The effect of dental facilities on the processes of tooth loss between urban and rural populations in Edo State, Nigeria

Objectives: The objective of this study was to ascertain the effect of the presence of dental facilities on the various processes of tooth loss in the study population and if there were differences between urban and rural subjects.Methods: A total of 2,161 subjects were examined, comprising 769 from one urban area and 1392 from three rural areas of the State. Examinations were conducted with the use of a wooden spatula and the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Need probe.Results: The predominant process of permanent tooth loss in the entire study population was by extraction, followed by trauma and exfoliation. However, there was a statistical significant difference between the urban and rural subjects of the state. While the predominant process of tooth loss in urban subjects was by extraction but it varied from extraction through trauma to exfoliation amongst rural subjects.Discussion: The predominant tooth loss in the urban subjects could be attributed to the presence and access to dental facilities located in the urban area of this study. Here extraction was the most common procedure carried out due to its low cost, relative to restoration or endodontics. This was the result of the poor state of the economy and the high prevalence of caries. The process of tooth loss by exfoliation, which was predominant in the rural subjects, is the result of periodontal ligament destruction and alveolar bone resorption. This could be attributed to a higher prevalence of periodontal disease and the non-existence of dental facilities and personnel where extraction could have been done without the long await for self-exofoliation.Conclusion: This study has shown that the presence or absence of dental facilities and personnel are contributory factors to the different patterns of tooth loss in urban and rural populace.Keywords: dental facilities, tooth loss, urban and rural populatio

Nutrition And Oral Health

There is an interdependent relationship between nutrition and health of oral tissues. The well-being of the oral tissues, the quantity and quality of saliva and the dimension of taste depend on the intake of nutrients. Oral health determines the type of food consumed and ultimately the nutritional level. A review of literature was to outline this interdependent relationship

Prevalence of Undiagnosed Diabetes Mellitus Among Dental Patients in Edo State, Nigeria

Diabetes mellitus is a common condition which can lead to medical complications and can have an adverse effect on oral health and health-care. It has been reported that individuals with poor sugar control loose more teeth, have increased incidence of dental anomalies and diseases including periodontitis, dental caries and candida infections. The study population of 1570 patients attending the dental clinics at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital Benin city, aged 15 - 75 years were screened for urinary glucose using the clinistix dipstick method initially followed by fasting blood sugar. Over four percent (4.5%) of all the patients showed high glucose level in blood with 42.9% females and 57.1% males. 28.6% of these patients showing high glucose levels were aged 45 to 54years while 57.1% were between 55 and 64years. About 4.5% of patients were unaware of their diabetic status and its effect on oral structures. Screening for sugar in urine should be mandatory for all dental patients. All those with sugar in urine should be further screened and referred to the physician if blood levels are high. Health talks about the effect of diabetic condition on the health of oral structures should be given at patients first visit to the dental clinics. All the patients showing high sugar levels should be treated with the care the condition deserves

Impact of Aluminium Extrusion Effluent on MBAA River in Inyishi Ikeduru Imo State

