Category: News

As a health profession, dentistry has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, not only in terms of preventing and spreading infections, but also in providing care. Within the areas of dentistry, oral implantology is one of the specialties most affected by its invasiveness since it combines surgical procedures, prosthetic interventions, and aerosol-producing interventions. One of the biggest concerns of dental professionals was to know what the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic would be on implant dentistry and the future perspectives in terms of epidemiological trends, education, biosecurity and professional practice.

Faced with this problem, the Ibero-Panamerican Federation of Periodontology (FIPP) in conjunction with Perio-Implant Research Group UPCH, decided to bring together representatives from 18 Latin American countries to develop the first multinational consensus on oral implantology, using the Delphi method (a qualitative study). The perceived trends in implant dentistry, under the perspective of the post COVID-19 pandemic, was assessed through 64 open-ended questions in a total of 197 experts between July to October 2020.

Considering that there is a high rate of asymptomatic patients, most of the experts agreed that every patient should be evaluated as possible carrier of SARS-COV2, which at the same time could generate a greater concern and fear of the pandemic in dental professionals. Nevertheless, there was high consensus to affirm that SARS-COV2 transmission can be preventable, which reflects a better adaptation and greater confidence with the current biosecurity protocols. Furthermore, one of the aspects that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted more strongly is education, with a shift to remote live classes. There was a very high consensus in regard to that the curriculum plan of the higher education centers must restructure the hours of clinical activity and the learning methodology.

This study is an important window into oral health care and education during an infectious disease emergency and can help shape the future efforts of oral health safety and clinical and didactic teaching.

Since 2006, there has been a dedicated effort to expand oral research capacity in Thailand. In conjunction with the University of Washington and Dr. Timothy DeRouen, two National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center (FIC) D43 grants have been awarded, which funds research capacity building. From this initial research infrastructure, many Thai and southeast Asian researchers have been trained in global oral health research techniques. The first grant targeted research capacity building at Khon Kaen and Thammasat universities in Thailand, and the second grant expanded to invite researchers from surrounding SE Asian countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia to study oral health research in Thailand.

To build research capacity, they structured a three-tier training program. The first tier was a five-day workshop in Thailand which has trained over 100 participants, a second tier was attending the Summer Institute held at University of Washington in Seattle and trained over 30 participants, and the third tier was completing a PhD program in Thailand and trained approximately 10 participants. Since the inception of this research expansion program, hundreds of researchers in Thailand and surrounding countries have been trained in research methodologies such as epidemiology and biostatistics.

After the first awarded National Institutes of Health D43 grants which built initial research capacity in Thailand, the original trainees are now capable of taking the leading role as trainers and offering the trainings to other low- and middle-income countries in the region. To expand training capacity further, Dr. Waranuch Pitiphat from Khon Kaen University, applied for and was awarded an NIH D71 grant with the Health Fogarty International Center (FIC). The D71 grant is a 1-year grant which funds the planning of a training program and is a precursor to the 5-year D43 training grant.

This new planning grant was awarded and explored ways to increase training capacity in SE Asia. The grants aims were to assess the need for and structure of the advanced oral health research training programs in the region, to strengthen research training capacity of the host institutions through faculty trainings in mentorship, online course development and evaluation, and short-term training course development and evaluation; and to create a network of collaborating institutions in SE Asia for the future training grant. To fulfill the aims they conducted several activities, including convening a meeting of SE Asian dental school Deans and Associate Deans from 16 cities in 8 countries to establish a network of collaborators and assess the oral health research trainings needs in the region, training mentors, online course development and workshop, short-term research training workshop for trainees, and developing a grant application for a future D43 FIC research training grant.

The D71 planning grant was successful, establishing a cohort of institutions within SE Asia that will are interested in expanding research capacity, and will collaborate on future research endeavors. Based on these findings, a new D43 application to further expand research capacity in SE Asia has been submitted to NIH. Data from increased research training was collected based on this and previous research training grants in Thailand and other developing countries, and published in the Annals of Global Health in November 2020, entitled “Mitigating global oral health inequalities: Research training programs in low- and middle-income countries.”

Several exciting oral health studies have resulted from expanded oral health research capacity in Thailand. Trainees from the initial NIH D43 training grants have now gone on to investigate important topics such as cleft palates, chemo-mechanical dental caries, and the association between breast feeding, bottle feeding, and dental caries in very young children.

