Oral health knowledge and oral hygiene practices of pre-school teachers in a selected region of Kathmandu city

Background: Dental caries and periodontal diseases are the most common oral health problems seen globally. Schools provides anideal environment for all forms of education, including oral health and teachers can be instrumental in imparting it. The teachers,therefore, need to be well versed in the knowledge regarding oral health as well as practice good oral hygiene measures to teach thechildren. Objectives: The objective of this study is to assess pre-school teachers’ oral health knowledge and oral hygiene practicesin a selected region of Kathmandu city. Methodology: An observational, descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on preschoolteachers in a selected region of Kathmandu city. The teachers of pre-school level completed a self-administered structuredquestionnaire on knowledge of oral health and oral hygiene practices Result: The pre-school teachers had more knowledge aboutdental caries than about periodontal diseases. Overall, scores of school teacher’s (n=95) oral health knowledge were inadequate(54.7%) but the oral hygiene practices (69.5%) were found to be good. Conclusion: The pre-school teachers had inadequate oralhealth knowledge but good oral hygiene practices. This shows a need for training and motivation of pre-school teachers’ regardingthe oral health education and promotion through school-based programs

Location of Mental Foramen in Dentate Adults using Orthopantomogram

Introduction: Understanding the anatomical variations in the position of mental foramen are significant for different dental procedures. This study identified the position of the mental foramen among a sample of Nepalese population visiting a dental college in Kathmandu. Methods: Total 417 panoramic radiographs (orthopantomograms) were selected from a total of 567 radiographs. The mental foramen location was determined by drawing imaginary line parallel with the long axis of the lower premolars . The mental foramen location was then classified into six classes. Results: In the study population, the mental foramina were located mostly between the lower premolars 163 (39.1%), followed by in line with second premolar 148 (35.5%) of the mental foramen was located under the second premolar apex. Conclusions: The study shows that the anaesthetic solution should be injected between the lower premolars or below the lower 2nd premolar in the Nepalese population for successful and secure mental nerve blocking

Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practice of pharmacovigilance in a medical college of Nepal

Introduction: Pharmacovigilance is the science that relates to the collection, detection, assessment, monitoring, and prevention of adverse drug reactions (ADR). The incidence of ADR is 2.4-6.5% in western countries, with only 6-10% reported worldwide. The under-reporting of ADR is due to inadequate knowledge, attitude, and practice among the prescribers about the system. Thus, medical students who are the future drug prescribers bear a crucial role in bridging this gap. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire survey was carried out among 261 medical undergraduates including interns at Maharajgunj Medical Campus in Kathmandu. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The responses were analyzed and descriptive statistics are presented as frequencies and percentages. Results: In this study, 94.3% of students responded that doctors, nurses, and pharmacists need to report ADR as they encounter them but only 13.8% responded to have reported ADR to the concerned authority. Also, 97.3% of respondents answered that ADR reporting should be taught in their medical college. Conclusion: In conclusion, medical students are not adequately aware of the ADR reporting system. A proper orientation to pharmacovigilance should be given to the medical students by incorporating it into the medical curriculum and providing training to future healthcare professionals

A SURVEY OF KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS REGARDING ANTIBIOTICS USE AND RESISTANCE AMONG NEPALESE PATIENTS

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance is an under-appreciated threat to public health in nations around the globe. The unchecked usage of antibiotics in dentistry can also contribute to emerging antibiotic resistance. With the current rampant usage of antibiotics in the global scenario, it is important to know about the knowledge and awareness of patients regarding various aspects of antibiotics. However, relatively few works have been published on the effect of knowledge of antibiotics on its use, even lesser in context to Nepalese dental patients. This study aims to assess the knowledge about antibiotic treatment and awareness of antibiotic resistance among dental patients. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out during world antibiotic awareness week from November 13-19, 2017 in dental patients visiting Kantipur Dental College Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. We explained the aim of the study. Patients seeking dental services who were willing to participate signed an informed written consent were enrolled in the study. Pretested questionnaires were distributed among patients attending dental OPD. The responses in the questionnaire were used to assess the knowledge about various aspects of antibiotic treatment and antibiotic resistance in dental patients. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: In this study, 136 patients responded out of 203 (with a response rate of 66.7%) that were valid for analysis. The knowledge about antibiotics use was found significantly low based on their actual practice though they had followed doctors and medical professional’s instructions. Our study showed that patient’s knowledge of antibiotics had a positive association with their attitude and had a negative association on awareness of the importance of the public education about antimicrobial resistance. Conclusion: The dental patients did not have adequate knowledge of antibiotic treatment, use, and resistance. To prevent antibiotic resistance, more efforts should be made to educate the general public regarding the appropriate dispensing of antibiotics

Tooth Mobility among Patients visiting a Tertiary Care Centre: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that results in the destruction of supporting tissue and bone leading to tooth mobility. Tooth mobility if untreated can lead to tooth loss. However, very few studies exist for its assessment. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of tooth mobility among patients visiting a tertiary care centre. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals visiting a tertiary care dental hospital from 1st April to 30th June 2022 after obtaining ethical clearance from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 2202202202). Individuals more than 13 years who gave consent and fulfilled the study criteria were enrolled. Tooth mobility was assessed using Lindhe and Nyman’s classification. Proforma also included demographics, simplified oral hygiene index, gingival index, body mass index, and smoking status. Convenience sampling was done. Point estimate and 95% Confidence Interval were calculated. Results: Among 163 patients, 65 (39.88%) patients (32.36-47.40, 95% Confidence Interval) had tooth mobility. Conclusions: The prevalence of tooth mobility was higher than in studies done in similar settings

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Flipped classroom: A promising teaching approach for medical education

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Prevention is Always Better than Cure

Preventive dentistry is what every dentist and periodontist aims for. A hospital-based study in Nepal showed that staggering 52.5% suffered from gingivitis and 47.5% suffered from periodontitis (28.3% localised, 18% generalised).1 The two major risk factors for various periodontal diseases that can easily be prevented are: tobacco smoking and dental plaque.</jats:p

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