Background: Although there is remarkable evidence in the literature that there is an association between physical activity and general health, the possible influence of physical activity on oral health outcomes has not been well documented. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of physical activity on oral health. Methodology: An aggregate of 112 studies has been retrieved from PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Turning Research Into Practice databases from 2001 to 2020, of which 14 observational studies have been integrated into this systematic review. Results: Among the included studies, four studies have reported an association between periodontal disease and regular physical activity. Four studies reported an association between oral health behavior and physical activity. Two studies found an association between physical activity and dental caries. Conclusion: The findings from the present systematic review revealed an association between oral health, oral health behaviors, and individuals practicing physical activity. It was observed that there were reduced inflammatory biomarkers in physically active individuals, which in turn was related to improved periodontal health. As this review only looked at studies that were based on observations, more studies were suggested to see if there was a possible cause-and-effect relationship between each condition.

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Background: Toothbrush often gets contaminated with use and also during storage. Although many toothbrush disinfection methods are mentioned in the past literature. To date there no absolute consensus on the topic. Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the microbial contamination of toothbrushes and their decontamination using various disinfectants. Subjects and Methods: An in vitro study was carried out on 80 subjects with a gingival index (Loe and Silness, 1963) score of two or three received toothbrush and paste with complete oral hygiene instructions. After 1 month, toothbrushes were collected and checked for microbial contamination by aerobic culture. Toothbrushes were divided into four groups (n = 20) and treated with one of the following agents: Group A – 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate, Group B – Listerine, Group C – Dettol, and Group D – tap water for 1 h. After an hour, the brushes were further cultured to evaluate the efficacy of each agent. Statistical procedures were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 16 software. Inferential statistics were performed using Chi-square analysis. P < 0.05 was set as statistically significant. Results: All the sampled toothbrushes had significant (P < 0.001) bacterial growth after 1 month of use. Most of the brushes were contaminated with Escherichia coli (17.1%). All the tested disinfectants significantly (P < 0.001) reduced bacterial growth and Dettol showed maximum effectiveness (95.3%). Conclusions: Toothbrushes significantly get contaminated after use, which is reduced after disinfecting the brushes. Although not 100% effective, all the disinfectants significantly reduced the bacteria, and Dettol was found to be comparatively better than other agents.

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Background: Smoking is associated with increased overall morbidity and mortality. Globally, more than 6 million deaths per year are related to smoking. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI), MI in combination with bupropion 150 mg (milligrams), and MI in combination with bupropion and nicotine chewing gums (2 mg) (nicotine replacement therapy [NRT]) in smoking cessation. Materials and Methods: A double-blind, 6-month, parallel, randomized controlled trial was conducted among healthy smokers who were motivated to quit smoking. Based on the sample size estimation, 132 heavy smokers with moderate-to-high dependence were randomized to one of the three intervention groups: A: MI + Placebo, B: MI + bupropion, and C: MI + NRT + bupropion. Interventions were delivered for 3 months. The main outcome was self-reported continuous abstinence rates at 6 months. The data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Pearson's Chi-square test with P value fixed at 0.05. Results: The study participants included predominantly males (98.5%) with a mean age of 35.1 ± 9.32 years. The overall continuous abstinence rate at 6 months was 18.9%. The continuous abstinence rates were 12.2%, 22.2%, and 23.4% in Group A, B, and C, respectively (P = 0.318). There was no significant difference in 7-day point prevalence abstinence from smoking at the end of 3 months in between the three groups (P = 0.06). Conclusion: MI plays a significant role in smoking cessation and offers benefits comparable to pharmacotherapies and hence can be used as an integral part of smoking cessation interventions.

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Background: Dental caries and periodontal problems are mainly caused due to poor oral hygiene practices. Aim: This study aims to determine the relationship between oral hygiene status and dental caries in 13–14 years old school-going children of rural and urban locality in Kamrup Metropolitan District, Assam. Materials and Methods: A total of 1501 school children in the age group of 13–14 years were included in the study and dental caries was recorded from decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT) index as described by World Health Organization (1997) and Oral hygiene status was assessed using Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S) given by Greene and Vermilion 1964. The unpaired t-test, Chi-square test, and Pearson correlation test were used to assess the relation between oral hygiene status and dental caries among different age groups, and location of the school-going children using SPSS version 21 and P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The results showed a significant positive correlation (P < 0.05) between mean OHI-S score and decayed component of DMFT score among rural school children whereas in urban children a significant positive correlation (P < 0.05) was found between mean OHI-S score and mean score of Decayed, Missing and Filled teeth component of DMFT. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of dental caries among school children of Kamrup (Metropolitan) District was 33.6%. The present study showed a significant positive correlation of mean OHI-S score with a mean of decayed teeth and DMFT score.