Dr.  Araya Pisek studied the impact on cleft palates on oral health status in Thai adolescents in a study entitled, “Oral health status and oral impacts on quality of life in early adolescent cleft patients.” This cross-sectional study was conducted in Khon Kaen, Thailand. Subjects included 68 oral cleft and 118 non-cleft individuals aged 10-14 years. Several oral health issues were studied including decayed, missing, and filled teeth, plaque, and gingivitis. The results showed that children with cleft palates had higher levels of dental caries and gingivitis, poorer oral hygiene, and lower quality of life than the control group.

Dr. Kemporn Kitsahawong has done research on chemomechanical caries removal (CMCR) versus drilling, in a manuscript entitled “Chemomechanical versus drilling methods for caries removal: an in vitro study.” Forty-six carious deciduous molars were randomly divided into two groups: one each for caries removal by (1) CMCR and by (2) drilling. Results were analyzed via visual and tactile criteria and a caries detector device. There was no significant difference in the completeness of caries removal between groups. However, time spent for caries removal by CMCR was significantly longer than that required for drilling. Restorations in the CMCR group had significantly more microleakage than those in the drilling group. Dentin hardness of the cavity floor after CMCR was also significantly lower. Microscopic analyses showed roughened and irregular dentin surfaces in the CMCR group, unlike the smooth surfaces observed in the drilling group. In conclusion, CMCR was as efficacious as drilling in term of completeness of caries removal but required longer excavation times and resulted in lower microhardness of residual dentin as well as more microleakage after restorations with GI.

A project that is still ongoing entitled “Impact of prolonged and on demand breastfeeding on early childhood caries in Khon Kaen” by Dr. Sirima Sritangsirkul, looks at the relationship between extended and on-demand breastfeeding and early childhood dental caries in Khon Kaen, Thailand. On-demand breastfeeding is defined as a mother feeding the child more than 8 times a day and extended is defined as breastfeeding past one year of age. This prospective longitudinal cohort study will invite 450 healthy children aged 1-year-old, attending Thai Primary Health Centers and Mother and Child Health Center Muang District, Khon Kaen to participate in the study.  Enrolled participants and caregivers will submit to questionnaires, oral exams, and salivary samples. They’re aims are 1) to determine the association between both prolonged and/or on-demand breastfeeding and ECC, 2) to determine the association between prolonged and/or on-demand breastfeeding on children’s salivary pH, and 3) to determine the correlation between levels of MS and breastfeeding.

Expanding research capacity in oral health in Thailand has proven to be a success. The resulting research has contributed to oral health in immeasurable ways, and has elevated Thailand’s standing in the research community. Additional research training grants will hopefully prove as fruitful, and further expand oral health research capacity across SE Asia.

The Timothy A. DeRouen Center is among the 2021 recipients of the University of Washington (UW) Global Innovation Fund (GIF). GIF is an award given through the UW Office of Global Affairs. It funds research collaborations that advance interdisciplinarity across the world. This grant is the result of inter-professional collaboration among the School of Dentistry (Pediatric Dentistry and the Office of Regional Initiatives in Dental Education), School of Public Health (Global Health) and the Health Sciences and Suzzallo libraries . The project aims to train junior Kenyan researchers to publish their research work by implementing a curricular program in manuscript writing and provide support for journal submission fees.

By recruiting newly graduated dental professional from University of Nairobi with finalized thesis, this project will foster continued success in the research partnership between the University of Washington and the University of Nairobi. With increased representation in scholarly journals, opportunities for collaborative publication will become more available to Kenyan trainees. Results from this award will increase research capacity and training of the future cadre of Kenyan oral health researchers.

In its November 2020 edition, Annals of Global Health published an opinion piece on creating oral health research capacity on low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This is a remarkable opportunity for expanding advocacy for decreasing inequalities in global health. Below are relevant highlights.

The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the social, economic, and health inequalities in our society, including existing global oral health inequalities. In the past, the NIH has focused on broadening the public health and medical research capacity present in low- and middle- income countries. There is a global shortage of dentist-scientists as well, especially in developing countries, such as Thailand. Investing in research in a recent project with the University of Washington (UW) DeRouen Center for Global Oral Health and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) has not only impacted trainees’ career development but enhanced advancement of oral health research of South East Asia. The success of partnership calls for expanding oral health research training in other low-income countries.

