Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene (CJDH)

Objective: To review data from the Children’s Oral Health Initiative (COHI) database from 2006 to 2016 to determine the impact of COHI on the oral health of registered First Nations and Inuit children in Atlantic Canada (AC), Saskatchewan, and Ontario. Methods: Data from the national COHI database were analysed for children ages 0 to 7 years in participating Indigenous communities. The mean age of participants and the number of children participating in COHI, receiving a first dental screening, fluoride varnish applications, sealants, and atraumatic restorative therapy were evaluated. Participants were grouped into 3 age categories (0–2, 3–5, 6–7). The decayed, extracted, and filled primary teeth (deft) scores were calculated. Results: Between 2006 and 2016, 80,574 children with an average age of 3.8 ±2.2 years participated in COHI in Saskatchewan, Ontario, and AC. The proportion receiving oral screenings, fluoride varnish, and sealants remained consistent over time. From 2006 to 2012, the number of participants receiving atraumatic restorative therapy increased in Saskatchewan and AC, and deft scores remained relatively stable with a marginal increase observed. This finding coincided with advancing age of children in all regions. Comparison of mean deft scores for children ages 0 to 7 years between 2006–2011 and 2012–2016 revealed an increase in Ontario and Saskatchewan. In AC, there was a significant decline in mean deft scores over the 2 time periods. Conclusion: While no significant decreases in deft scores were identified, the findings suggest that children participating in COHI are receiving needed preventive services such as fluoride varnish and atraumatic restorative therapy.

Background: Initial carious lesions are reversible, and fluoride-containing reagents effectively promote enamel remineralization in these initial lesions. Numerous remineralizing agents are available, some containing fluoride and others containing alternatives because of fluoride toxicity concerns. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the following remineralizing agents: fluoride varnish (5% NaF, Duraphat®), casein phosphopeptide–amorphous calcium phosphate paste (CPP-ACP, Tooth Mousse®), and casein phosphopeptide– amorphous calcium phosphate fluoride paste (CPP-ACPF, Tooth Mousse Plus®) on initial carious lesions. Materials and Methods: Forty human maxillary premolar teeth were randomized into 4 experimental groups: distilled water, fluoride varnish, CPP-ACP, and CPP-ACPF. All 40 teeth were cut in half mesiodistally. A Vickers microhardness test was performed on the buccal half of each tooth; the lingual half was examined with a spectrophotometer for colour dimension. An Atomic Force Microscope was used to evaluate roughness. During the experiments, microhardness, colour, and roughness were examined 3 times: 1) before treatment; 2) after demineralization; and 3) after remineralization. At each stage, a scanning electron microscope was used to examine surface features and enable energy dispersive X-ray chemical composition analysis. Results: Demineralization carried out in preparation for testing of the agents caused enamel hardness to decrease significantly. Enamel roughness increased, although not significantly. After remineralization, each of the 3 remineralizing agents had significantly increased both hardness and lightness (L*), compared to the demineralized enamel. Each agent decreased enamel roughness, but the roughness change was not significant. Conclusion: Comparing the 3 remineralizing agents, there were no significant differences between the agents in effectiveness.

Background: Integrating the basic sciences into a clinical curriculum is critical for students’ understanding of physiological processes in patient care. Health professional students with a better understanding of basic science principles have better diagnostic accuracy and a more comprehensive understanding of clinical cases. Traditional health professional curricula offer discrete basic science and clinical courses, resulting in students who struggle to recognize the relevance of the material and incorporate fundamental science knowledge into their later clinical education. This study examined student perceptions of integrating foundational sciences into their health professional program and evaluated the extent of that integration with clinical oral medicine and pathology knowledge using a knowledge integration scale. Methods: Students in the second to fourth years of the Dental Hygiene Program at the University of Alberta, Canada, were invited to participate in an anonymous survey regarding their perceptions of the integration of sciences in teaching. In a separate invitation, third- and fourth-year dental hygiene students were invited to complete a graded measure of knowledge integration. Results: Significant differences were found between year cohorts in the perceptions of integrating basic sciences into the clinical curriculum. Content analysis of descriptive student comments revealed the benefits of integrating clinical and foundational science knowledge. There were no significant differences between third- and fourth-year dental hygiene students in measured integration of foundational science and clinical knowledge. Conclusions: Further studies are needed to shed light on faculty perceptions and identify strategies to facilitate curricular integrations at the faculty level.

