Prevalence and factors associated with dental caries among children and adults in selected districts in Uganda

Objective: The aim was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with dental caries among adults and children in seven districts of Uganda.Methods: Participants aged 11-13 (n=1230) and 35-44 years (n=648) were randomly selected from urban and rural areas of Gulu, Soroti, Jinja, Masaka, Kabale, Kabarole and Hoima districts. They were examined by 4 trained and calibrated dentists for dental caries using Decayed, Missing and Filled teeth index as described by World Health Organisation.Results: Overall mean DMFT score was 0.73 for children and 4.71 for adults. Generally, there was a higher mean DMFT score in the rural (2.19) compared to urban areas (1.97). In all the districts, except Hoima, there was a higher mean DMFT score of children in rural compared to urban. In adults, similar trend was mainly registered in Masaka, Hoima and Gulu districts. Most participants (79.9%, n=1309) occasionally ate sugared snacks. Overall, 95% (n=1795) of the participants cleaned their teeth with plastic tooth brushes (71.7%) and chewing sticks (8.3%).Conclusion: Although the severity of dental caries was low, the disease was widespread in the study population. A high proportion of participants reported consumption of sugared snacks and drinks, which calls for oral health education.Keywords: Dental caries prevalence, severity, sugared snacks, tooth brushing, Ugand

Prevalence and factors associated with dental caries among children and adults in selected districts in Uganda

Objective: The aim was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with dental caries among adults and children in seven districts of Uganda. Methods: Participants aged 11-13 (n=1230) and 35-44 years (n=648) were randomly selected from urban and rural areas of Gulu, Soroti, Jinja, Masaka, Kabale, Kabarole and Hoima districts. They were examined by 4 trained and calibrated dentists for dental caries using Decayed, Missing and Filled teeth index as described by World Health Organisation. Results: Overall mean DMFT score was 0.73 for children and 4.71 for adults. Generally, there was a higher mean DMFT score in the rural (2.19) compared to urban areas (1.97). In all the districts, except Hoima, there was a higher mean DMFT score of children in rural compared to urban. In adults, similar trend was mainly registered in Masaka, Hoima and Gulu districts. Most participants (79.9%, n=1309) occasionally ate sugared snacks. Overall, 95% (n=1795) of the participants cleaned their teeth with plastic tooth brushes (71.7%) and chewing sticks (8.3%). Conclusion: Although the severity of dental caries was low, the disease was widespread in the study population. A high proportion of participants reported consumption of sugared snacks and drinks, which calls for oral health education

Lymphoma Prevalence Patterns in Uganda, 1969-2006

Background: Lymphomas are a complex group of malignancies that requireadvanced technology for proper classification. Unfortunately Uganda, as with numerousother Sub-Saharan African countries, lacks these resources. As a result, lymphomadiagnoses do not follow WHO guidelines.Methods: Histopathology records at Makerere University College of HealthSciences, Department of Pathology and the population estimates available through thePopulation Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs(2011) were used to calculate the prevalence of lymphomas in Uganda.Results: The most common pediatric (age: less than 15 years) lymphoma wasBurkitt’s lymphoma, followed by lymphoblastic lymphoma. For adolescents andyoung adults (age: 15 to 24 years), Hodgkin’s lymphoma was the leading subtype,followed by lymphoblastic lymphoma. For adults, small lymphocytic lymphoma wasthe most common subtype, followed by Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In this study there wasa dip in the prevalence of lymphomas during the period 1979 to 1988, followed by asteady increase. This coincided with the time when Uganda lost many of its expertsbecause of political turmoil and therefore might be due to a lack of clinicians andhistopathologists that lead to this decline. Conclusion: This study highlights the deficiencies in diagnosis of lymphomas,making it difficult to compare with other centers. There is a need to invest in immuno-histochemistry techniques to aid better classification of lymphomas in Uganda

Prediction of width of un-erupted incisors, canines and premolars in a Ugandan population: A cross sectional study

Abstract Background Accurate prediction of the space forms an important part of an orthodontic assessment in the mixed dentition. However the most commonly used methods of space analysis are based on data developed on Caucasian populations. In order to provide more accurate local data we set out to develop a formula for predicting the widths of un-erupted canines and premolars for a Ugandan population and to compare the predicted widths of the teeth from this formula with those obtained from Moyers’ tables, and Tanaka and Johnston’s equations. Methods Dental casts were prepared using mandibular and maxillary arch impressions of 220 children (85 boys/135 girls) aged 12–17 years recruited from schools in Kampala, Uganda. The mesio-distal width of the mandibular incisors, mandibular and maxillary canines and premolars were measured with a pair of digital calipers. Based on regression analysis, predictive equations were derived and the findings were compared with those presented in Moyers’ probability tables, and Tanaka and Johnston’s equations. Results There were no statistically significant differences between the tooth widths predicted by our equations and those from Moyers’ probability tables at the 65th and 75th percentile probabilities for the girls and at 75th level in boys in the mandibular arch. While in the maxillary arch no statistically significant differences at the 75th and 95th levels were noted in girls. There were statistically significant differences between predicted tooth sizes using equations from the present study and those predicted from the Tanaka and Johnston regression equations. Conclusions In this Ugandan population, Moyers’ probability tables could be used to predict tooth widths at specific percentile probabilities, but generally, Tanaka and Johnston technique tends to overestimate the tooth widths.</p

Prevalence of oral diseases/conditions in Uganda

Objective: The aim was to report the prevalence of oral diseases/conditions among a Ugandan population. Methods: Subjects aged 12 (n=696) and 35-44 years (n=396) were chosen from randomly selected urban and peri-urban areas of Arua, Mbale, Kampala and Mbarara districts. They were clinically examined by 4 trained and calibrated dentists for oral diseases/ conditions using criteria described by World Health Organisation. Results: Dental caries (DMFT ≥1) was recorded in 40% and 62.5% of the children and adults, respectively. The overall mean DMFT score was 0.9 for children and 3.4 for adults. Caries was significantly more severe in females as compared to males in children (p<0.05), whereas in adults, there was no significant gender difference. Kampala had a significantly higher mean DMFT score compared to other districts in all age groups (p>0.05). Culculus deposits were generally, more prevalent in adults as compare to children except in Mbarara district. Gum bleeding was also significantly more prevalent among children as compared to adults (p<0.05). Significantly higher prevalence of gum bleeding in both children and adults was recorded in Arua district as compared to other areas (p<0.05). Each of the age groups had a prevalence of malocclusion of 61%. However, the severity of malocclusion varied between age groups and districts. The prevalence of dental fluorosis was 3% and 4% for children and adults, respectively. All subjects in Arua district were fluorosis-free. Tetracycline enamel staining was less than 1% in both age groups. Enamel attrition was more prevalent in adults as compared to children: 19% versus 1%. Conclusion: The prevalence of oral diseases/conditions was generally low among the study population. Caries experience was significantly higher in the Kampala (urban) district as compared to rural districts in all age groups; the D - component being the major contributor