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Research Studies is a monthly compilation of research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers and recently published in journals or newsletters.
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1 to 25 of 46 Research Studies Displayed
Wang ML, Minyé HM, Egan KA
Community-based sugar-sweetened beverage intervention associated with short-term improvements in self-rated oral health.
The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of a community-based childhood obesity prevention intervention targeting sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption on self-rated oral health among children and their parents/caregivers. The investigators found that short-term improvements in oral health among children and their parents/caregivers were observed among those participating in a SSB behavioural intervention.
AHRQ-funded; HS022242.
Citation:
Wang ML, Minyé HM, Egan KA .
Community-based sugar-sweetened beverage intervention associated with short-term improvements in self-rated oral health.
Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2021 Aug;49(4):362-68. doi: 10.1111/cdoe.12610..
Keywords:
Children/Adolescents, Obesity, Dental Health, Prevention, Community-Based Practice
Teoh L, Thompson W, Hubbard CC
Comparison of dental benzodiazepine prescriptions from the U.S., England, and Australia from 2013 to 2018.
Benzodiazepines contribute to substance use disorder and are often part of polydrug abuse, most frequently with opioids. Although dental opioid prescribing differs significantly between countries, little is known about the patterns of dental benzodiazepine prescribing. The aim of this study was to compare dental prescribing of benzodiazepines among the U.S., England, and Australia in 2013-2018.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation:
Teoh L, Thompson W, Hubbard CC .
Comparison of dental benzodiazepine prescriptions from the U.S., England, and Australia from 2013 to 2018.
Am J Prev Med 2021 Jul;61(1):73-79. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2021.01.025..
Keywords:
Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Dental Health
Azadani EN, Townsend J, Peng J
The association between traumatic dental and brain injuries in American children.
This study examined the association between dento-alveolar trauma (DAT) and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) among children ages 0-18 years. The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS), an HCUP dataset, was analyzed using ICD-9-CM codes for the 2010-2014 NEDS data. Out of 6,281,658 emergency department (ED) visits, DAT was recorded in 93,408 (1.5%) visits and TBI was recorded in 996,334 (15.9%) visits. Of the DAT-positive encounters, 7.5% had codes associated with TBI. Patients with DAT had 0.20 odds of having TBI compared with patients who did not DAT when all confounding variables were kept constant. Multiple injuries, being involved in motor vehicle crashes, and injuries due to assault were associated with higher odds of concomitant TBI in patients who sustained DAT.
AHRQ-funded; HS24263.
Citation:
Azadani EN, Townsend J, Peng J .
The association between traumatic dental and brain injuries in American children.
Dent Traumatol 2021 Feb;37(1):114-22. doi: 10.1111/edt.12611..
Keywords:
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Trauma, Neurological Disorders, Dental Health
Gross AE, Suda KJ, Zhou J
Serious antibiotic-related adverse effects following unnecessary dental prophylaxis in the United States.
The majority of antibiotics prescribed before a dental visit are considered unnecessary (80.9%). This study characterized adverse effects related to unnecessary dental prophylaxis. This retrospective cohort study used data from dental visits between 2011 and 2015 from the IBM Watson Health Marketscan Commercial Claims/Encounters, Medicare Supplemental, Coordination of Benefits Research databases. Antibiotics prescribed included amoxicillin (67.9%), clindamycin (15.5%), cephalexin (8.6%), azithromycin (2.8%), and penicillin (1.5). Antibiotic adverse effects (AAEs) were found in 1.4% of unnecessary prescriptions. The most common AAEs were emergency department (ED) visits, allergic reactions, 14 cases of C. difficile infection, and 5 anaphylactic reactions. AAEs were more common with clindamycin than amoxicillin.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation:
Gross AE, Suda KJ, Zhou J .
Serious antibiotic-related adverse effects following unnecessary dental prophylaxis in the United States.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2021 Jan;42(1):110-12. doi: 10.1017/ice.2020.1261..
Keywords:
Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Dental Health, Adverse Drug Events (ADE), Adverse Events
Yansane A, Lee JH, Hebballi N
Assessing the patient safety culture in dentistry.
Medical errors are among the leading causes of death within the United States. Studies have shown that patients can be harmed while receiving care, sometimes resulting in permanent injury or, in extreme cases, death. To reduce the risk of patient safety incidents, it is imperative that a robust culture of safety be established. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the patient safety culture among providers at 4 US dental institutions, comparing the results with their medical counterparts in 2016.