The UW, NIH and NIDCR partnered with 2 universities in Thailand to address the shortage of dentist-scientists all over the world who would advance research that impacts public health. At Thammasat University and Khon Kaen University, the Fogarty International Center Training Program in Clinical, Public Health and Behavioral Oral Health Research for Thailand has successfully trained over 200 individuals from 18 countries, bringing Thailand to the international forefront of oral health research.

The program employed curricula in short-, medium-, and long-term instruction to provide research training. From a 5-day seminar, including education on levels of evidence in evidence- based clinical research, to a yearlong research program at the UW, the curricula provide a broad and applicable introduction to careers in clinical research.

While Thailand is the only NIH funded training site for oral health, we hope that the success of this program can be replicated in other LMIC like Peru and Kenya.

Arcora Foundation is Washington state’s largest foundation dedicated exclusively to improving oral health. A nationally recognized catalyst for change, Arcora ensures policymakers, advocates, and the public have the right information to make wise decisions that lead to better health. Their goal is to change the trajectory of oral health so that in the future everyone can enjoy the benefits of good oral health.

The Timothy A. DeRouen Center for Global Oral Health was recently awarded an Arcora Foundation New Opportunities grant that will help us achieve our overarching goal of integrating oral health within comprehensive medical care that refugees received soon after resettlement in Washington state. Currently, there are seven clinics in the state of Washington that are approved by the department of health to conduct such assessments.  For this project, we aim to collaborate with each of these sites.

Via virtual and in-person meetings at each site around the state, we aim to learn about the current clinical procedures, logistical approach, and electronic chart systems to design a custom-made protocol for oral health integration. We will be the first state in the US to implement oral health among the health outcomes that are mandated for refugees’ resettlement. To accomplish our aim, we will use evidence-based mixed-methods techniques informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Integrating oral health within required health screenings in Washington can serve as a model for a national oral health program for refugees.

At the end of 2019, approximately 79.5 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide. Washington State is consistently among the top five states with the highest refugee populations, most from Burma, Bhutan, the Former Soviet Union, Iraq and Eritrea. The long journey of a refugee results in many ignored or otherwise unmet health needs that begin at their country of origin and continue during their time in refugee camps. In the United States, refugees become legal citizens gaining Medicaid coverage, and go through a comprehensive medical assessment. However, this assessment does not require a comprehensive oral health exam.

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped all of our lives. However, the DeRouen Center team managed to continue collaborations with World Relief, DOH, DSHS and HCA. In the last few months, we teamed up with ARCORA Foundation to develop oral health-training modules for refugee caseworkers and care navigators. With our current collaboration with World Relief, a non-profit refugee resettlement organization, we hope to bring this training to their attention and ask for their advice in shaping the curriculum to refugees resettling to the United States. We believe this partnership will lead to further training for World Relief caseworkers and bring more oral health care access to the refugee community in the Seattle area.

Untreated dental caries in permanent teeth is the most prevalent disease, and dental caries of the primary teeth affect more than 530 million children. Oral diseases manifest as pain, impairment, and loss of function, and can affect individuals throughout their lifetime. At the most extreme end of the socioeconomic spectrum, growing populations of marginalized individuals worldwide reside in slums. Iquitos, Peru, is the largest city in the Peruvian Amazonian rainforest, and due to recent immigration into the city from the surrounding jungle, lack of housing has resulted in floating structures built on the Amazon River. Unfortunately, due to such precarious housing and poor environmental conditions, residents of these communities experience chronic illnesses, vector borne and infectious diseases, exposure to severe storms and flooding, and lack of water, sanitary infrastructure, and access to food.

In 2017, a collaborative group from the University of Washington (UW) schools and departments of Dentistry, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Environmental and Occupational Health, Global Health, Landscape Architecture, Neurology, and Nursing teamed up with the Centro de Investigaciones Tecnológicas Biomédicas y Medioambientales (CITBM), the Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana (UNAP) and the Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS) in Peru and developed a transdisciplinary action research program, InterACTION Labs, to design and implement research projects aimed at advancing the health, community strength, and future development of residents of one of these informal river communities – the Community of Claverito.  As a contributor to InterACTION Labs, dental faculty collected information about the community’s oral health status and the impact of oral health on the residents’ quality of life. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to describe the prevalence and distribution of dental caries among the pediatric and caregiver populations of a slum community located on the Amazon River in Iquitos, Peru; and 2) to evaluate the relationships between the children’s dental health status and the OHRQoL of the children and the impact on their families.

