Caries risk profile of 12 year old school children in an Indian city using Cariogram

Objectives: The present study was conducted with an aim to assess the caries profile of 12 year old Indian children using Cariogram. Study design: Hundred children were interviewed to record any illness, oral hygiene practices and fluoride exposure after obtaining a three day diet diary. Examination was done to record plaque and dental caries status. Stimulated saliva was collected and salivary flow rate, salivary buffering capacity, Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus were assessed. The information obtained was scored and Cariogram was created. Differences between mean decayed, missing and filled teeth ( DMFT) and Cariogram risk groups were assessed using ANOVA. Spearman Correlation coefficients were used to explore correlation among Cariogram scores and individual variables. Results: It was found that 21, 45, 21 and 13 children had 0-20%, 21-40%, 41-60% and 61-100% chance of avoiding caries respectively in future. Significant correlation was observed between cariogram score and DMFT, diet content, diet frequency, plaque scores, Streptococcus mutans counts and fluoride programme. Conclusions: Cariogram model can identify the caries-related factors that could be the reasons for the estimated future caries risk, and therefore help the dentist to plan appropriate preventive measures

Evaluation of knowledge, experience and perceptions about medical emergencies amongst dental graduates (Interns) of Belgaum City, India

Introduction: Medical emergencies can occur frequently in dental setting. Effective management of an emergency situation in the dental office is ultimately the dentist's responsibility. The lack of training and inability to cope with medical emergencies can lead to tragic consequences and sometimes legal action. For this reason, all health professionals including dentists must be well prepared to attend to medical emergencies. Providing basic life support [BLS] is dentist's most important contribution until definitive treatment for a medical emergency can be given. Hence the study is aimed to assess the dental graduates (Interns) knowledge, skills and competency regarding dentistry-medical emergency interface. Methodology: Data were collected from 105 Interns of two dental colleges of Belgaum City using a structured questionnaire consisting of 7 item questionnaire (6 closed and 1 open ended). Results: Overall in all the years, syncope / faint was seen by 40.9% of the respondents, 37.1% with hypoglycemic attacks, allergic reactions by 17.1%, epileptic attacks by 7.6%, asthmatic attacks by 4.5% and angina 0.9%. The frequencies of the emergencies encountered were once or even more. Knowledge of the presence of drugs and equipments in the emergency drug kit and the confidence in regard to use them was low. Medical emergencies training were undertaken by 42% respondents, but in varying degrees. There was a desire for further medical emergencies training by majority of respondents. Conclusion: The study showed that syncope is the commonest medical emergency event. Dental graduates had a superficial knowledge of medical emergencies, drugs and equipments. Emphasis is placed on the need for more medical emergencies training to be offered, to increase knowledge and confidence of dental graduates (Interns) in the management of medical emergencie

Assessment of oral health status and tobacco-related habits among the employees of North-West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC), Belagavi City - A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Transport workers have a very haphazard and incongruent schedule which makes it difficult for them to follow proper oral hygiene practices. The prevalence of tobacco habits is also found to be high due to their long periods of work and constant stress. This study aimed to assess the oral health status and tobacco habits of the government bus drivers and conductors of NWKRTC, Belagavi City, Karnataka.  Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 451 Government Bus drivers and other employees of NWKRTC who gave consent for the study. WHO Oral Health Assessment Form 2013 was used to record the oral health status and a self-designed, validated questionnaire was employed for recording the oral hygiene practices and tobacco-related habits. Descriptive statistics and Chi-Square was used for statistical analysis.    Results: The mean age of the employees of NWKRTC is 43.55 years and there are 414 males as compared to only 37 females. The mean DMFT score was 5.55±3.08. 228 of them had some kind of tobacco habit with guthka (25.9 percent) being the most prevalent one. 57 employees had manifestations of leukoplakia and OSMF. There was an association between tobacco habits and oral mucosal lesions as well as the DMFT score. Conclusion: The Oral Health Status of the Government employees of NWKRTC is poor. It is further compounded by the high prevalence of tobacco habits and associated lesions and it is a problem that needs to be addressed immediately

