Introduction: Dental anxiety can affect the dental health status of an individual leading to avoidance behavior, poor oral hygiene and periodontal health and delay in seeking necessary treatment. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of dental anxiety in army recruits in Bangalore city and to explore the relationship of dental anxiety with dental caries and periodontal disease among army recruits in Bangalore city. Methodology: The total population of the army recruits in Army Service Corps Center and College was around 1000. General information included name, age, sex educational qualification, address, number of dental visits and age of first visit. The closed ended multiple-choice questionnaire consisting of 4 questions based on previous dental experience given by Corah was used to assess the anxiety level of the individual. Clinical examination of dental and periodontal health was noted using Decayed, Missing, Filled and Surface (DMFS) Index and Community Periodontal Index and Treatment Needs (CPITN) Index. Results: The mean Dental Anxiety Scale score was 9.64 with a standard deviation of 3.6. Of the 836 participants in the study, 444 (53.1%) reported no dental anxiety at all. Two hundred and sixty-three (31.5%) were moderately dental anxious (scoring 9–12), 10.4% were highly anxious (scoring 13–14) and 5% were severely anxious (scoring 15–20). Anxious individuals had poorer periodontal health necessitating treatment compared to nonanxious individuals. The mean DMFS of the study population was highest among those having high and severe dental anxiety (mean DMFS = 11.0 and 12.59, respectively) which was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The present study showed a prevalence of dental anxiety of 47%. Impact of dental anxiety on oral health was found to be obvious as higher DMFT/DMFS was evident among dentally anxious subjects; dental anxiety also showed a strong association with higher CPITN scores.

No abstract

Background: The burden of oral diseases is increasing, which constitute a major public health problem. The use of probiotics as an adjuvant, along with routine dental care practice by an individual, can produce additional benefits in the maintenance of one's oral health. The study aimed to investigate the effect of Bifidobacterium as a probiotic on oral health. Material and Methods: Six databases and registers were searched from the start of the database to December 2021 without any restrictions. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the clinical effects of Bifidobacterium as a probiotic on oral health were included in the study. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed to conduct this systematic review. The included studies were analyzed for the risk of bias using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trial (RoB 2) tool as well as quality of available evidence using GRADE criteria. Results: From the 22 qualified studies, four studies showed non-significant results. There was a high risk of bias in 13 studies and some concerns of bias in nine studies. No adverse effects were reported, and the quality of available evidence was moderate. Conclusion: The effect of Bifidobacterium on oral health is questionable. Further high-quality RCTs are required on the clinical effects of bifidobacteria and also the optimum level of probiotic needed, and ideal mode of administration to provide oral health benefits. Furthermore, synergistic effects of the combined use of various strains of probiotics need to be studied.