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Biomedical subjects

Raman Bedi

Publications and source records attributed to Raman Bedi.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Oral bacteria resistant to mercury and to antibiotics are present in children with no previous exposure to amalgam restorative materials.

Dental plaque from 76 children without amalgam restorations was screened for bacteria resistant to mercuric chloride. Seventy-one per cent of the children harboured mercury-resistant oral bacteria and the median percentage of the total oral microflora resistant to mercuric chloride was 0.007% (range 0-5.3%). Eighty-seven mercury-resistant bacteria were isolated and 86% of these were streptococci with Streptococcus mitis predominating. Sixty per cent of the mercury-resistant isolates were also resistant to at least one of the four antibiotics tested (penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin and tetracycline) with resistance to tetracycline (40% of isolates) most frequently encountered.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2003

Dental services and perceived oral health: are patients better off going private?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine associations between method of payment for dental services and perceived oral health in the UK. METHOD: A national UK study involving a random probability sample of 2718 adults. Respondents were interviewed in their homes about their method of payment for dental services (private or NHS), service use (time and reason for last dental visit), self-reported oral health status (number of teeth possessed and denture status) and the impact of their oral health on their quality of life (employing the 16-item OHQoL-UK( Copyright) measure). RESULTS: The response rate was 68% (1838/2718). Thirty one percent (575/1838) claimed they paid privately for dental services the last occasion they visited their dentist. This was associated with self-reported number of teeth possessed (P<0.01), denture status (P<0.01), WHO goal of retaining 20 teeth with and without a prosthesis (P<0.05), impact of oral health on life quality (P<0.01), and number of positive oral health influences experienced (P<0.01). However, these associations did not remain apparent having accounted for socio-demographic factors (age, gender, and social class background) and reported dental attendance pattern. CONCLUSION: Difference in perceived oral health exists between private and NHS dental service users. However, this is more likely to be attributed to socio-demographic factors and regular use of services rather than method of payment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Measuring the impact of oral health on quality of life in Britain using OHQoL-UK(W).

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the impact of oral health on quality of life (OHQoL) in Britain and identified disparities in OHQoL among subgroups of the population. METHODS: A national survey involved a random probability sample of 2,667 households. Participants were interviewed about their oral health status and sociodemographic information was collected. The impact of oral health on life quality was measured utilizing the OHQoL-UK(W). RESULTS: The response rate was 68 percent. Most people in Britain (73%) claimed their oral health did affect their life quality, most frequently through physical influences rather than social or psychological. Disparities in perceived influences of oral health on life quality among subgroups of the population were apparent by age, sex, and social class; OHQoL also was influenced by oral health status (self-reported). CONCLUSION: Most Britons claim their oral health affects their life quality and OHQoL was associated with sociodemographic and oral health factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Erosion, caries and rampant caries in preschool children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental erosion in preschool children in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and to relate this to caries and rampant caries in the same children. METHODS: A sample of 987 children (2-5 years) was drawn from 17 kindergartens. Clinical examinations were carried out under standardised conditions by a trained and calibrated examiner (M.Al-M.). Measurement of erosion was confined to primary maxillary incisors and used a scoring system and criteria based on those used in the UK National Survey of Child Dental Health. Caries was diagnosed using BASCD criteria. Rampant caries was defined as caries affecting the smooth surfaces of two or more maxillary incisors. RESULTS: Of the 987 children, 309 (31%) had evidence of erosion. For 186 children this was confined to enamel but for 123 it involved dentine and/or pulp. Caries were diagnosed in 720 (73%) of the children and rampant caries in 336 (34%). The mean dmft for the 987 children was 4.80 (+/-4.87). Of the 384 children who had caries but not rampant caries, 141 (37%) had erosion, a significantly higher proportion than the 72 (27%) out of 267 who were clinically caries free (SND=2.61, P<0.01). Of the 336 with rampant caries, 96 (29%) also had evidence of erosion. CONCLUSIONS: The level of erosion was similar to that seen in children of an equivalent age in the UK. Caries was a risk factor for erosion in this group of children.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2002

Measuring the impact of oral health on life quality in two national surveys - functionalist versus hermeneutic approaches.

OBJECTIVES: This study compares a functionalist (quantitative) versus a hermeneutic (qualitative) approach to assessing the impact of oral health on life quality in two United Kingdom national surveys. METHODS: The vehicles for this study were two Office for National Statistics' Omnibus Surveys completed in 1998 and 1999. In both studies a random probability sample of 3000 household addresses was selected from the British Postcode Address File (PAF). The data were collected by face-to-face interviews with respondents in their homes about how their oral health status affected their quality of life employing a qualitative, hermeneutic approach (1998) and a functionalist, quantitative approach using a battery of questions (1999). RESULTS: Irrespective of study design, in both studies it was apparent that the majority of the public perceived their oral health as affecting their life quality (P > 0.05). Likewise, both approaches identified that oral health affected life quality most frequently through physical aspects of oral health rather than social or psychological. However, using the hermeneutic approach, respondents were less likely to cite that their oral health affected specific aspects of their oral health compared to when a battery of questions were used (P < 0.01). Furthermore, socio-demographic variations in oral health-related quality of life were more apparent when a battery of questions were employed compared to an open-ended approach. CONCLUSIONS: Different approaches to assessing oral health-related quality of life yield similar findings in terms of prevalence of oral health's impact and affected ways (domains). However, the different methods influenced the ability to identify socio-demographic disparities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Influences of social support on the oral health of older people in Britain.