The results of this study reveal poor oral health status for the children and caregivers and an association between child dental health status and family quality of life. The prevalence of untreated child dental caries was 97%, with only six children having filled teeth and only eight children having missing teeth. A significant positive association was observed between child decayed and filled teeth scores and family impact scores. Significant associations were also observed between child decayed and filled teeth scores and caregiver age and child scores and caregiver decayed and filled teeth scores. Collectively, these results indicate a high level of dental disease and limited access to dental care.

There are an estimated 90,000 people living in riverine slum communities in Iquitos that could benefit from an increase in oral health services. Policy changes to improve availability and access to oral health services are needed to achieve better health for informal communities like the one of Claverito.

The Peru Education, Action, & Research (PEAR) Network is an informal network of UW faculty, graduate students, and community partners with research interests, projects, collaborators, and/or student programs in Peru.

PEAR aims to serve as a UW community resource linking people with different areas of expertise and experiences relevant to Peru to catalyze new forms of interdisciplinary collaboration, identify joint funding opportunities, and enhance existing partnerships. By leveraging common and complementary strengths, experiences, existing partnerships, and networks, we can diversify and expand the scope of research in Peru, build new opportunities for student study, research, internships and community service in the country, create reciprocal opportunities for Peruvian’s in Seattle, and advance the scholarly and societal impact of both UW and its Peruvian partners.

Partnering with the UW Office of Global Affairs, the Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) Program serves as the central hub for the network and participating faculty are drawn from across multiple schools and colleges.

Although oral diseases are largely preventable, they are among the most non-communicable diseases globally, and they disproportionately burden disadvantaged communities, specially within low- and middle-income nations. There is a shortage of dentist-scientist all around the world, especially in developing countries, such as Thailand.

Thailand is an active member of the Association of South East Asian Nations interested in creating oral health research capacity and training. While governmental efforts towards increasing clinical providers have been successful, there has been a gap in the training and education required to create a cadre of dental researchers beyond clinical expertise, who would advance research that impacts public health.

For over 20 years, the University of Washington, School of Dentistry, has partnered with Thammasat University and Khon Kaen University to train a new generation of oral health researchers who have impacted the dental public health arena in South East Asia. As a result of this partnership, these institutions created the Fogarty International Center Training Program in Clinical, Public Health and Behavioral Oral Health Research for Thailand with assistance by the Fogarty International Center (FIC) and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) (Grant Funding: D43 TW007768 and D43 TW009071, PI: DeRouen). By training over 200 trainees from 18 countries, this training site has brought Thailand to the international forefront of oral health research.

The training involved a combination of short, medium, and long-term pathways. Short-term workshops were five days and included general and scientific principles of planning and carrying out clinical research projects, clinical research, study design, statistical concepts, behavioral models, and ethical issues. Medium-term training involved attending the six-week Summer Institute in Clinical Dental Research Methods held at University of Washington in Seattle. The program was designed to provide a short but intensive research training program for dental school faculty and professionals interested in clinical research. Long-term training was designed to augment and strengthen oral health research pathways in existing PhD programs in Oral Science at Thammasat and Khon Kaen Universities. Trainees with English language skills spent one year in Seattle at University of Washington to a) take courses in biostatistics, epidemiology, or health services at UW School of Public Health, b) worked with one or more UW mentors on research projects they were developing to enhance their learning experience, or c) plan and finalize a dissertation research project that they would work on over the period of the next year in Thailand.

With the purpose to provide a perspective on the impact of the FIC and NIDCR support on creating training and research capacity in South East Asia, we conducted a survey of former trainees to inform us on their perception on how the Fogarty International Center Training Program in Clinical, Public Health and Behavioral Oral Health Research for Thailand impacted their professional paths. Most participants (74.3%) were enrolled in short-term training, 17.6% enrolled in medium-term training and 5.4% enrolled in long-term training. The perceived impact on how these training types influenced trainees at personal and at professional levels was assessed through open-ended question. Three major themes emerged, and responses were not exclusive: a) Improved knowledge of research methods (90.2%); b) Better equipped to teach and supervise students’ thesis and research (12.2%); and c) Connections made with other attendees (14.6%).

As a result of this unique training partnership, Thai universities have become the regional resource for oral health research in South East Asia. We believe this to be one of many models to be used to increase research capacity in global oral health for other low- and middle-income countrie