1.Knowledge, Attitudes And Practice Behaviours Of Healthcare Professionals On Association Between Periodontal Disease And Preterm And/Or Low Birth Weight Infants: A Malaysian Study
Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine 2016;16(1):45-52
Our study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practice behaviours of primary healthcare professionals in government Maternal and Child Healthcare Clinics (MCHC) on the association between oral health and pregnancy outcomes namely pre-term and/or low birth weight (PT/LBW) infants and to identify the barriers of utilisation of oral healthcare services by pregnant mothers. Questionnaires were distributed to government healthcare professionals working at all seven government MCHC in the Manjung District, Malaysia. 136 out of 158 questionnaires were returned completed yielding a 92% response rate. The questionnaire covers respondents characteristics, attitude and practice behaviours related to oral health and barriers faced when referring pregnant mothers to the dental clinic. 65% of respondents noticed dental/ gum problems in the pregnant mothers that they encountered. The two most frequent response for outcome of delivery linked to gum/ dental problems were premature delivery (49%) responses and low birth weight (27%). Although 95% of the respondents believed that regular dental check-ups is compulsory for pregnant mothers, only 69% regularly refer pregnant mothers for dental check-ups. There was a significance between healthcare professionals that receive continuing dental education and their referrals of antenatal mothers for dental check-ups .
2.Graduates’ and Employers’ Perceptions on Competencies Obtained from An Undergraduate Dental Curriculum Persepsi Graduan dan Majikan terhadap Kompetensi yang Diperolehi dari Kurikulum Program Pergigian Prasiswazah
NIK-MADIHAH NIK-AZIS ; BADIAH BAHARIN ; DALIA ABDULLAH ; CHAN LAI PENG ; LOK YI YING
Malaysian Journal of Health Sciences 2021;19(No.1):81-87
The effectiveness of a dental curriculum as reflected by the competencies of the graduates is paramount in ensuring its
relevance in the rapidly evolving field of dentistry. This work aimed to assess the competencies of dental graduates of
the Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) as perceived by the graduates and their employers on
the basis of the core competencies listed in the undergraduate dental curriculum. A self-administered questionnaire
consisting of 43 questions based on eight competency domains were sent to all UKM dental graduates of years 2012 to
2015 and to senior dental officers who represented their employers. The eight domains assessed were as follows: 1)
gathering information at chair-side, 2) diagnosis, 3) treatment planning, 4) treatment and prevention, 5) communitybased, 6) management and administrative, 7) communication and 8) personal management and professional development.
a total of 132 graduates (75%) and 18 employers (55%) responded. Only domain E on community-based skills was
collectively rated ‘satisfactory’ while the rest of the seven domains had an ‘excellent’ rating by all respondents. With
regard to individual skill, basic life support was rated very low for both groups (38.6% graduates and 23.5% employers).
A strong association was found between the scores given by the graduates and their employers (p= 0.00). Generally, no
difference was found between the scores of graduates from different years. The findings allow an evaluation of the
curriculum in a myriad of angles. Although the graduates reported a good level of competency in most domains, the
employers were reserved on the community-based skills. Poor competency in the key skill of basic life support in medical
emergencies was highlighted and must be addressed in the curriculum or during training at the workplace.
3.An Insight into the Role of Periodontitis as a Potential Risk Factor for Development of Erectile Dysfunction
Zuhrah Mohd Sood ; Nik Madihah Nik-Azis ; Badiah Baharin ; Zulkifli Md Zainuddin ; Masfueh Razali ; Haizal Mohd Hussaini
Archives of Orofacial Sciences 2022;17(SUPP 1):107-118
ABSTRACT
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the common sexual disorders affecting many men worldwide.
Owing to shared common risk factors, periodontitis is related to ED. However, the prevalence of
periodontitis among Malaysian patients with ED is currently unknown. This study aimed to investigate
the prevalence of periodontitis in patients with ED in Malaysia and the factors associated with this
relationship. Forty-one subjects aged 27–59 years old were recruited to participate in this study.
The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) was used in assessing the presence of ED.
Their periodontal health was assessed through comprehensive periodontal examination including plaque
index, bleeding on probing and clinical attachment level. The subjects were categorised according
to the severity of their periodontal health and ED. A questionnaire on general health and oral habits
was administered. The prevalence of periodontitis (95.5%) among subjects with ED was significantly
higher than those without ED (52.6%). Subjects with ED had the worst periodontal health, as
indicated by the mean clinical attachment loss and percentage of sites with bleeding on probing.
No differences in oral hygiene habits were found between subjects with and without ED. The prevalence
of periodontal disease among Malaysian patients with ED was high. Periodontitis was positively
associated with the severity of ED, supporting a dose-dependent association between the two diseases.
Oral hygiene habits were not significantly related to any periodontitis parameters nor were significantly
different between subjects with and without ED.
Erectile Dysfunction
;
Periodontitis
4.Oral Health in the Naval Armed Forces: A Scoping Review
Nik Madihah Nik Azis ; Raja Noreihan Raja Abdullah ; Mohamad Nur Adzmi Mohamad Ayub ; Badiah Baharin
Archives of Orofacial Sciences 2023;18(no.2):89-101
Naval armed forces are commonly prone to stressors during military activities which are associated with their working environment. This can adversely impact the oral health of these personnel. This scoping review aimed to explore the literature concerning oral health among naval personnel. Relevant articles that reported oral health among naval armed forces published from 1990 to December 2022 were retrieved from five main databases. Of the 641 articles searched, 15 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Occurrences of caries, periodontal disease and barodontalgia were high among the naval armed forces, with a significant number of dental emergencies during deployment and training operations. The dental diseases and emergencies experienced by the naval personnel on duty may influence their performance during missions. Given the far-reaching effects of dental diseases among personnel in the naval armed forces, further prospective studies with standardised report investigating oral health and dental diseases are recommended. Oral health services in the naval armed forces can also be improved by increasing the dentist-to-navy personnel ratio both at the military bases and on board the vessels during missions, as well as designing preventive strategies to improve oral health among the naval personnel.