Background: Health care professionals who provide high-quality care engage in interprofessional collaborative practice. Engaging collaboratively requires that educators ensure health care students have well-developed client-centred knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes. Limited research exists to help educators understand how to support health care students’ client-centred development. Purpose: This study aimed to use storytelling and reflection to advance understanding of clientcentredness development from the perspective of prelicensure health care students. Method: In this interpretive description study, 6 students from various health disciplines engaged in 3 focus group sessions over 5 months to discuss client-centred experiences. Digital stories were introduced to stimulate discussion. Focus group data were inductively analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Four themes related to client-centred development emerged: 1) building on existing professional knowledge; 2) internalizing client-centredness as an evolving process; 3) sharing stories; and 4) reflecting: a critical process. Discussion: Consistent with the limited evidence, employing storytelling and reflection in an interprofessional education setting enabled students to explore the concept of client-centredness in a way that enriched the discussion and their perceptions. Conclusion: Health care students benefit from storytelling and open discussion opportunities to learn with, from, and about each other in an interprofessional education context as they internalize client-centredness and move beyond their professional education programs’ knowledge and skill-based foundations.

Objective: This review aimed to explore how parents employ social media as an educational platform for their children’s oral health and to review the content quality shared across different social media platforms. Method: PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase databases were searched for relevant literature published between 1998 and 2023. With the use of inclusion and exclusion criteria, the remaining articles were reviewed. Results: Twenty-six (26) studies met the inclusion criteria, of which 5 studies (19%) suggested that active engagement of parents in social media-based educational initiatives can enhance the oral health-related behaviours of their children. Nineteen studies (73%) recommended that efforts be made to generate instructive and standardized videos for use in social media by oral health professionals. Two studies (8%) suggested that social media platforms serve as a means for parents to promote oral health in children, fostering awareness and education in a widely accessible and engaging manner. Discussion: According to this review, social media is a driving force in disseminating information to parents regarding children’s oral health, but standardization of the information must be implemented. Conclusion: Social media networks play crucial roles in informing, educating, and motivating parents to improve the overall oral health of their children.

Background: The effectiveness of orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) has yet to be confirmed in the literature. This scoping review aimed to answer the question, “What evidence exists to support the effectiveness of OMT in treating/ managing orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) affecting orofacial structures’ function and oral habits?” Methods: A librarian at the University of Alberta, Canada, developed a comprehensive search strategy and applied it to 6 databases and grey literature. The reference lists of included studies were cross-checked. Two independent reviewers screened the retrieved records in 2 phases; 1 extracted data. The evidence level of each article was assessed using the Oxford CEBM Levels of Evidence. A third reviewer solved conflicts. Results: After screening 11,518 records, 58 were included (50 primary studies and 8 reviews). The addressed OMDs were ankyloglossia (8 studies), atypical swallowing (9 studies), lip incompetence (13 studies), mouth breathing (10 studies), non-nutritive sucking habit (10 studies), low tongue position at rest (2 studies), and simultaneous OMDs (9 studies). Only 11 studies (19%) were randomized controlled trials. Most presented no proper randomization process and no allocation concealment description; half were open-label studies. Although 86% of primary studies reported positive results using OMT, of 12 comparisons found, only 9 were considered plausible (6 at level of evidence 3, 2 at level 2, and 1 at level 1). None was deemed to have confirmed the effectiveness of OMT. Discussion: Conducting methodologically sound clinical trials with larger samples and longer follow-ups is crucial to answering the research question. Conclusion: In some scenarios, OMT produces clinical changes. However, insufficient high-level evidence exists to fully confirm OMT’s effectiveness.

Introduction: Kahoot! is an online quiz game that has become popular in education, including health professional education. Despite the known benefits of Kahoot!, application of this game in dental hygiene education is rare. Description of case: Kahoot! was incorporated into a dental hygiene course at the University of Alberta, Canada. A pilot study was conducted to describe students’ experiences with and perspectives on Kahoot! gaming. Nineteen percent (19%) of the students in the course participated in a voluntary, anonymous survey. The results indicated positive impacts of Kahoot! on student components of motivation: attention, relevance, confidence, and satisfaction. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the survey respondents reported in-class competition in Kahoot! as a source of motivation; 24% found the live leaderboard stressful. Discussion: Despite some stressful experiences reported by students, this study suggests that Kahoot! is an excellent tool for promoting student engagement. Conclusion: Further studies are needed in this area to explore the impact of Kahoot! on the academic performance and learning outcomes of dental hygiene students.