AHRQ-funded; HS024406.
Citation:
Yansane A, Lee JH, Hebballi N .
Assessing the patient safety culture in dentistry.
JDR Clin Trans Res 2020 Oct;5(4):399-408. doi: 10.1177/2380084419897614..
Keywords:
Surveys on Patient Safety Culture, Patient Safety, Dental Health, Provider, Medical Errors, Adverse Events
Zhou J, Calip GS, Rowan S
Potentially inappropriate medication combination with opioids among older dental patients: a retrospective review of insurance claims data.
Opioid prescribing by dentists for older patients receiving medications with potential contraindications and the subsequent impact on acute care outcomes is not well described. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the use of potentially inappropriate medication combinations (PIMCs) involving opioids prescribed by dentists according to the Beers Criteria and risks of 30-day emergency department (ED) visits and all-cause hospitalization among commercially insured dental patients ages 65 years and older.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation:
Zhou J, Calip GS, Rowan S .
Potentially inappropriate medication combination with opioids among older dental patients: a retrospective review of insurance claims data.
Pharmacotherapy 2020 Oct;40(10):992-1001. doi: 10.1002/phar.2452..
Keywords:
Elderly, Opioids, Dental Health, Medication: Safety, Medication, Practice Patterns
Bevans KB, Moon J, Becker BD
Development of patient-reported outcome measures of children's oral health aesthetics.
The authors sought to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of child- and parent-proxy measures of oral health aesthetics. Items that describe children's perceptions of their oral attractiveness and its impact on social, emotional, and behavioral functioning were developed based on a systematic review of existing measures, clinician feedback, and child semi-structured interviews. The authors found that the oral health aesthetic item banks and short forms provided precise and valid assessments of children's satisfaction with their oral appearance and may be useful for targeting and evaluating pediatric dental and orthodontic care in clinical practice and research settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS020508.
Citation:
Bevans KB, Moon J, Becker BD .
Development of patient-reported outcome measures of children's oral health aesthetics.
Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2020 Oct;48(5):423-32. doi: 10.1111/cdoe.12555..
Keywords:
Children/Adolescents, Dental Health, Quality of Life
Khouja T, Burgette JM, Donohue JM
Association between Medicaid expansion, dental coverage policies for adults, and children's receipt of preventive dental services.
Researchers examined whether low-income children's use of preventive dental services is linked to variation in state Medicaid policies that affect parents' access to dental care in Medicaid. Using MEPS data along with Area Health Resources File and Medicaid adult dental coverage policies, they found no change in children's receipt of preventive dental care associated with Medicaid expansions in states that covered vs did not cover preventive dental services for adults. They concluded that factors other than parental access to dental benefits through Medicaid may be more salient determinants of preventive dental care use among low-income children.
AHRQ-funded; HS026727.
Citation:
Khouja T, Burgette JM, Donohue JM .
Association between Medicaid expansion, dental coverage policies for adults, and children's receipt of preventive dental services.
Health Serv Res 2020 Oct;55(5):642-50. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13324..
Keywords:
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), Children/Adolescents, Dental Health, Medicaid, Health Insurance, Low-Income, Access to Care, Policy
Wretman CJ, Zimmerman S, Ward K
Measuring self-efficacy and attitudes for providing mouth care in nursing homes.
Mouth care is increasingly recognized as an important component of care in nursing homes (NHs) yet is known to be deficient. To promote quality improvement and inform research efforts, it is necessary to have valid measures of staff self-efficacy and attitudes to provide mouth care. The purpose of this study was to measure self-efficacy and attitudes for providing mouth care in nursing homes.
AHRQ-funded; HS022298.
Citation:
Wretman CJ, Zimmerman S, Ward K .
Measuring self-efficacy and attitudes for providing mouth care in nursing homes.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2020 Sep;21(9):1316-21. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2020.02.007..
Keywords:
Elderly, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Dental Health
Zimmerman S, Sloane PD, Ward K
Effectiveness of a mouth care program provided by nursing home staff vs standard care on reducing pneumonia incidence: a cluster randomized trial.
