Associations were observed between OTN and CE and also between the prevalence of severe CE and the severity of malocclusion in children with a household size >6 persons. The current findings suggest that the relationship between caries experience and malocclusion should be assessed in a wider context of SES and background factors.

INTRODUCTION:Evidence-based dentistry (EBD) is an approach to oral healthcare by combining the best scientific evidence and clinical diagnostics, clinical expertise of the dentist, and the patient's treatment needs and preferences. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an education program on EBD offered in a community-dentistry course in improving knowledge and attitudes of students in this regard.STUDY METHODS:By a quasi-experimental study design, 64 senior dental students of Islamic Azad University of Khorasgan recruited in a controlled trial. All of the students were randomized as intervention (32) and control (32) groups. A course-based educational program on EBD was randomly assigned to one group. Actual knowledge, self-assessed knowledge, and attitudes, before and after education, were measured in both groups. A questionnaire consisted of 40 items developed by the researcher was used after confirming its validity and reliability. The difference between mean scores at two timelines were measured and compared in three fields by paired t-test and independent t-test analysis via SPSS version 20 software.RESULTS:While the mean scores of actual and self-assessed knowledge and attitude were not significantly different between two groups at the beginning of the program (P > 0.05), the mean scores of all fields in the intervention group were significantly more than those of the control group after education (P < 0.001). The effect size of intervention was 86%, 62%, and 57% in three fields, respectively. There was not a significant difference between mean scores of three fields in the control group, after the intervention.CONCLUSION:Due to the poor knowledge and attitudes of students and improved knowledge and attitudes of the intervention group after education, the education program seems to be effective. Durability of educational impact and evaluating evidence-based performance can be studied in the future.

Introduction The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of an Oral Health Promoting School (OHPS) model on children's oral health in Iran. Methods This interventional quasi-experimental study was conducted in the academic year 2019–20 among 354 primary school students and their parents. A questionnaire including 17 questions was distributed among children before and 5 months after the program (The ranges of possible scores = 0–17). Training workshops for the parents based on the theoretical domains framework were designed. Using educational sessions, pamphlets, tooth brushing dairies, assignments to do at home, educational videos and messages as reminders in social networks, parents were educated about dental caries, its risk factors and prevention principles. Best recommended oral health behaviors including tooth brushing and the use of fluoridated tooth paste were also educated. A questionnaire consisting of 18 knowledge (The ranges of possible scores = 0–18), 13 attitude and 10 practice questions were distributed among parents before and after the workshops. The data were fed into SPSS and analyzed by descriptive and analytic statistics such as T-test, ANOVA and Correlation Coefficients (α = 0.05). Results The mean pre-test knowledge (7.8 ± 1.7) was increased significantly in three schools after program, p < 0.001. In the post-test, girls gained significantly higher scores (9.61 ± 1.98 vs. 9.06 ± 1.4, p = 0.025). Among 147 parents, the mean knowledge was raised from 12.3 ± 3.1 (5–18) to 15 ± 3.03 (6–18), p < 0.001. Knowledge score of the parents attending both sessions was higher. Practice of the parents regarding the use of fluoridated tooth-paste was significantly improved (p < 0.001). Also, their attitude toward the ability of children to take care of their teeth was improved (p = 0.029). Based on the self-report of parents, 71.4% (n = 47) of mothers and 45.6% (n = 67) of their children used to brush once or two times daily and there was a correlation between their behaviors (p < 0.001, Spearman Correlation Coefficient = 0.4). Conclusion It seems that the education provided in OHPS had positive effects on increasing students' awareness and to some extent, the knowledge, attitude and practice of the parents.

AIM:Worldwide, the adoption of electronic patient recording system is increasing among many parts of the health sectors. Although paper-based recording of patients’ information was a routine in many departments of dental schools, easy destruction of collected information and the costs of its conversion to electronic data, limited the availability of updated data at the department of dental public health. This paper aimed to explain the project of designing a system for Electronic Oral Health Recording (EOHR) in Isfahan dental school. The initial testing of system among dental students is reported too.METHODS:A situation analysis was conducted among the faculty members and dental students dealing with the Department of Oral Public Health. The content of EOHR was developed based on the WHO STEPwise model for chronic disease surveillance systems. The system was developed as an application for smartphone and a web-based database. The spiral model was applied in software development which was accomplished by the object-oriented programming method. After that, alpha and beta testing were done in target population. Data were compiled during the interview and oral examination by 40 dental students among 200 schoolchildren. It has been stored as a data bank following the network connection. The pitfalls of the system during its usage in dental public health course were evaluated as well.RESULTS:The baseline analysis of situation generally revealed a perception of need to change the existing paper-based recording system among the dental students and the academic members; it was summarized in five areas as follows: benefits restrictions, structural barriers, perceived advantages and feasibility. The application was designed and completed as six pages interface including demographic and follow-up page, socioeconomic status of family, oral health-related behavior, dental and gingival status, and quality of life. Drawbacks, such as nonresponded items, common assumptions, student registration page on the mobile, and modification in the output Excel file for analysis variables, have been resolved.CONCLUSION:A software application and web-based database were designed regarding the characteristics of Agile Unified Process development and educational dental setting. This system should be improved and established gradually.

Dental caries is the most common chronic oral disease capable of initiating early in life, causing pain, infection, tooth loss and decreased quality of life (Guido et al., 2011). Despite constituting only 12% of the tooth surface, occlusion surfaces are eight times more susceptible to caries than a smooth surface (Innes et al., 2016). Pit and fissure sealing therapy prevents the accumulation of debris and inhibits bacterial survival in the pits and fissures, and by reducing available retention sites forms a smooth surface layer. Therefore, it has been introduced as an effective post-eruption strategy for preventing dental caries of permanent posterior teeth, especially first molars