Periodontal Disease Awareness and Knowledge among Nigerian Primary School Teachers

Background: Teacher‑led oral health education is equally effective in improving the oral health knowledge and oral hygiene status of adolescents as dentist‑led and peer‑led strategies. Aim: The aim was to determine periodontal disease awareness and knowledge among Nigerian primary school teachers. Subjects and Methods: This cross‑sectional study was conducted among primary school teachers in Edo State, Nigeria. A self-administered questionnaire which elicited information on demography, awareness of the periodontal disease and source of information, knowledge of etiology, and symptoms of the periodontal disease, was the data collection tool.. The test of association was done using either Chi‑square or Fisher’s exact statistics. P value was set at 0.05 for significance level. Results: Out of 180 teachers recruited from seven public primary schools in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, 151 of them fully participated by filling the study questionnaires giving a 83.9% (151/180) response rate. The majority 74.2% (112/151) of the participants reported having heard of the periodontal disease and the leading source of information was television. A total of 29.8% (45/151) of participants considered periodontal disease as the main cause of tooth loss among adult Nigerian. Only 12.6% (19/151) of the participants knew dental plaque as soft debris on teeth and 29.1% (44/151) attested that plaque can cause periodontal disease. The majority of the participants were not aware of age 81.5% (123/151) and gender 96.7% (146/151) predisposition to periodontal disease. The perceived manifestations of the periodontal disease reported by were mainly gum bleeding 35.1% (53/151) and swollen gum 20.5% (31/151). A total of 70.2% (106/151) of the participants considered periodontal disease as a preventable disease and about half 49.0% (74/151) of the participants considered daily mouth cleaning as the best preventive method. The majority 95.4% (144/151) of the participants expressed interest in learning about the periodontal disease and the most preferred methods were workshops and lectures. Conclusion: A significant proportion of the participants heard about periodontal disease from nondental clinic sources. There existed a poor awareness of etiology, age and gender predispositions, manifestation, complications, and the preventable nature of periodontal disease among the participants. However, the majority of them indicated interest in learning about periodontal disease which should be utilized in optimizing their knowledge.Keywords: Knowledge, Periodontal awareness, Periodontal disease, Teachers, Tooth los

The oral hygiene status of institution dwelling orphans in Benin City, Nigeria

Introduction: Orphans like other vulnerable children face a number of challenges including limited or no access to basic health care including oral health care, which is one of their unmet health care needs. Neglected oral health care is associated with the development and progression of periodontal diseases among others.Objective: To determine the oral hygiene status of institution dwelling orphans.Materials and Methods: Thirty eight orphans from four orphanages in Benin City, Edo State of Nigeria were clinically examined and their oral hygiene status determined using the simplified oral hygiene index of Greene and Vermillion (OHI-S).Results: Seventy-three percent of the orphans were found to have fair oral hygiene comprising mostly of those aged 6-13 years. More females were in this category while more males presented with poor oral hygiene status.Conclusion: More orphans presented with fair oral hygiene that indicated inadequate oral care. There was poor oral health education and limited access to services. There is need for these to be improved as a solution to poor oral health status of these vulnerable children.Key words: Institution dwelling, oral hygiene, orphans, statu

Prevalence of tobacco use among dental patients and their knowledge of its health effects

Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of tobacco use in dental patients, to compare the knowledge of the effects of tobacco in tobacco users and nonuser, to determine their source of information, and to obtain their opinion on strategies that may be used to reduce or stop tobacco consumption.Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey of 400 patients attending the University of Benin Teaching Hospital dental clinic for treatment was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire.Results: The result revealed that the prevalence of tobacco use is 4.25% and that tobacco was consumed in the form of cigarette in 94% of cases. Only a small percentage of the respondents (0.3%) had a poor knowledge of both the tobacco effect on general and oral health. Although 26.5% claimed to have multiple source of information on the effect of tobacco on health but the media was the highest single source (23.5%). Banning of sales of tobacco products was suggested by 30.5% of the respondents, 19.8% suggested that doctor should educate patients on the health effect of tobacco, and 17.8% feel that to discourage tobacco use, multiple strategies should be used.Conclusion: There is a need for health workers to lay more emphasis on the rare complications of tobacco use. The use of multiple regulatory strategies should be employed to reduce the overall adverse health impact of tobacco and the media can play a great role