Pneumonia affects more than 250 000 nursing home (NH) residents annually. A strategy to reduce pneumonia is to provide daily mouth care, especially to residents with dementia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Mouth Care Without a Battle, a program that increases staff knowledge and attitudes regarding oral hygiene, changes mouth care, and improves oral hygiene, in reducing the incidence of pneumonia among NH residents.
AHRQ-funded; HS022298.
Citation:
Zimmerman S, Sloane PD, Ward K .
Effectiveness of a mouth care program provided by nursing home staff vs standard care on reducing pneumonia incidence: a cluster randomized trial.
JAMA Netw Open 2020 Jun;3(6):e204321. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.4321..
Keywords:
Pneumonia, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Dental Health, Prevention, Patient Safety
Suda KJ, Zhou J, Rowan SA
Overprescribing of opioids to adults by dentists in the U.S., 2011-2015.
Dentists prescribe 1 in 10 opioid prescriptions in the U.S. When opioids are necessary, national guidelines recommend the prescription of low-dose opioids for a short duration. This study assessed the appropriate prescribing of opioids by dentists before guideline implementation. The investigators concluded that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 2 opioids prescribed to adult dental patients are overprescribed.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation:
Suda KJ, Zhou J, Rowan SA .
Overprescribing of opioids to adults by dentists in the U.S., 2011-2015.
Am J Prev Med 2020 Apr;58(4):473-86. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2019.11.006..
Keywords:
Opioids, Dental Health, Provider, Practice Patterns, Medication
Shenkman E, Tomar S, Manning D
Feasibility and usability of measuring receipt of sealants in 2 states.
In this study, the authors examined the reliability and validity of the Dental Quality Alliance childhood sealant measure under actual use conditions in Texas and Florida. The 2 states provide care for almost 20% of children in Medicaid nationally. They proposed eliminating the caries risk assessment requirement and incorporating a 3-year look-back period to identify already sealed, missing, or restored molars.
AHRQ-funded; U18 HS025298.
Citation:
Shenkman E, Tomar S, Manning D .
Feasibility and usability of measuring receipt of sealants in 2 states.
J Am Dent Assoc 2019 Oct;150(10):839-45. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2019.05.022..
Keywords:
Dental Health, Children/Adolescents, Quality Measures, Quality of Care
Suda KJ, Durkin MJ, Calip GS
Comparison of opioid prescribing by dentists in the United States and England.
The goal of this cross-sectional study was to compare opioid prescribing rates by dentists in the US and England, using data on prescriptions dispensed from outpatient pharmacies and health care settings in 2016 by dentists in both countries. Findings show that the proportion of prescriptions for opioids written by US dentists was 37 times greater than the proportion written by English dentists. US dentists also had a higher number of opioid prescriptions per 1000 population and number of prescriptions per dentist. Dihydrocodeine was the only opioid prescribed by English dentists, while US dentists prescribed a range of opioids containing hydrocodone, codeine, oxycodone, and tramadol, as well as long-acting opioids. The researchers conclude that US dentists adopt measures similar to those used in England to reduce dental opioid prescribing in the United States.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation:
Suda KJ, Durkin MJ, Calip GS .
Comparison of opioid prescribing by dentists in the United States and England.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 May 3;2(5):e194303. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4303..
Keywords:
Dental Health, Medication, Opioids, Pain, Practice Patterns, Provider
Suda KJ, Calip GS, Zhou J
Assessment of the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions for infection prophylaxis before dental procedures, 2011 to 2015.
This retrospective cohort study examined the use of antibiotic prophylaxis prescribed before dental procedures with patients who have commercial dental insurance. Data from the Truven insurance network was used for claims from 2009 to 2015. Patients in the study were given an antibiotic prescription 7 days before a dental visit. These patients have an appropriate cardiac diagnosis and the median age was 63 and majority female. The majority of dental visits were classified as diagnostic (70.2%) or and/or preventive (58.8%). There were prevalent comorbidities in some patients including prosthetic joint devices (42.5%) and cardiac conditions at higher risk of adverse outcome from infections (20.9%). It was found that 80.9% of antibiotic prescriptions were deemed to be unnecessary based on guidelines.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation:
Suda KJ, Calip GS, Zhou J .
Assessment of the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions for infection prophylaxis before dental procedures, 2011 to 2015.
