Thi Nhat Vy Nguyen

Objective: This study aims to assess the periodontal risk profiles of patients with periodontal disease visiting the Health Center in Phu Vang District, Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 200 patients diagnosed with gingivitis or periodontitis from May 2023 to July 2024. Periodontal risk was evaluated using the “Periodontal Risk Assessment” (PRA) tool by Lang and Tonetti (2003). The model analyzed six functional parameters: percentage of bleeding on probing, number of sites with probing pocket depth ≥ 5 mm, number of missing teeth, bone loss/age ratio, presence of diabetes mellitus, and smoking habits. Results: The distribution of periodontal risk levels among the participants was: low risk (37%), moderate risk (47%), and high risk (16%). Risk levels showed a significant correlation with demographic factors, including male gender, age over 40, marital status, and agricultural labor (p < 0.05). Furthermore, clinical parameters such as the stage and grade of periodontitis were strongly associated with risk levels, with 100% of Grade C patients being classified as high risk. Conclusion: The study population predominantly exhibited a moderate level of periodontal risk. The PRA tool effectively identifies and analyzes risk factors, facilitating timely clinical interventions and personalized treatment planning for patients with periodontal disease.

Background: Oral health problems, especially dental caries, remain highly prevalent among children and reduce quality of life. Objectives: This study assessed oral health status and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among Vietnamese primary school children and examined its associations with clinical factors. Materials and method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 343 children aged 8-11 years at a Hue City elementary school. Participants completed the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ) to evaluate OHRQoL across four domains: oral symptoms, functional limitations, emotional well-being, and social well-being. Clinical examinations measured dental caries (DT+dt), missing teeth (MT+mt), and oral hygiene (OHI-S). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and multivariate linear regression. Results: The sample comprised 180 females (52.5%) and 163 males (47.5%). Mean DT+dt was 6.5±3.9, MT+mt 0.2±0.6, and OHI-S 1.5±0.7. The total CPQ score was 13.6±11.9, with no significant gender differences but increasing scores with age (significant in emotional well-being, p=0.042). Regression analysis showed DT+dt (β=0.50, p<0.01), MT+mt (β=2.54, p<0.05), and OHI-S (β=2.75, p<0.01) as significant predictors of total CPQ scores, with domain-specific effects strongest in emotional and social well-being. Conclusion: All clinical oral health factors significantly influence OHRQoL in Vietnamese primary children; however, poor oral hygiene serves as the strongest predictor for poorer OHRQoL.

Background: Oral malodor is primarily caused by volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs) produced by anaerobic bacteria. Limited research exists on VSCs patterns in monastic populations with homogeneous lifestyles. Objective: To investigate relationships between oral health parameters, VSC concentrations, and self-reported malodor among monks and nuns. Materials and Method: This cross-sectional study examined 118 monastic residents from four monasteries. Clinical assessments included dental status, periodontal health, oral hygiene indices, and tongue coating. VSCs (hydrogen sulfide, methyl mercaptan, dimethyl sulfide) were measured using OralChroma. Self-reported malodor was assessed using visual analog scale. Statistical analyses included correlations and mediation analysis. Results: Most demographic and oral hygiene behavioral factors showed no significant associations with VSC levels. Strong positive correlations were observed between VSCs and clinical parameters including bleeding teeth (r=0.211-0.297), debris index (r=0.310-0.384), and tongue coating (r=0.233-0.349). Participants with self-reported malodor had significantly higher methyl mercaptan and dimethyl sulfide concentrations. Mediation analysis revealed methyl mercaptan as the primary mediator linking oral health parameters to perceived malodor, while hydrogen sulfide showed limited mediation and dimethyl sulfide showed no significant mediation. Conclusions: Methyl mercaptan serves as the key mediator between poor oral health and subjective malodor perception in this monastic population, supporting targeted therapeutic approaches for oral malodor management.

Objectives: There is limited evidence of a temporal relationship between periodontal diseases and self‐perceived general health. To plug this knowledge gap, we aimed to assess how periodontal health affects future self‐rated health (SRH).Methods: We collected data from five waves of an annual nationwide Japanese survey of dental patients from 2015 to 2019. The analysis of repeated measurements included 9306 observations from 4242 patients aged 20 years or older. The clinical periodontitis measurements were bleeding on probing, deepest periodontal pocket depth and most severe clinical attachment loss (CAL). We used a self‐administered questionnaire to collect data on sociodemographic characteristics, diabetes history, health behaviour, SRH and self‐reported periodontitis. We applied 2‐level ordered logistic regression models for repeated measurements to examine the relationships between SRH (time t) and 1‐year‐lagged periodontal health (time t‐1) after adjusting for covariates.Results: The percentage of SRH responses recorded at time t as ‘good’, ‘moderate’ and ‘poor’ were 36.9%, 52.4% and 10.7%, respectively. Multivariate analyses showed that the risk of poorer SRH at time t increased in patients with CAL ≥7 mm (odds ratio [OR] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–1.30), those who reported bleeding gums (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.21–1.46) and those who perceived swollen gums (OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.26–1.56) at time t‐1. Sensitivity analyses using the 4‐year follow‐up model and 3‐year‐lagged cohort model also showed consistent results.Conclusion: Periodontitis shows a gradual contribution to future SRH in dental patients, even after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, general health and health‐related behaviours.

We have evaluated the impact of a school-based intervention on oral health knowledge, behaviours, and oral health status of adolescents in Vietnam. This 6-month study included 462 adolescents aged 12 years from four selected schools in Hue City, Vietnam. The intervention group received a 15-min lecture by a dentist and hands-on session on mouth observation and toothbrushing skills. The control group did not engage in any educational activities during the follow-up period. Data were collected at baseline and 6 months through a survey questionnaire and clinical examination. The Debris Index was used for dental plaque; the Papillary, Marginal, Attached gingiva index for gingivitis; and the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth index (World Health Organization modification) for dental caries. Difference-in-difference analysis was used to compare changes between the groups. After 6 months, the control tended to show decreased toothbrushing frequency and increased dental plaque accumulation. The participants in the intervention group showed improved oral health knowledge (p < 0.01), behavior (p < 0.05), and hygiene (p < 0.001) compared to the control group. However, the intervention did not improve dental caries and gingivitis. A single school-based oral health education program can help adolescents improve oral health knowledge and prevent the deterioration of short-term oral health behavior and hygiene.