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Background: Economic evaluations in dentistry provide policymakers with information to facilitate efficient resource allocation. Dentistry involves multiple activities for one treatment outcome. This original research aims to calculate direct treatment and indirect costs for dental services provided at tertiary care referral dental center. Materials and Methods: The present original study reporting is done based on using the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards statement in dentistry, the basic dental services provided are divided into direct (revenue-generating) and indirect cost centers (nonrevenue generating) using activity-based costing (ABC) method. The total cost generated is calculated by aggregating the sum of direct and indirect cost incurred and unit cost is calculated by dividing total cost obtained by the number of units. Data are analyzed using Microsoft Excel worksheet. Results: Cost calculated using ABC method differed significantly from the tariff method. The major cost components varied are human resources (848,000 INR), capital costs (3,008,500 INR), and material costs (200,000 INR). Conclusion: At a tertiary care dental hospital level, we must provide patient's perspective care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions. By taking correct economic managerial decisions using ABC and budgeting the resources to dental services, the community can approach with true patient costs at an acceptable level of quality and at the least possible cost.

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Aim and Objectives: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and knowledge of self-perceived oral malodor, oral hygiene practices, and smoking habits among dental and engineering students of Dhule district. Materials and Methodology: A structured self-administered, close-ended questionnaire was prepared and was given to 435 dental and engineering e students. This was to assess the self-reported perception of oral breath, awareness of bad breath, timing of bad breath, treatment received for bad breath, oral hygiene practices, caries and bleeding gums, dryness of the mouth, smoking and tea-drinking habits, and tongue coating. The students who responded to the questionnaire were included in the study. Informed consent was obtained from the subjects willing to participate in the study. Results: Toothbrushing was prevalent among 100% of dental students and 87% of engineering students. Self-perception of oral malodor was prevalent among 7% of dental students and 66% of engineering students. Smoking habit was prevalent in 26% of engineering students and 8% of dental students, for which self-treatment was sought for bad breath by 6% of dental students and 8% of engineering students. Conclusion: Dental students had increased awareness regarding self-perceived oral malodor, oral hygiene practices, and smoking habits compared to engineering students.

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Background: Periodontal disorder continues to be a major issue worldwide. It is closely related to lifestyles and strongly determined by behavioral factors. Aim: To assess the different lifestyle factors and overall lifestyle variables affecting the periodontal health among 35–44 years old adult population in Lucknow district. Objectives: (1) To determine the influence of various lifestyle factors on adult periodontal health among urban and rural population. (2) To measure the effect on periodontal adult health of the overall lifestyle variables measured by the health practice index (HPI). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional research w as performed on 400 participants aged 35–44 years, consisting of a standardized questionnaire on HPI, oral health-related behavior, and personal behaviors, as well as sociodemographic variables. Clinical examination for periodontal status was done by recording the loss of attachment (LOA) scores using the community periodontal index (WHO-2013). Statistical Analysis: Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21.0 was used for statistical analysis. Statistical analysis was done using the Chi-square test and multivariate regression analysis. Results: The variables that showed an independent association with periodontitis were location, smoking, sleeping hours, physical exercise, eating breakfast, nutritional balance, mental stress with LOA of periodontal tissues; the results of multivariate regression analysis are statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusions: This study supports an overall management of chronic periodontitis using different lifestyles. Vital public health action is needed on factors that define unhealthy lifestyle habits across the community, which is achievable through promoting healthy lifestyles through patient engagement in self-care.

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Background: Epidemiological studies on tooth loss, particularly in young adults (20–40 years), are very sparse, and it was probably not done in Assam and the whole of the northeast region of India. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the role of the oral health determinants and analyze their potential risk on tooth mortality among the young adults of the rural and urban areas of Kamrup (Metro) district of Assam. Materials and Methodology: A total of 1540 young adults (20–40 years), 770 each from the urban and rural areas of the Kamrup (Metro) district, were selected using multistage cluster sampling. Oral health assessment was done by asking individual questionnaires and intraoral examinations. Collected data were statistically analyzed using Mann–Whitney U-test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Pearson's Chi-square test at 0.05 significance level. Results: Overall 30.6% of the young adults demonstrated one or more tooth loss with no significant difference between rural (29.70%) and urban areas (31.40%). Tooth decay is the prime cause of tooth loss (23.7%), followed by tooth mobility (4.5%) and trauma (0.9%). The potential risk of tooth loss can significantly be influenced by education, occupation, consumption of sweet food, water sources, oral hygiene practices, smoking and chewing of different types of smokeless tobacco, paan-betel nuts, paan-masalas, and consumption of alcohol (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Tooth loss is a major oral health problem affecting >30% of the young adults. The potential risk of tooth loss due to major oral diseases can be influenced by education, occupation, sweet food, water sources, oral hygiene practices, bad oral habits, and alcohol consumption.