The study Impact of Aluminum Extrusion Effluent on the Mbaa River Inyishinbsp Ikeduru Imonbsp State. Was carried out in order to ascertain the current quality status of the river. Effluent samples from an Aluminum Extrusion company as well as water and sediment samples from the river were collected in March and June 2017 at four sampling point. Subsequently the Physicochemical quality of the river was studied by analyzing river water and sediment. The effluent discharged into Mbaa River in March showed thatnbsp pH (8.84),Water Temperature (29.00),Biologicalnbsp Oxygen Demand (BOD) (6.50mg/l),Sulphate(13.40mg/l),Nitrate(4.50mg/l),Zinc(3.876mg/l), Iron(0.780mg/l)nbsp and Chromium (0.15mg/l), levels all fell below maximumnbsp limits allowable by NESREA and hence meets working targetsnbsp ofnbsp the quality of effluents dischargeable into surface water. The waste water has a Total dissolved solids (TDS) (14,008.8mg/l), Total suspended solid (TSS) (7,003.00 mg/l), Chloride (2,081.00 mg/l), Aluminium (12.52 mg/l) and Nickel (8.650mg/l) which fell above NESREAnbsp limits , similar trend onnbsp limitnbsp was also observed in June with pH (5.27),Water Temperature (27.30),Biologicanbsp Oxygen Demand (BOD)(5.20mg/l),Sulphate(130.30mg/l),Nitrate(0.113mg/l),Zinc(0.703mg/l), Iron (0.157mg/l)nbsp and Chromium (0.131mg/l). The result on effect of discharged wastewater during the study periodnbspnbsp into Mbaa River showed that the effluent increased the water pH fromnbspnbsp 5.40 -7.20 (6.27 + 0.27), Turbidity ranged from 2.40 - 6.70 (4.84 + 0.58) NTU, Temperature ranged from 26.30 ndash 28.90 (27.76 + 0.33)OC, Cl ranged from 9.35 ndash 12. 05 (10. 36 + 0. 44) mg/l, BOD5 ranged from 2.10 ndash 2.50 (2. 29 + 0.48) mg/l, Ni ranged from 0.67 ndash 1.02 (0.85 + 0. 05) mg/l etc. Was compared with the standards set by NESREA both for the effluent and water samples, also the sediment samples for pH ranged from 4.24 ndash 6.01 (5.00 + 0.22), Ni ranged 0.45 ndash 27. 01 (12.2 + 4.19) mg/kg and Al ranged from 2.08 ndash 14.84 (7.48 + 1.48) mg/kg etc. All parameters were higher in sediments than in water samples for all stations. Thus variance of Descriptive statistics, special and temporal variation, the one way ANOVA test and student t-test was used. It was also observed from the trend analysis that the river capacity to assimilate effluent and be self-purified was not exceeded by the volume of the effluent discharged into it from the factory as its quality was nearly restored within the 1100m distance at Sample 3 and 4. It is recommended that since it takes about 1100m for the river to self-purify, the factory should provide an aerated lagoon/ stabilization pond to enable some biodegradation of the effluent prior to discharge, in order to shorten the distance before self-purification.nbsp It was also found out that careless disposal of the effluent should be discouraged and the need for each extruding industry to install a waste treatment plant with a view to treating waste before discharge into the stream is recommended

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

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

Perceived oral health status and treatment needs of dental auxiliaries

Objective: To determine the perceived oral health status and treatment needs of Nigerian dental therapists in training and dental technology students. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study of students from Federal School of Dental Therapy and Technology Enugu, Nigeria was conducted using self-administered questionnaire to obtain information on demography, self-reported oral health status, knowledge of impact of oral health on daily life activity, dental attendance and perceived dental need. Results: The perception of oral health status and treatment need of the two groups of dental auxiliaries was the same. Fewer respondents (27.3%) rated their oral health as excellent, while 50.4% rated their oral health as good. Majority (95.5%) agreed that oral health is a part of general health and 94.6% agreed that oral health has a role in daily life.Out of 81.4% that had previous dental treatment, scaling and polishing accounted for 66.1%. Presently, 48.8% think they need dental treatment ranging from scaling and polishing (33.9%), tooth restoration (10.3%), to extraction (1.2%). Conclusion: This survey revealed that most of the students are aware that oral health is a component of general health and that it has an impact on an individual's daily life. More than half of the students perceived their oral health as good, but only a few knew that there is a need for a preventive approach to oral health as evident by the percentage that perceived scaling and polishing as a treatment need

