Data from three countries has supported the psychometric properties of this modified and brief dental anxiety scale.

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BackgroundThis scoping review addressed the question ‘what do we know about stress-related changes in saliva and dental caries in general population?’MethodsThe review was conducted using electronic searches via Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and WoS. All published human studies with both observational and experimental designs were included. Two reviewers independently reviewed eligible articles and extracted the data. The studies’ quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool.ResultsOur search identified 232 reports, of which six were included in this review. All six studies were conducted in children and used salivary cortisol as stress marker. The studies varied by design, types of stressors, children’s caries experience, methods of saliva collection. Four studies reported a positive association between saliva cortisol levels and caries (p < 0.05) while the other two reported no association (p > 0.05). The quality of the included studies was weak to moderate.ConclusionsThere is lack of evidence about an association between stress-related changes in saliva and caries. Well-designed longitudinal studies with rigorous measurement technics for stress, saliva and dental caries are necessary. This will help to generate new insights into the multifactorial etiology of caries and provide evidence for a rational method for its control.

Introduction The aim of the study was to describe the oral health status of persons with different cognition and dental‐related functions (DRFs). Methods The present study was a secondary analysis of data collected for a cross‐sectional study of residents in three assisted living facilities in North Carolina. The participants were aged 50 years or older, had normal to severely impaired cognition and spoke English. Upon obtaining informed consent, an oral assessment was completed by a trained geriatric dentist. A research team member who was blind to the oral examination outcomes then used the Minimum Data Set Cognition Scale to assess participants’ cognition and the dental activities test to evaluate oral self‐care and other DRFs. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the demographic, cognitive, functional and oral health status of the study participants. The impacts of cognitive and functional status on oral health measures were examined using simple linear regression models, negative binomial and zero‐inflated negative binomial models. Results A total of 91 long‐term residents from three long‐term care facilities participated in the study. Oral hygiene and gingival health were significantly associated with cognition (P = 0.056 and P = 0.017, respectively) and DRFs (P = 0.013 and P = 0.008, respectively). Residents with poor cognitive and dental‐related function also presented with poor oral hygiene and gingival health. Conclusion The study results suggest that oral hygiene and gingival health were significantly associated with cognition and DRFs.

Although the doctors were the main source of information, patients experience difficulties in understanding what was said to them. Comprehensive information together with audiovisuals, when provided to H&N cancer patients based on their needs, seems to improve their understanding of their cancer and prepare them for their treatment.

AimIn the present study, we synthesized the published literature about the psychosocial aspects of colorectal cancer (crc) survivorship to support an update of the evidentiary base of the survivorship care plans (scps) created in our jurisdiction. MethodsThe psychosocial topics identified in the crc scps created by two different initiatives in our province were used as search criteria: quality of life (qol), sexual function, fatigue, and lifestyle behaviors. An umbrella review was conducted to retrieve the best possible evidence. Only reviews that investigated the intended outcomes in crc survivors and those with moderate-to-high methodologic quality scores were included. ResultsOf 462 retrieved reports, eight reviews met the inclusion criteria for the synthesis. Of those eight, six investigated the challenges of crc survivors and two investigated the effect of physical activity on survivor wellbeing. Our results indicate that emotional and physical challenges are common in crc survivors and that physical activity is associated with clinically important benefits for the fatigue and physical functioning of crc survivors. ConclusionsOur study findings update the evidence and indicate that existing scps in our province concerning the physical and emotional challenges of crc survivors reflect the evidence at the time of their issue. However, the literature concerning cancer risks specific to crc survivors is lacking. Although systematic reviews are considered to be the "gold standard" in knowledge synthesis, our findings suggest that much remains to be done in the area of synthesis research to better guide practice in cancer survivorship.

Dental caries is a disease of multifactorial etiology, and its causal factors include caries causing microorganisms, exposure to fermentable carbohydrates, feeding practices, and a wide range of sociodemographic factors. 1 When caries affects children of age six or under, it is called early childhood caries (ECC). 2 Although the prevalence of ECC varies from population to population, it is more prevalent in children living in socially disadvantaged communities. 3 The global prevalence of ECC is 23%-90%, 4 whereas in India it is 27%-65%. 5 In addition to occasional mortality, ECC is associated with significant morbidity as it causes pain and impairs chewing ability, nutritional intake, and the quality of life of the affected individuals. 6

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