רפואת הפה והשיניים - עיתון ההסתדרות לרפואת שיניים בישראל - כרך ל"ז, גיליון מס' 2 אייר תש"פ

Oral health knowledge among mothers from the Arab sector in Israel

Dagon N., Blumer S., Hijazi H., Peretz B., Ratson T. Dept. of Pediatric Dentistry, The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Purpose: to assess the KOH of pre-school children’s mothers among the Arab sector in Israel. Methods: The sampling group consisted of 170 mothers of children aged 2-4 years attending kindergartens in the Arab city Tamra. A questionnaire was distributed to the participants, and was comprised of 3 parts: Socio-demographic characteristics, 12 questions regarding their knowledge towards their child’s oral health and ranking of 6 food items according to their cariogenic potential. Results: The average score of the 12-item questionnaire was 29.8 ± 14 out of a possible score of 100. Most of the mothers (78.2%) knew that it is necessary to replace

toothbrushes every 3 months. Less than a half of them (44.7%) knew that the child’s teeth should be brushed twice a day. Most of the mothers (69.5%) did not know the correct concentration of fluoride in the toddler’s toothpaste. Salty snacks and cereals were ranked as the least cariogenic food item. Most of the mothers did not know that snacks should be consumed during the meals. The KOH was significantly related to the mother’s education (p=0.001). Mothers who attended their dentist on a regular basis received significantly higher scores than those who did not (p=0.02). Conclusion: Mothers from the Arab ethnic minority in Israel, lacked basic knowledge of oral health issues.

The importance of periodontal maintenance in modern times

Khoury J., Mayer Y. Dept. of periodontology, School of graduate dentistry, Rambam health care campus, Haifa, Israel.

Periodontitis is a complex infectious disease. Once periodontal health is achieved, the compliance and supportive periodontal therapy seem to be major factors in preserving it. Well maintained patients show lower mean periodontal pocket depth (PPD), less bleeding on probing (BOP), good plaque control, lower mean tooth loss, a decreased rate of bone loss, less peri-mucositis/ peri-implantitis and consequently reduction in implant loss. On the other hand, subjects that do not complete the recommended course of supportive periodontal therapy

(SPT) and whom do not follow regular maintenance, show a deterioration of the periodontium and peri-implant tissue. Current evidence highlights the importance of oral health in pregnant women as well as diabetic patients, while presenting the two-way negative impact each one has with periodontitis. A periodontal risk assessment (PRA) or implant disease risk assessment (IDRA) should be taken into consideration when planning intervals, providing an individual-based supportive treatment plan and therapy.

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The Journal of the Israel Dental Association, vol. 37, No. 2, April 2020.