A double blind, randomised placebo controlled trial of topical 2% viscous lidocaine in improving oral intake in children with painful infectious mouth conditions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Painful infectious mouth conditions are a common presentation to emergency departments. Although self limiting, painful ulcerative lesions and inflamed mucosa can decrease oral intake and can lead to dehydration. Oral analgesia is of limited efficacy and is often refused by the patient. Despite widespread use of oral 2% viscous lidocaine for many years, there is little evidence for its efficacy as an analgesic and in aiding oral intake in children with painful infectious mouth conditions. This study aims to establish the effectiveness of 2% viscous lidocaine in increasing oral intake in these children by comparing it with placebo.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This study is a randomised double-blind placebo controlled trial of children between 6 months and 8 years of age with painful infectious mouth conditions defined as gingivostomatitis (herpetic or non herpetic), ulcerative pharyngitis, herpangina and hand foot and mouth disease as assessed by the treating clinician in association with a history of poor oral fluid intake. It will be conducted at a single tertiary paediatric emergency department in Melbourne Australia.</p> <p>20 patients have already been randomised to receive 2% lidocaine or placebo in a pilot study to determine the sample size in a preplanned adaptive design. A further 80 patients will be randomised to receive either 2% lidocaine or placebo. The placebo agent is identical to lidocaine in terms of appearance, flavour and smell. All clinical and research staff involved, patients and their parents will be blinded to treatment allocation.</p> <p>The primary endpoint is the amount of fluid ingested by each child, expressed in ml/kg, within 60 minutes from the time of administration of the study mixture. Secondary endpoints are the proportion of patients ingesting 5 ml/kg and 10 ml/kg at 30 and 60 minutes after drug administration and the incidence of adverse events. Longer term outcomes will include the proportion of patients requiring hospital admission and length of emergency department stay.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This trial will define the role of 2% lidocaine in the treatment of painful infectious mouth conditions</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>The trial is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry - <a href="http://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12609000566235.aspx">ACTRN12609000566235</a>.</p

Prevalence Of Dentine Hypersensitivity And Its Response To Non – Surgical Treatment In Benin City, Nigeria.

Context Exposure of the dentine of a tooth ultimately leads to its hypersensitivity which often presents as a painful response to applied stimulus. It is a common complaint among patients and is associated with multiple etiologic factors. To date, the prevalence of this condition and the response by patients to different non &ndash; surgical modalities of treatment in the study area have not been exhaustively investigated. Objective This study aims to determine the prevalence of tooth hypersensitivity and its response to non-surgical treatment modalities at the Periodontics Clinic of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City. Method This was a prospective study of males and females aged 16 to 75 years who were attending the University of Benin Teaching Hospital Periodontics clinic at the time of this study ( 2003 to 2004 ). Tooth hypersensitivity was recorded as present or absent based on patients' complaints, information from the questionnaire administered and corroborated by clinical findings. All clinical oral examinations were carried out at the Periodontics clinic. Result Of the 330 patients seen, 70 (21.2%) had tooth hypersensitivity. Females and patients aged 46-55 years were most affected while upper left molars were mainly implicated. Many of the patients investigated responded to oral hygiene instructions and dentine desensitisation. Conclusion Tooth hypersensitivity which results from exposed dentine affected a reasonable percentage of the population and caused discomfort, pain and sometimes tooth loss. Many of such cases (41.5%) responded to non-surgical treatment.Keywords: Tooth, Dentine, Hypersensitivity, Non-surgical

Hypertension among dental patients attending tertiary health institution in Edo state, Nigeria.

Introduction: Hypertension is one of the cardiovascular diseases which has been reported as one of the common causes of death worldwide. Some medical conditions including hypertension could alter the course of oral disease; modify dental treatment and response to such treatment. Objective: This was to determine the prevalence of hypertension among dental patients and their common presenting oral complaint. Method: Measurement of the blood pressure of all the patients aged 18 77years who were attending the dental clinic was carried out using sphygmomanometer and stethoscope. Results: The overall prevalence of hypertension among dental patients was 19.7% while that for unknown hypertension (hypertension detected at the dental clinic) was 10.3%. Acute periapical periodontitis and chronic marginal gingivitis were common clinical presentations. Conclusion: Some dental patients were unaware of their blood pressure levels. It is important for all dental patients to be screened for hypertension to avoid the complications that may arise therefrom. Keywords: Hypertension, Dental patients, Tertiary Health Institution. Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Vol. 10 (3) 2007 pp. 220-22