JAMA Netw Open 2019 May 3;2(5):e193909. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.3909..
Keywords:
Decision Making, Dental Health, Medication, Practice Patterns, Prevention
Gross AE, Hanna D, Rowan SA
Successful implementation of an antibiotic stewardship program in an academic dental practice.
Researchers created a comprehensive antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) for dental practices. A baseline needs assessment and literature evaluation was conducted by a team of dentists, pharmacists, and physician leaders. An academic dental center in Illinois that is the state’s largest oral health provider for Medicaid recipients was used. After intervention with the ASP, there was a 72.9% decrease in antibiotic prescribing for urgent care visits.
AHRQ-funded; HS025177.
Citation:
Gross AE, Hanna D, Rowan SA .
Successful implementation of an antibiotic stewardship program in an academic dental practice.
Open Forum Infect Dis 2019 Mar;6(3):ofz067. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofz067..
Keywords:
Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Dental Health, Medication, Patient Safety
Abdus S, Decker SL
Association between Medicaid adult nonemergency dental benefits and dental services use and expenditures.
AHRQ researchers compared nonemergency dental services use in states with and without Medicaid adult nonemergency dental benefits. Dental use increased in states with the Medicaid dental benefit. Out-of-pocket expenses decreased approximately 19 percent in covered states.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation:
Abdus S, Decker SL .
Association between Medicaid adult nonemergency dental benefits and dental services use and expenditures.
J Am Dent Assoc 2019 Jan;150(1):24-33. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2018.08.010..
Keywords:
Dental Health, Healthcare Costs, Healthcare Utilization, Medicaid, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
Burgette JM, Preisser JS, Rozier RG
Access to preventive services after the integration of oral health care into early childhood education and medical care.
The authors compared children enrolled in North Carolina Early Head Start (EHS) programs with similar children enrolled in Medicaid but not EHS on the use of POHS. They analyzed 4 dependent variables (oral assessment by medical health care provider, oral assessment by oral health care provider, fluoride application by medical health care provider, fluoride application by oral health care provider) by using multivariate logistic regression that controlled for covariates.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation:
Burgette JM, Preisser JS, Rozier RG .
Access to preventive services after the integration of oral health care into early childhood education and medical care.
J Am Dent Assoc 2018 Dec;149(12):1024-31.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2018.07.019..
Keywords:
Access to Care, Children/Adolescents, Dental Health, Health Services Research (HSR), Medicaid, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Prevention
Weintraub JA, Zimmerman S, Ward K
Improving nursing home residents' oral hygiene: results of a cluster randomized intervention trial.
This paper describes a 2-year cluster randomized trial of Mouth Care Without a Battle (MCWB) that was conducted in nursing homes (NHs) to determine if recommended mouth care practices provided by NH staff could improve residents' oral hygiene and denture outcomes. The investigators found that training NH staff to attend to residents' oral hygiene and denture care had a sustained, favorable impact on residents' oral and denture hygiene after 24 months compared with usual care.
AHRQ-funded; HS022298.
Citation:
Weintraub JA, Zimmerman S, Ward K .
Improving nursing home residents' oral hygiene: results of a cluster randomized intervention trial.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2018 Dec;19(12):1086-91. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2018.09.036.
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Keywords:
Dental Health, Elderly, Nursing Homes
Yoon S, Choi T, Odlum M
Machine learning to identify behavioral determinants of oral health in inner city older Hispanic adults.
In this study, the investigators applied machine learning techniques to a community-based behavioral dataset to build prediction models to gain insights about minority dental health and population aging as the foundation for future interventions for urban Hispanics. Their application of machine learning techniques identified emotional and systemic factors such as chronic stress and health literacy as the strongest predictors of self-reported dental health among hundreds of possible variables.
AHRQ-funded; HS019853.
Citation:
Yoon S, Choi T, Odlum M .
Machine learning to identify behavioral determinants of oral health in inner city older Hispanic adults.
Stud Health Technol Inform 2018;251:253-56..
Keywords:
Dental Health, Elderly, Racial / Ethnic Minorities, Urban Health
Yoon S, Odlum M, Lee Y
Applying deep learning to understand predictors of tooth mobility among urban Latinos.