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Introduction: Mechanical methods are known as the most effective methods of controlling and reducing the volume of dental plaque, and brushing teeth with toothpaste is the most common mechanical method. The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of a good toothpaste from the viewpoint of the residents of Mashhad, Iran. Methods: In a qualitative study, a purposive sample of the residents of Mashhad (the second most populous city of Iran with almost three million residents) was interviewed. By attending different hypermarkets in the city, people were chosen among those who were going to buy toothpaste and invited to participate in this study. Participants were asked, “What do you think a good toothpaste should be?” All of the interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. After the first interview, the transcript was prepared, the thematic content analysis process began, and the interviews and the process continued until no new themes emerged and the data saturation was achieved. Results: In total, 13 people were interviewed during this study. The thematic content analysis process on the transcripts of the interviews finally resulted in seven categories including cosmetic properties, familiarity, therapeutic and preventive properties, economical, ease of use, attractive appearance, and multipurpose. Conclusions: It seems that in addition to the fluoride content of toothpaste, Iranians consider many other factors in choosing their toothpaste. Paying attention to what is important to them in the production of toothpaste can lead to their greater desire to use toothpaste and ultimately promote their oral health.

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Background: Dental caries is a major public health problem and is handled through either treatment or prevention. Unlike other fluoride-based caries preventive agents, silver diamine fluoride (SDF) can simultaneously prevent and arrest coronal and root dentine caries. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess dentists' educational experiences, knowledge, attitudes, and professional behavior regarding SDF use for caries prevention. Methodology: For the cross-sectional survey, a prevalidated questionnaire comprising of 33 questions was being prepared through the Google survey tool of Gmail and was sent to 200 dentists in North India region through Whatsapp groups of different communities or specialties. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 16. Results: The response rate of 63.5% was received from 200 dentists, among which 28.8% were general practitioners and 35.2% were both academic and clinical practitioners. Only 5.6% respondents came up having been very well educated about SDF during Bachelors in Dental Surgery and Master of Dental Surgery in the classroom setting and 3.2% in the clinical setting. There were 14.4% participants who reported that they knew very well about what SDF is used for in dentistry, and 9.6% knew how SDF is used for treatment of tooth hypersensitivity, 24.8% knew how SDF is used to treat dental caries. The attitudes of the dentists toward SDF were positive. SDF use was considered a good treatment alternative for restorations in children with behavioral problems (17.6%), for patients who were medically fragile (12%) or had severe dental anxiety (19%) and strongly agreed to it. Conclusion: Results suggested that the majority of respondents were lacking in knowledge regarding usage of SDF in dentistry.

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Background: Novel coronavirus pandemic has emerged as a grave global health crisis. The pandemic curve is still on the rise. Dental professionals face unique challenges and work pressure due to the fear of the spread of disease while coming in close contact with the potential carriers. Aim: The aim is to assess the knowledge and preparedness level toward novel coronavirus diseases among the dental professionals of India. Methodology: Online survey was carried out from May 2020 to June 2020 on dental health care professionals through snowball sampling. A 24-item structured closed-ended online questionnaire was used. Statistical Analysis Used: Frequency distribution and proportions of the responses were analyzed using the SPSS version 21. Results: A total of 154 dental professionals participated in the study. Majority of the respondents (72.72%) were aware about the correct genomic structure of the virus and aptly identified the early neurological symptom of novel coronavirus disease. 85.71% of the respondents were appropriately informed about the infection control protocol to be followed. However, regarding the protection level to be used while dealing COVID patients, only 24.03% of respondents correctly identified it as Level III. Regarding the amendments required in dental practice and level of preparedness, only 50% of the dental health-care workers were aware of the sequence of donning of personal protective equipment. Conclusions: In the present study, dentists were found to have good knowledge toward novel coronavirus disease with optimum preparedness level for dental practice modification. Dental fraternity is further advised to follow the standard guidelines overcoming this pandemic.