Haematoxic Effects Following Ingestion Of Nigerian Crude Oil And Crude Oil Polluted Shellfish By Rats

The haematological effects following ingestion of shellfish exposed to crude oil polluted water or the pollutant perse were investigated in albino Wistar rats. Feeding of four groups of rats for 28 days duration with two reference casein or shellfish protein control diets (Group A and B), and two test diets (Group C and D) supplemented at varying levels with shellfish which had been previously exposed to crude oil polluted water and the oral gavaging with crude oil at the rate of 3, 6 and 9 ml/kg body weight per day to three groups (groups II, III and IV respectively) of rats for 7 days duration resulted in changes in packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC) and white blood cell (WBC) counts, and haemoglobin concentration (Hb) of rats. Group C and D respectively fed 10% and 20% polluted shellfish diets recorded significant (P < 0.05) decreases in PCV and RBC counts while Hb concentration and WBC counts increased. Groups II, III and IV gavaged with varying doses of crude oil recorded significant (P < 0.05 – 0.01) dose dependent decrease in PCV and RBC counts when compared to controls (group 1). Hb and WBC counts also increased for these groups but the increase was only significant for WBC counts (P < 0.05) when compared with controls. The results suggest that the ingestion of shellfish exposed to crude oil polluted water or the polluted perse results in haematotoxicity. Key words: Haematological Indices, Crude Oil, Shellfish Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences Vol.19(1&2) 2004: 1-

Tooth brushing, tongue cleaning and snacking behaviour of dental technology and therapist students

Objective: To determine the tooth brushing, tongue cleaning and snacking behaviour of dental technology and therapist students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of students of Federal School of Dental Therapy and Technology Enugu, Nigeria. Self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on demography, frequency, duration and technique of tooth brushing and tongue cleaning as well as information on consumption of snacks. Results: A total of 242 students responded. Dental technology students made up 52.5% of the respondents and dental therapist in training made up 47.5%. Majority (63.2%) of the respondents considered the strength of tooth brush when purchasing a tooth brush and 78.9% use tooth brushes with medium strength. Sevententh (71.9%) of the respondents brush their teeth twice daily and 52.1% brush for 3-5 minutes. About onethird (30.2%) brush their teeth in front of a mirror. Chewing stick was used by 51.7% of respondents in addition to the use of tooth brush. Tongue cleaning was done by 94.2% with only 9.5% using a tongue cleaner. Only 20.2% reported regular snacks consumption. Nine-tenth (90.4%) of respondents were previously involved in educating others, apart from their colleagues, on tooth brushing. Conclusion: This survey revealed that most of the dental therapy and technology students had satisfactory tooth-brushing behaviour. The zeal to educate others about proper tooth brushing revealed in this study suggests that the students may be helpful in oral health promotion.Keywords: toothbrushing; tongue cleaning; snacking behaviour; dental auxiliary students; Nigeri

Use of mixed methods designs in substance research: a methodological necessity in Nigeria

The utility of mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative) is becoming increasingly accepted in health sciences, but substance studies are yet to substantially benefit from such utilities. While there is a growing number of mixed methods alcohol articles concerning developed countries, developing nations are yet to embrace this method. In the Nigerian context, the importance of mixed methods research is yet to be acknowledged. This article therefore, draws on alcohol studies to argue that mixed methods designs will better equip scholars to understand, explore, describe and explain why alcohol consumption and its related problems are increasing in Nigeria. It argues that as motives for consuming alcohol in contemporary Nigeria are multiple, complex and evolving, mixed method approaches that provide multiple pathways for proffering solutions to problems should be embraced