In this study, the investigators applied deep learning algorithms to build correlate models that predicted tooth mobility in a convenience sample of urban Latinos. The authors suggest that their application was useful for gaining insights into the most important modifiable and non-modifiable factors predicting tooth mobility, and maybe useful for guiding targeted interventions in urban Latinos.
AHRQ-funded; HS019853.
Citation:
Yoon S, Odlum M, Lee Y .
Applying deep learning to understand predictors of tooth mobility among urban Latinos.
Stud Health Technol Inform 2018;251:241-44..
Keywords:
Dental Health, Elderly, Racial / Ethnic Minorities, Urban Health
Burgette JM, Preisser JS, Weinberger M
Absence of a moderating effect of parent health literacy on Early Head Start enrollment and dental use.
The purpose of the study was to examine the moderating effect of parents' health literacy (HL) on the effectiveness of North Carolina Early Head Start (EHS) in improving children's dental use. The investigators found that parents in EHS had a higher prevalence of low HL compared to non-EHS parents. Parents' HL did not moderate the relationship between EHS and child dental use, suggesting that EHS results in similar improvements in dental use regardless of parent's HL levels.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation:
Burgette JM, Preisser JS, Weinberger M .
Absence of a moderating effect of parent health literacy on Early Head Start enrollment and dental use.
J Public Health Dent 2018 Jun;78(3):257-65. doi: 10.1111/jphd.12269..
Keywords:
Caregiving, Children/Adolescents, Dental Health, Health Literacy
Burgette JM, Preisser JS, Weinberger M
Early head start, pediatric dental use, and oral health-related quality of life.
The objective of the study was to examine the mediating effect of child dental use on the effectiveness of North Carolina Early Head Start (EHS) in improving oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). It concluded that EHS increases child dental use, which worsens family OHRQoL. However, EHS is associated with improved OHRQoL overall.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation:
Burgette JM, Preisser JS, Weinberger M .
Early head start, pediatric dental use, and oral health-related quality of life.
JDR Clin Trans Res 2017 Oct;2(4):353-62. doi: 10.1177/2380084417709758.
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Keywords:
Children/Adolescents, Dental Health, Quality of Life, Community-Based Practice, Children/Adolescents
Burgette JM, Preisser JS, Weinberger M
Enrollment in early head start and oral health-related quality of life.
Researchers examined the effect of enrollment in North Carolina Early Head Start (EHS) - a federally funded early education program for children under three years of age and their families - on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Their study is the first to demonstrate that families of young children enrolled in EHS report improved OHRQoL compared to their non-enrolled peers.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation:
Burgette JM, Preisser JS, Weinberger M .
Enrollment in early head start and oral health-related quality of life.
Qual Life Res 2017 Oct;26(10):2607-18. doi: 10.1007/s11136-017-1584-7.
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Keywords:
Children/Adolescents, Dental Health, Quality of Life
Burgette JM, Preisser JS, Jr., Weinberger M
Impact of early head start in North Carolina on dental care use among children younger than 3 years.
The researchers examined the effects of North Carolina Early Head Start (EHS), an early education program for low-income children younger than 3 years and their families, on dental care use among children. They concluded that EHS participation increases dental care use among disadvantaged young children.
AHRQ-funded; HS000032.
Citation:
Burgette JM, Preisser JS, Jr., Weinberger M .
Impact of early head start in North Carolina on dental care use among children younger than 3 years.
Am J Public Health 2017 Apr;107(4):614-20. doi: 10.2105/ajph.2016.303621.
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Keywords:
Children/Adolescents, Dental Health, Access to Care, Health Promotion, Low-Income
Lipton BJ, Wherry LR, Miller S
Previous Medicaid expansion may have had lasting positive effects on oral health of non-Hispanic black children.
The researchers estimated the relationship between adult oral health and the extent of state public health insurance eligibility for pregnant women, infants, and children throughout childhood separately for non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic blacks, and Hispanics. They found that expanded Medicaid coverage geared toward pregnant women and children during their first year of life was linked to better oral health in adulthood among non-Hispanic blacks.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation:
Lipton BJ, Wherry LR, Miller S .
Previous Medicaid expansion may have had lasting positive effects on oral health of non-Hispanic black children.
Health Aff 2016 Dec;35(12):2249-58. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0865.
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Keywords:
Medicaid, Dental Health, Children/Adolescents, Disparities, Racial / Ethnic Minorities