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Aim and Objective: The aim of this study was to assess and evaluate medical and dental students' understanding and attitudes toward interprofessional education (IPE). Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire research was conducted among final year and interns of randomly selected medical and dental institutions in Guntur, a district in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. A 14-item self-administered questionnaire was employed for gathering information from 240 randomly selected participants (120 medical and 120 dental). For statistical analysis, a Chi-square test and logistic regression were undertaken, with a significance level of P < 0.05. Results: The research outcome showed that 49.7% of medical and 50.3% of dental students were not aware of IPE (P = 1.000). Among respondents, 45.3% of medical and 54.7% of dental participants agreed that patients would eventually benefit from health-care provision if students explored together (P = 0.001). Of the students replied, 43.5% of medical and 56.5% of dental students expressed that IPE in the curricula will increase work productivity (P = 0.000). Among respondents, 47.7% of medical and 52.3% of dental students agreed on IPE as an effective communication tool with the patients (P = 0.060). In terms of interest in acquiring clinical skills besides other health-care disciplines, a statistically significant difference between medical and dental students (P = 0.013) was observed. Conclusion: The study revealed that IPE was appreciated by both medicine and dentistry students, and that incorporating IPE into their curricula would enhance patient and health-care satisfaction.

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant loss of human life over the world and poses an unparalleled public health threat. As a result, it is critical to comprehend the patients' perspectives and knowledge on the subject. Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge, fear, and perception regarding COVID-19 among patients attending a dental hospital in Belagavi, India, and to compare it with their socioeconomic status using Kuppuswamy scale 2019. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among patients attending the dental hospital during the complete lockdown. A total of 170 respondents were included in the study. A self-designed, validated questionnaire with 14 closed-ended questions was prepared, among which 11 questions were knowledge based, two were on perception, and one on fear. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using the SPSS version 25. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 170 participants were included in the study. The age ranged between 26 and 80 years. Majority of the population (95%) knew the symptoms of COVID-19 and the measures to be taken to prevent it. An association was found between participants' educational status and their knowledge regarding signs and symptoms of novel coronavirus (P = 0.005). Most of the study participants were not aware of the distance to be kept during social distancing (45.8%). Lockdown caused financial burden to more than 70% of the study participants. Conclusion: Nonliterate youth and adults were most likely to be the hardest hit by educational, social, and economic impacts of COVID-19.

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Background: In view of the global crisis due to the pandemic, dental practitioners are one of the high-risk categories in acquiring and spreading the infection due to their close approximation with the oral cavity. In this regard, dentists play a major role in preventing cross-contamination by following proper infection control protocol. Aim: This study aimed to assess the practices related to infection control protocol regarding COVID-19 among dental practitioners in Hubli–Dharwad. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September and October 2020 for 2 months. One hundred and fifteen IDA-registered dental practitioners were randomly selected, and a pretested close-ended questionnaire comprising 28 questions related to infection control practices was distributed. The questions were designed to mimic a usual clinical scenario when the patient walks in for a treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22, Chi-square test was used to compare the groups, and the value of P was set at P ≤ 0.05. Results: Majority of the practitioners were following the proper infection protocol related to COVID-19. However, the proper method of donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE) (59%) as well as disposal of PPE (56%) was not followed appropriately. A statistically significant difference was observed in relation to the location of the clinic the usage of consent forms (P = 0.017) and performing aerosol-generating procedures (P = 0.016). With respect to the professional years of experience, a statistically significant difference was observed related to the air conditioning of dental clinics (P = 0.031) and the type of filters installed (P = 0.007). Conclusion: Infection control protocol was followed properly by most of the practitioners; however, continuing dental education and short-term courses will add to increased awareness regarding infection control during the times of new infection.

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Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in pregnancy was the most common complication in some developing countries. This has major implications for the management of pregnancy and birth. Periodontal disease in HIV-infected pregnant women leads to a hyperinflammatory state which may have an impact on developing fetus. Aim: The evaluation of gingival and periodontal health in HIV seropositive pregnant women. Methods: A sample of 432 HIV seropositive pregnant women visiting the antiretroviral therapy center from January 2016–December 2016 were included in the present study. Information concerning demographic profile, medical history, and oral health information was recorded in a case sheet pro forma. Several measures of periodontal health such as bleeding on probing, plaque index, pocket depth (PD), and clinical attachment loss were obtained and analyzed by using Chi-square test of independence and P value (P < 0.05, statistically significant). Results: Three hundred and ninety-six participants (91.6%) had gum bleeding on >1 tooth. In gingivitis, the distributions of mild, moderate, and severe gingivitis were about 64 (14.81%), 192 (44.44%), and 140 (32.41%) participants, respectively. Participants without periodontitis (without a single PD ≥4 mm) were about 202 (46.76%). Two hundred and thirty participants (53.2%) had periodontal pockets (≥4 mm) on ≥1 tooth. In periodontitis, the distributions of mild, moderate, and severe periodontitis were 28.70%, 15.74%, and 8.80%, respectively. Conclusion: Ninety-two percent of HIV pregnant women have shown gingival inflammation. Periodontitis was observed in 51% of HIV pregnant women. This observation strengthens the importance of oral health care in HIV-positive pregnant women.

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