Background: Oral health affects quality of life and is linked to overall health. Enhanced oral health research is needed in low- and middle-income countries to develop strategies that reduce the burden of oral disease, improve oral health and inform oral health workforce and infrastructure development decisions. Objective: To implement the first National Oral Health Survey of Rwanda to assess the oral disease burden and inform oral health promotion strategies. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, sample size and site selection were based on the World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Surveys Pathfinder stratified cluster methodologies. Randomly selected 15 sites included 2 in the capital city, 2 other urban centers and 11 rural locations representing all provinces and rural/urban population distribution. A minimum of 125 individuals from each of 5 age groups were included at each site. A Computer Assisted Personal Instrument (CAPI) was developed to administer the study instrument. Results: Nearly two-thirds (64.9%) of the 2097 participants had caries experience and 54.3% had untreated caries. Among adults 20 years of age and older, 32.4% had substantial oral debris and 60.0% had calculus. A majority (70.6%) had never visited an oral health provider. Quality-of-life challenges due to oral diseases/conditions including pain, difficulty chewing, self-consciousness, and difficulty participating in usual activities was reported at 63.9%, 42.2% 36.2%, 35.4% respectively. Conclusion: The first National Oral Health Survey of Rwanda was a collaboration of the Ministry of Health of Rwanda, the University of Rwanda Schools of Dentistry and Public Health, the Rwanda Dental Surgeons and Dental (Therapists) Associations, and Tufts University and Harvard University Schools of Dental Medicine. The international effort contributed to building oral health research capacity and resulted in a national oral health database of oral disease burden. This information is essential for developing oral disease prevention and management strategies as well as oral health workforce and infrastructure.
The use of surveys is popular in dental education research. However, designing and conducting a survey can have many pitfalls. This article aims to prepare a new researcher or one with little experience to undertake survey research. It covers points such as survey design (including question construction), pilot testing for validity and reliability, sampling strategy, methods to increase response rates, logistical considerations, and items to include when writing the manuscript. Careful consideration of a survey from beginning to end can help one design and conduct a successful study that meets its research aims and adds valuable evidence to the literature.
The RES is a "moderately" reliable scoring system for mucogingival treatments in a dental school setting and can be used even by operators with different levels of periodontal experience. This scoring system can be repeated by the same examiner to obtain reliable results.
Learning indirect vision with a dental mirror is challenging and can be overwhelming for beginning dental students. The Jumpstart Mirror Trainer is a new device that allows students to become proficient with mirror use before the start of preclinic without requiring in‐class practice sessions. The aim of this study, conducted in 2017, was to compare the effectiveness of the Jumpstart Mirror Trainer with the Mirroprep for teaching indirect motor skills. Forty‐seven first‐year dental students were randomized into three groups to use the Jumpstart Mirror Trainer, Mirroprep, or a control device for 15 minutes a day for ten days. To assess indirect motor skills improvement, students performed a maxillary cavity preparation before and after using their devices. A survey was used to assess students' comfort level with mirror skills and perceived helpfulness of the exercises. Forty students completed the study. The Jumpstart Mirror Trainer activities improved the students' scores significantly more than the Mirroprep activities (p=0.04) and the control device (p=0.006). Students in the Jumpstart Mirror Trainer group rated their device as being significantly more helpful than the control group rated its device in preparing them for the evaluation (p=0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in perceived helpfulness between the Mirroprep group and the control group (p=0.75). These results suggest that the Jumpstart Mirror Trainer may be able to improve students' indirect motor skills without requiring in‐class practice sessions and to do so more effectively than other existing methods.
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