Tooth mobility among rural dwellers in Midwestern area of Nigeria

Objective: To determine the prevalence of tooth mobility among rural dwellers in Midwestern area of Nigeria.Methods: Individuals of both gender attending free Medical Outreach in five rural communities in the Midwestern area (Delta and Edo State) of Nigeria constituted the study participants. Data was collected through interviewer-administered questionnaires and clinical examinations.Results: Overall, 154 (45 males and 109 females) between the ages 5-88 years with mean age 33.44±2.34years participated in this study. Of the 154 participants studied, 18.8% had tooth mobility. This tooth mobility was significantly associated with age and geographical location but not with gender. In terms of severity, Miller grade 2 mobility was the most form (41.4%) and anterior teeth were involved than posterior teeth. Of the 154 participants studied, 18.8% had tooth mobility.The mean debris, calculus and oral hygiene score among the participants were 1.50±0.65, 1.23±0.65 and 2.71±1.20 respectively. Participants with tooth mobility exhibited higher mean debris [1.69±0.59 versus 1.46±0.66], calculus [1.38±0.67 versus 1.19±0.65] and oral hygiene 3.06±1.19 versus 2.62±1.19] scores. Participants with tooth mobility were less likely to indulge in twice-daily tooth cleaning but more likely to have visited the dentist and experienced gingival bleeding.Conclusion: Tooth mobility is common among the studied rural dwellers and the affected participants had poorer oral hygiene status and tooth cleaning practices. There is need to improve oral health access and practices in order to control the prevalence of tooth mobility among rural dweller.Key words: prevalence, rural dwellers, tooth mobility, Nigeri

Self-reported periodontal problems and oral hygiene practices among pregnant women in antenatal clinic in Benin City, Nigeria

Context: Periodontal disease is prevalent among pregnant women especially those with suboptimal oral hygiene practices.Objective: To assess the self-reported periodontal problems and oral hygiene practices among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin-City, Nigeria.Methods: This prospective study was conducted among 300 randomly selected pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic of UBTH, Benin-City, Nigeria. Questionnaire elicited information on demography,periodontal problems, mode and frequency of tooth cleaning, utilisation of dental healthcare services. Data was analysed using SPSS version 16.0. P&lt;0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results: Of the 300 respondents enrolled in the study, 288 completed the questionnaire. The majority (48.4%) were aged 25-30 years and mean age was 29.5 ± 3.57 years. Periodontal problems reported by the respondents were food packing (58.3%), gingival bleeding (23.6%), gingival swelling (21.9%), tooth mobility (4.9%), and tooth loss due to periodontal disease (3.1%). On self perceived oral health status, 137 (47.6%) assessed their oral health as good. The majority (92.7%) of the respondents used toothbrush and paste for cleaning. There existed significant association between age and oral hygiene methods (P&lt;0.05). More than half (58.3%) and 3.1% of the respondents cleaned their teeth once-daily and use dental floss respectively. About 14.3% of the respondents had undergone scaling and polishing. About two-third (66.3%) of the respondents had never visited the dentist and 84.4% had not seen the dentist within the last 12 months.Conclusion: Data revealed that periodontal problems and poor oral hygiene practices were prevalent among the respondents.Keywords: Periodontal problems; oral hygiene practices; pregnant wome

Periodontal and Orthodontic Management of Malocclusion as a Result of Juvenile Periodontitis in Benin City: A Case Report

A case of severe malocclusion as a result of juvenile periodontitis is reported. An interdisciplinary approach involving the Periodontist and the Orthodontist was used to manage a 19-year-old boy who presented with a grade 2 mobility of the anterior teeth resulting in pathologic migration of those teeth and a severe anterior inclination of 14.5mm with a deep overbite. There was a pathological loss of the upper right canine, generalized anterior segment spacing, supra eruption of the lower right canine and extrusion of the upper premolars and molars. This case report emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork among Dental specialists in managing difficult cases, resulting in a favourable functional and aesthetically pleasing outcome