Dental caries, oral hygiene status and deleterious habits among migrant construction workers of Belagavi, India

Background: Occupation significantly influences oral health, with factors like the work environment, stress levels, access to dental care, and job-related habits playing crucial roles. The oral health of construction workers, especially migrant workers, is a noteworthy concern. Understanding the oral health of this population is crucial for enhancing their quality of life through various means. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of dental caries, oral hygiene status, and deleterious habits in this occupational group of Belagavi district, Karnataka. Materials and Methods: Study design was cross-sectional in nature. After a pilot study, multi-stage random sampling technique was employed, and 610 participants were recruited. Trained and calibrated examiners recorded WHO dentition status and treatment needs (2013) and Oral Hygiene Index Simplified (OHI-S). Collected data was analyzed using descriptive analysis, chi-square, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Prevalence of dental caries among construction workers was significantly higher (81%) and 36.9% had poor oral hygiene. Prevalence of smoking, tobacco chewing habit, and alcohol consumption among the construction workers was found to be 21.6%, 59.9%, and 37.3%, respectively. The dependence of OHI-S and DMFT on age, gender, and habits such as smoking, tobacco chewing, and alcohol consumption was found to be 21.5% and 39.6%, respectively. Conclusion: Migrant construction workers in Belagavi had a high caries prevalence, poor oral hygiene status, and a high prevalence of deleterious habits such as tobacco use. These results emphasize the necessity of awareness and dental health education programs to improve the oral health of construction workers

Prevalence of dental caries, oral hygiene status and treatment needs among seafarers and trainee sailors in the state of Goa, India: a descriptive cross-sectional study

Background: The fixed regimen and strict dietary habits of seafarers and trainee sailors, make them susceptible to several oral diseases. The aim of the study was to assess prevalence of dental caries, oral hygiene status and treatment needs among seafarers and trainee sailors in the state of Goa. Materials and methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out from January 2023 to March 2023. After a pilot study, convenience sampling technique was employed to recruit 261 participants. The investigators were standardized and calibrated to record World Health Organization Oral Health Assessment Form (1997) and Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S) which were instrumented in the study. Intra-examiner and inter-examiner reliability scores were recorded using kappa statistics (0.81, 0.83) and (0.83, 0.85), respectively. The data was analysed using descriptive analysis, chi-square test, Mann- -Whitney U test and multivariate linear regression analysis at statistical significance (p ≤ 0.05). Results: The mean ages of seafarers (n = 133) and trainee sailors (n = 128) were 36.41 ± 6.40, and 25.36 ± 7.39, respectively. The prevalence of dental caries among seafarers and trainee sailors was determined to be 59% and 78%, respectively (p = 0.01). The mean OHI-S score of seafarers (1.31 ± 0.68) and trainee sailors (1.53 ± 0.82) was statistically significant (p = 0.015). Conclusions: Seafarers and trainee sailors demonstrated high caries prevalence and poor oral hygiene status due to their distinctive lifestyle, representing a vulnerable community in terms of oral health

Dental caries, oral hygiene status and treatment needs of fishermen and non-fishermen population in South Goa, India

Background: Occupation plays a major role in the well-being of an individual and has an influence on oralhealth. Fishing is one such occupation that entails a lot of physical labour and encourages habits thatlead to poor oral health. Therefore, it is critical to shed light on the oral health of this isolated populationto improve their quality of life by various means. The aim of the study was to assess and compare theprevalence of dental caries, oral hygiene status and treatment needs of fisherman and non-fishermanpopulation in South Goa, India.Materials and methods: Study design was cross-sectional in nature. After a pilot study, multi-stage randomsampling technique was employed and 400 study participants were recruited. World Health OrganizationOral Health Assessment Form (1997) and Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S) were used to record thestudy variables. Inter-examiner reliability assessed using Kappa statistics were found to be 90% and 88%,respectively. The data was analysed using descriptive analysis, Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test,Kruskal-Wallis test, and linear and logistic regression analysis.Results: Fishermen had significantly higher caries prevalence (82%) and poor oral hygiene (46%) than non--fishermen. Extraction (42.2%) and pulp care (23.6%) were the highest treatment need among fishermen.They were 2.08 times more prone to dental caries than non-fishermen. Fishermen who used a toothbrushwere 4.5 times less susceptible to caries. The dependence of caries prevalence and OHI-S score on occupation,oral hygiene aid and age were 14% and 25.8%, respectively.Conclusions: Fishermen in South Goa had high caries prevalence, poor oral hygiene status and they requiredextensive dental treatment when compared to non-fishermen

