BackgroundThe OHIP-49 is widely used to assess oral health-related quality of life, but its length makes it time-consuming and difficult to use. An abbreviated version of the OHIP-49 with fourteen items has been validated for older adults, but not in Chile. The aim was to develop and validate the Spanish version of the OHIP-14 in an elderly Chilean population.MethodsTwo studies were conducted; a cross sectional to develop and a retrospective study to validate the OHIP-14Sp. The OHIP-49Sp was applied to 490 older adults and the fourteen questions with the higher impact on oral health-related quality of life were selected through linear regression. These items were applied on a retrospective dataset of 85 older adults to test internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha). A discriminative validity analysis was performed along with the assessment of sociodemographic (age and gender, educational level) and clinical variables (number of teeth, caries lesions, CPITN, prosthetic needs and prosthetic functionality). Data were analyzed using Mann–Whitney U, Student’s t and one-way ANOVA tests with a 95% confidence level and finally were analyzed by a Multivariate Logistic Regression Model.ResultsHigh internal consistency values were obtained for the OHIP-14Sp instrument (0.91). There was an association between the OHIP-14Sp scores and the presence of caries (p = 0.003), need for complex periodontal treatment (p = 0.002), prosthetic needs (p < 0.0001) and age younger than 70 years-old (p < 0.0001). Subjects with periodontal treatment need were more likely to report reduced oral health-related quality of life (PR = 2.10).ConclusionsThe OHIP-14Sp proved to be a consistent and valid tool to assess oral health-related quality of life when tested in Chilean older adults.

Purpose/objectives To investigate dental students’ perceptions and concerns regarding the COVID‐19 pandemic, their coping strategies and support resources, and their perceived stress levels. Methods A customized 19‐item survey and the perceived stress scale (PSS) were applied to undergraduate dental students from the US, Spain, Ireland, Chile, India, and Brazil between April 10 and July 5, 2020. Linear modeling and mediation analysis were used to explore the relationships among demographics, stressors, coping mechanisms, social support, and stress Results A total of 4475 students responded to the survey. The majority (72.4%) were women, and 52.3% had no COVID‐19 training at the time of the survey. The students reported that they had to accommodate to changes in patient care (96.6%) and didactic learning (95.2%) activities, while 88.5% of the respondents indicated at least one of their courses moved online. Transition to online courses went “smoothly with some troubles” for 51.8% of the respondents, and 48.3% perceived the faculty as prepared for the online transition; however, 45.9% reported feeling extremely concerned about the impact of COVID‐19 on their education. The average PSS score was 21.9 of 40 (moderate stress). Multivariate models were built for participants with full data (n = 3899). Being male, having completed more dental coursework, and perceiving a smoother transition were associated with lower PSS scores; more concern about academic progress was associated with higher PSS. Faculty support mediated the relationship between a smoothness of transition and concern about academic progress and PSS scores Conclusion Stress caused by the pandemic may be alleviated by smoother transition and good faculty support.

Objectives A multicentre survey was designed to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on dental practice worldwide, estimate the COVID-19 related symptoms/signs, work attitudes and behaviour and the routine use of protective measures and personal protective equipment (PPE). Methods A global survey using a standardized questionnaire with research groups from 36 countries was designed. The questionnaire was developed and pretested during April 2020 and contained three domains: 1) personal data; 2) COVID-19 positive rate and symptoms/signs presumably related to the coronavirus; 3) working conditions and PPE adopted after the outbreak. Countries’ data were grouped by the country positive rate (CPR) during the survey period and by Gross-National-Income per capita. An ordinal multinomial logistic regression model was carried out with COVID-19 self-reported rate referred by dental professionals as dependent variable to assess the association with questionnaire items. Results A total of 52,491 questionnaires were returned with a male/female ratio of 0.63. Out of the total respondents, 7,859 dental professionals (15%) reported symptoms/signs compatible with COVID-19. More than half of the sample (n=27,818; 53%) stated to use FFP2/N95 masks, while 21,558 (41.07%) used eye protection. In the bivariate analysis, CPR and N95/FFP2 were significantly associated (OR=1.80 95% CI=1.60/2.82 and OR=5.20 95% CI=1.44/18.80, respectively), while Gross-National-Income was not statistically associated with CPR (OR=1.09 95% CI=0.97/1.60). The same significant associations were observed in the multivariate analysis . Conclusions Oral health service provision has not been significantly affected by COVID-19, although access to routine dental care was reduced due to country-specific temporary lockdown periods. While the dental profession has been identified at high-risk, the reported rates of COVID-19 for dental professionals were not significantly different to those reported for the general population in each country. These findings may help to better plan oral health care for future pandemic events.

Severe restrictions have been imposed in most countries for oral health care to the general population, allowing treatment only for emergencies, because of the generation of aerosols during clinical procedures and to ration personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic. This article stresses the critical situation that affects oral health for older persons in the complex times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Older adults are at high risk for the viral infection, but neglected dental conditions may worsen their health, triggering infections that can lead to local and systemic complications, compromising general health. We propose that under current and possibly future scenarios, teledentistry and the minimal intervention dentistry approach may play a pivotal role in reshaping the profession. The already existent inequities in oral health care may be exacerbated due to the pandemic, especially in the developing world. More research along with a strong educational component in the dental curriculum must be emphasized. COVID-19 may be an opportunity to change canonical paradigms. The dental profession must reflect and take action to face future challenges. Knowledge Transfer Statement: This article provides an overview of the oral health situation imposed by COVID-19 and the minimal intervention alternatives to provide care to older people who are at risk and have reduced access to care.

The OHIP-49 Sp proved to be a valid tool to assess oral health-related quality of life, when tested in Chilean older adults.