A national UK study involving a random sample of 876 non-institutionalized older people (aged 65 or older) were recruited, to identify the association between social support (living alone), self-reported oral health status and oral health behaviour (use of services). Home interviews were undertaken exploring oral health behaviour (time and reason for last dental visit) and oral health status measures (self-reported number of teeth possessed and denture status). In addition, socio-demographic characteristics were collected. Bivariate analysis identified that social support was associated with time since last dental visit (P < 0.01), reason for last dental visit (P < 0.01), self-reported number of teeth possessed (P < 0.01) and denture status (P < 0.01). In regression analysis, social support emerged as an important predictor of reason for last dental visit and denture status having accounted for other factors in the model (age, gender, social class and educational attainment). Social support is associated with oral health status and oral health behaviour of older people in Britain and is likely to influence both the decision making process of when to seek dental care and what type of treatment to opt for.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Introducing problem-based learning to special needs dentistry--a case study.

INTRODUCTION: In order to promote training and education in special-needs dentistry an attempt was made to introduce problem-based learning (PBL) as a method of postgraduate dental education. The aim of this paper was to review the principles of PBL and report on a case study using this methodology. METHOD: The case study was of a PBL session, on the subject of 'problems of obtaining appropriate dental care for people with epilepsy', undertaken at a national conference. Delegates were asked to complete a pre- and post-session questionnaire on PBL and their attitudes to the session. RESULTS: The session received a mixed response. Only 33 (35%) thought the session was valuable and only 20 (31%) thought it was better than conventional teaching methods and yet over half (55%) said they would like to attend more PBL in special-needs dentistry. Professionals complementary to dentistry were more likely to find the PBL session of value and to prefer the method to a more conventional format than dentists were (chi-square = 5.5, df = 1, p < 0.05 and chi-square = 5.9, df = 1, p < 0.05 respectively). CONCLUSION: Valuable feedback was received from delegates. This will enable improvements to be made in future courses so that the effectiveness of PBL can be optimised.

Dental Care for Chronically Ill↗
PubMed2002

Understanding the value of oral health to people in Britain--importance to life quality.

OBJECTIVES: The study was designed to determine whether the British public perceived oral health as being important to quality of life (QoL) and if so, to identify in which most important ways. In addition, to identify socio-demographic variations in these perceptions. METHOD: In a national survey conducted with the assistance of the Office for National Statistics, attempts were made to conduct face to face interviews with a random probability sample of 2,668 United Kingdom residents. RESULTS: The response rate was 67% with 1,778 adults (aged 16 or older) participating in the study. Most (75%, 1,332/1778) perceived their oral health as being important to their QoL, and did so through a wide variety of physical, social and psychological ways. Overall oral health's impact on physical aspects were more frequently cited as important to life quality than social or psychological. Marked age and gender variations were apparent in the prioritisation of what domains were most important to quality of life. CONCLUSION: The British public perceive oral health as being important to life quality in a variety of different ways and various sub groups of the population rate what is important differently. This has implications for assessing patients needs and assessing oral health related quality of life.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2001

Agreement between normative and perceived orthodontic need amongst deprived multiethnic school children in London.

The Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) has been used in dental epidemiology and to prioritize orthodontic treatment. The aim of this paper was to use the aesthetic component (AC) of the IOTN to measure agreement between normative and perceived orthodontic need amongst school children. Three hundred and seventy-eight children aged 11-14 years, enrolled in London UK state schools participated in this survey. The study focused on three ethnic groups: white, black and South Asian. Townsend deprivation scores suggested that the children were from areas of high socio-economic deprivation. Logistic regression analysis was carried out for agreement between normative and perceived need at each threshold value. Perceived need for braces, ethnic background, social class and hours of television viewing were significant variables. Black pupils were significantly less likely to concur on normative and perceived need scores, tending to perceive less need for treatment than did the dentist. Subjects from lower social classes were significantly more likely to concur on normative and perceived need scores. In conclusion, the study showed that using the IOTN AC at various points along the scale, different influences play a significant role in agreement/disagreement between normative and perceived needs, indicating that patient-clinician agreement regards orthodontic treatment is sensitive to several cultural factors.

Journal Article↗