Holdaway’s analysis of the nose prominence of an adult Nigerian population

Background: Facial beauty is a function of harmonious balance among all parts of the face, and the nose plays a dominant role in this because of its location exactly in the middle of the face. Therefore, an evaluation of the nasal form and its position relative to other facial structures should play an important part in the assessment of patients before orthognathic surgery, rhinoplasty or orthodontics.Aim: The aim was to establish normative values for the nose prominence of an adult Nigerian population using Holdaway’s soft tissue cephalometric analysis.Methodology: Lateral cephalometric radiographs of 100 adults aged 18–25 years, with normal occlusion and a harmonious facial appearance were analyzed. The nose prominence was assessed using Holdaway’s analysis. Twenty radiographs randomly selected, were retraced to assess for errors. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Student’s t‑tests and analysis of variance using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences.Results: The mean value recorded for the nose prominence of the study population was 3.49 mm (standard deviation [SD], 3.26 mm), with a range of −5.0 mm to 15.0 mm. Mean values obtained for females were 3.73 mm (SD, 2.88 mm) and males 3.19 mm (SD, 3.70 mm). No statistically significant gender difference was observed (P > 0.05). In addition, no significant difference was observed between the nose prominence values recorded for different age‑groups (P > 0.05).Conclusion: Normative values were established for the nose prominence of an adult Nigerian population. The values obtained for Nigerians in this study are comparatively lower than that reported for other populations. These values would aid in treatment planning for orthognathic surgery, rhinoplasty and orthodontics in Nigerians.Keywords: Cephalometrics, Holdaway’s analysis, nose prominenc

A cephalometric assessment of the nasolabial angle of an adult Nigerian population

Objective: One of the most important components of orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning is an evaluation of the patient's soft tissue profile. An assessment of the nasolabial angle is a vital component of this evaluation. The purpose of this study was to establish norms for the nasolabial angle of an adult Nigerian population; compare the male and female values and to compare the values obtained for Nigerians with those reported for other populations.Method: Lateral cephalometric radiographs of one hundred students (44 males and 56 females) of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, aged 18-25years were taken. Selected subjects were of Nigerian ancestry with normal occlusion. The radiographs were manual ly t raced and the nasolabial angle of each subject measured.Result: A mean value of 84.35° +13.71° was computed for the entire sample. No statistically significant difference was observed between the male and female values (p>0.05), although 0 0 the males recorded a lower nasolabial angle (83.70 ) than the females (85.28 ).The nasolabial angle recorded in this study was similar to that reported for South African blacks, but much lower than that reported for Caucasian populations.Conclusion: The mean nasolabial angle of 84.35 + 13.71 was observed in the Nigerian population studied. Sexual differences were not observed; however, the values observed in this study differ from that reported for Caucasians and other racial groups.Key words: Cephalometrics, nasolabial angle, Nigerian populatio

Bad-breath: Perceptions and misconceptions of Nigerian adults

Objective: To provide baseline data about bad‑breath perception and misconceptions among Nigerian adults.Methods: Multi‑center cross‑sectional study of individuals aged 18-64 years using examiner‑administered questionnaires. Age comparisons were based on the model of emerging adults versus full adults. Data were recoded for statistical analyses and univariate and secondary log‑linear statistics applied.Results: Participants had lopsided perceptions about bad‑breath. While 730 (90.8%) identified the dentist as the expert on halitosis and 719 (89.4%) knew that bad‑breath is not contagious, only 4.4% and 2.5% associated bad‑breath with tooth decay and gum disease respectively. There were no significant sex differences but the older adults showed better knowledge in a few instances. Most respondents (747, 92.9%) would tell a spouse about their bad‑breath and 683 (85%) would tell a friend.Conclusions: Participants had lop‑sided knowledge and perceptions about bad‑breath. Most Nigerian adults are their “brothers’ keepers” who would tell a spouse or friend about their halitosis so they could seek treatment.Key words: Bad‑breath, emerging adults, misconceptions, Nigeria, perception

Craniofacial orthodontics and postgraduate orthodontic training in Nigeria

Introduction: Craniofacial orthodontics has been shown to be a critical component of the care of patients with craniofacial anomalies such as cleft lip and palate. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions and clinical experience in cleft and craniofacial care, of orthodontic residents in Nigeria.Methodology: Questionnaires were sent out to orthodontic residents in the six Postgraduate Orthodontic Training Centers in the country at that time. The questionnaires were self‑administered and covered areas in beliefs in cleft care and the clinical experience and challenges faced by the residents in the provision of craniofacial orthodontic care at their various institutions.Results: Thirty‑three respondents returned completed questionnaires, with a response rate of 97%. All the respondents believed that residents should be involved in cleft and craniofacial care. Postnatal counseling was the clinical procedure in which the residents reported the highest level of clinical experience (47.4%). The least clinical experience was recorded in pre-bone graft orthodontics (7.4%) and orthodontic preparation for orthognathic surgery (5.5%). Some of the challenges highlighted by the residents were low patients turn out for orthodontic care and the absence of multidisciplinary treatment for craniofacial patients in their centers.Conclusion: Orthodontic residents in Nigeria believe that they should be involved in the management of patients with craniofacial anomalies and cleft lip and palate. However, majority of the residents have limited clinical experience in the management of these patients. A lot more needs to be done, to expose orthodontic residents in training, to all aspects of the orthodontic and multidisciplinary team care required for the cleft/craniofacial patient.Keywords: Craniofacial orthodontics, Nigeria, postgraduate orthodontic trainin