In vitro antibacterial activity of ethanolic extract of Morus alba leaf against periodontal pathogens

Context: Antibiotic resistance is a major problem with inadvertent usage. Thus, there is a need to search for new antimicrobial agents of herbal origin to combat antibiotic resistance. One such plant is Morus alba which has a long history of medicinal use in traditional Chinese medicine. Aim: To compare the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extract of M. alba leaves with chlorhexidine gluconate against Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, and Tannerella forsythia. Settings and Design: Experimental in vitro study. Methodology: Crude extract from the leaves of M. alba were prepared by Soxhlet extraction method by using ethanol as a solvent. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extract was assessed against A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis and T. forsythia, and compared with that of chlorhexidine gluconate by broth dilution method. Results: P. gingivalis was the most sensitive organism against the M. alba extract with an MIC value of 1.95 mg/ml; while T. forsythia and P. gingivalis both were most sensitive organisms against chlorhexidine gluconate with MIC values of 0.00781 mg/ml. Conclusion: M. alba possess good antibacterial activity against A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis and T. forsythia and thus would be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of periodontal disease. However, chlorhexidine gluconate was found to be more effective when compared to M. alba

Evaluation of knowledge and plaque scores in school children before and after health education

Background: Health education is a process of transmission of knowledge and skills necessary for improvement in quality of life. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the oral hygiene related knowledge and plaque scores of 12-year-old school children in Belgaum city before and after health education. Methods: Three schools of Belgaum city were randomly selected and assigned into one of three health educational groups - group I (audiovisual aids), group II (chalk and blackboard) and group III (no health education). Oral health related knowledge and plaque scores were assessed in all the groups before and after health education. Results: The mean knowledge score before intervention in group I was 7.94, in group II was 7.86 and in group III was 7.74 (P=0.86). After intervention, the mean knowledge score was 14.42 in group I, 12.7 in group II and 9.58 in group III (P<0.001). Plaque scores in the three groups were similar and statistically nonsignificant at baseline. After the oral health education, the mean plaque scores were 0.627 in group I, 0.8826 in group II and 1.0156 in group III. Within the group comparisons revealed a statistically improved oral hygiene with decreased plaque scores in all the three groups. Conclusion: Health education by audiovisual aids could be an effective preventive measure against plaque-related oral diseases

Indian dental students' attitudes and practices regarding tobacco cessation counseling

Tobacco cessation counseling (TCC) has been proven to be very effective in helping tobacco users to quit. Dentists can play a vital role in helping patients to quit tobacco use. The aim of this study was to examine five groups of Indian dental students' attitudes and practices regarding TCC. Out of 514 fifth-year students in five colleges of Karnataka, India, 456 students voluntarily participated. The thirty-five-item questionnaire consisted of four sections: demographic characteristics, practices in the institution, attitudes toward tobacco cessation programs in the dental setting, knowledge of tobacco counseling, and perceived barriers in counseling. To test the reliability of the survey items, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used. Frequency distributions and percentages were examined for each item, and chi-square tests were used to analyze differences based on tobacco usage status. The sample consisted of 317 female and 139 male students. The majority of the students (n=429, 94 percent) reported that they give anti-tobacco usage advice to patients who smoke and planned to advise patients about tobacco cessation throughout their careers. Fewer students (n=314, 68.9 percent) indicated that such counseling would assist patients to quit. The major barriers were reported to be patients' resistance, inadequate skills, and poor knowledge about nicotine replacement therapy. This study found that these students had a positive attitude about TCC, along with adequate knowledge regarding the ill effects of tobacco. However, this study concludes that tobacco cessation should be given greater emphasis in the curriculum of Indian dental schools in order to expand the use of TCC in dental practices