School in 2013. Examination anxiety was measured with Spielberger's state anxiety inventory. Preparation for the assessment (I am fully prepared = 4, I am prepared = 3, I’m not prepared = 2, I’m not fully prepared = 1) and expectation to succeed (I am quite successful = 4, I am successful = 3, I’m not successful = 2, I’m not quite successful = 1) were quantified with Likert scale. The questionnaire was completed during an OSCE, a written examination, a preclinical crown and bridge preparation test and a nonexamination situation.RESULTS:The study population consisted of 138 4th, 5th, and 6th year Kerman dental students (65 males and 73 females). The results showed that all the assessment methods induced a significant increase in state anxiety compared to baseline levels with the highest anxiety levels reported during an OSCE (62.4 ± 8.1, P = 0.04) and a written examination (48.8 ± 9.2, P = 0.04). The preparation levels in females were significantly higher than those in males in OSCE (P = 0.03) and written (P = 0.04).CONCLUSION:State anxiety was high in all the three assessment methods. OSCE induced more anxiety than other assessment formats. However, anxiety was not predictive of performance outcomes in contrast to preparation and expectation to succeed, which were good predictors of the outcome scores. Also, this study showed that despite a better answer to the assessment of (I prepared myself well for the test), the students showed high levels of state anxiety.

Objective: To determine the prescribing patterns of the general dental practitioners in Kerman province in Iran. Material and Methods: In this cross sectional study 1200 prescriptions, which were prescribed by general dentists in Kerman province during one-year period, were evaluated. Each prescription was assessed for the number of drugs per prescription, drug (category, name, route of administration, frequency) and duration of treatment. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate the absolute and relative frequencies, mean and standard deviation. The Chi-square test, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t-test were used. The statistical tests were performed at the significance level of 0.05. Results: The mean number of drugs per prescription was 2.59. Antibiotics, Analgesics, corticosteroids and antiseptics were the most common drug category prescribed drugs by general dentists. Oral route was the commonest route of drug prescription (84.1%). Amoxicillin capsule (60.5%) was the commonest drug prescribed by general practitioners followed by ibuprofen derivatives (55.4%). Spelling errors was found in 62.7% of prescriptions. The mean score of prescriptions for logical prescription pattern was 7.36 ± 1.32 out of 9. Conclusion: Dental prescribing patterns should be considered as a potential area for improvement in the treatment process and patient safety. It is suggested to emphasis more on principles of prescription at university and retraining courses for dentists.

To use qualitative research methods to evaluate the experiences of patients with chronic oral diseases. Material and Methods: Purposive sampling was used to recruit patients from the Oral Medicine Unit of Kerman University Dental School. An experienced independent facilitator convened the focus groups and conducted individual interviews in a non-clinical setting. Focus groups were mixed regarding their gender, age, chronic oral mucosal condition, time since diagnosis, and severity. A total of 39 patients participated in the study, including patients with oral lichen planus, pemphigus, recurrent aphthous stomatitis and leukoplakia. Results: Analysis of the interviews revealed that patient views could be divided into the following themes: biopsychosocial issues, treatment limitations and side effects, unpredictability of the conditions and the potential for malignant transformation. Chronic oral mucosal conditions affected patients' daily lives in various areas, from physical health and functioning to concerns about their future. Conclusion: The oral medicine practitioner's role in treating patients with chronic oral mucosal diseases extended beyond active management and symptomatic relief to the management of all aspects of these conditions that affected their daily lives.

BACKGROUND: The goal of treating cancer patients is to cure the patients and improve their quality of life (QoL) during their illness. The aim of this research was to assess the QoL in Iranian patients with head-and-neck cancer by European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Head and Neck 35 (EORTC QLQ-H&N35) and University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QoL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, Iranian variation of EORTC QLQ-H&N35 and UW-QoL questionnaires was administered to 210 patients with head-and-neck cancer. Patients who visited the Department of Oncology at Omid Hospital in Isfahan, Shafa Hospital in Kerman, and Emam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran were selected. Kruskal–Wallis test, general linear model multivariate of variance, multiple regression models, and SPSS version 21 were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: In the present research work, 210 patients with cancer in head and neck were under investigation, such that 128 patients (61%) were male and 82 patients (39%) were female. Only the patients with laryngeal cancer scored worse for dyspnea according to the scores from UW-QoL questionnaires. There were statistically significant differences for pain, swallowing, social eating, social contact, speech, taste/smell, and trismus based on the QLQ-H&N35. Lower QoL was observed in patients with advanced (Stage III + IV) tumors and treated with radiotherapy plus surgical method. CONCLUSION: The study showed that quality of life differs due to location of tumor, stage of cancer, and treatment type.

Objective: To assess patient's attitudes toward chairside medical screening in a dental setting. Material and Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, subjects referring to the dental school, dental offices, and clinics of Kerman were evaluated. Each subject filled a questionnaire containing demographic data, patient's attitude towards the performance of examination and the medical status of the subjects. The questionnaire consisted of seven main questions and the subjects were asked to rate them from very important (score 5) to not important at all (score 1). Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests and t-test were used. Friedman's nonparametric analysis of variance was used to compare response items within each question. Results: Screening for medical conditions by dentists was important for most of the participants, and it was important for them to be monitored for their medical condition by the dentists. The majority of patients had the will to be screened for each medical condition by the dentists. Male subjects stated skillfulness and professionality (88.4%) as the most important characteristics of the dentist and compassion as the least important one (56.2%). Female subjects stated knowledge of the dentists (96.3%) as the most essential characteristic and compassion as the least important one (85.8%). The will to undertake screening tests was higher in elder subjects. Conclusion: Dental patients have a positive attitude for medical conditions screening. Screening for medical conditions in a dental setting is a new approach, which might be an important contributor to disease control in the general population.