Internal root morphology of the maxillary first premolars in Kenyans of African descent

Objective: To determine the internal root morphology of the maxillary first premolar in Kenyans of African descent.Design: In vitro descriptive cross-sectional study.Setting: School of Dental Sciences, University of Nairobi.Subjects: One hundred and fifty five extracted maxillary first premolars obtained from patients aged between 13-30 years attending dental clinics within Nairobi.Results: There were 77 premolars from males and 78 from females. Majority (87.1%) of the teeth had two canals. Males presented with three canals more commonly than females. This difference was statistically significant. According to Vertucci’s classification, male specimens demonstrated five of the canals types while female specimens demonstrated all the eight canal types. These differences were not statistically significant.Conclusions: Kenyan maxillary first premolar was mostly found to have two canals. There were eight canal types, with type IV being the commonest

External root morphology of maxillary first premolars in Kenyan Africans

Objective: To determine the external root morphology of the maxillary first premolars in Kenyan Africans.Design: In vitro descriptive cross-sectional study.Setting: School of Dental Sciences, University of Nairobi.Subjects: One hundred and fifty five extracted maxillary first premolar teeth obtained from patients aged between 13-30 years attending dental clinics within Nairobi.Main outcome measures: Number of roots, direction of root curvature and tooth length.Results: A total of 155 maxillary first premolars were studied, 77 from males and 78 from females. Overall, there were 83.2% two-rooted teeth (mean tooth length: buccal root 22.3 mm; lingual root 21.2 mm), 10.3% one-rooted (mean tooth length-22.6 mm) and 6.5% three-rooted. Three roots occurred more commonly in males than females and this was a statistically significant gender difference (P0.05).Conclusions: Maxillary first premolars were mostly two-rooted with straight roots. Males presented with two or three roots more often than females and had significantly larger mean tooth lengths

Internal root morphology in mandibular first permanent molars in a Kenyan population

Objective: To determine the internal root morphology and gender  variations in mandibular first permanent molars in a Kenyan population.Design: In vitro descriptive cross sectional study.Setting: School of Dental Sciences, University of NairobiResults: The mesial root of mandibular first molars had two canals in 96.3% of the teeth in both males and females and type IV canal configuration was most prevalent in the mesial root. The distal root of the mandibular first molar had one canal in 57.7% of the teeth in males and females. There were significant gender variations in the number of canals and canal configurations in the distal root. Two canals were more prevalent in females (53.6%) compared to males (30.4%) and a single canal was more frequent in males (69.6%) compared to females (46.4%) (P=0.001). Canal types I, II and IV were the most frequent in the mandibular distal root. The gender variation in the frequency of canal types I, II and IV in the distal root was statistically significant (P=0.001).Conclusion: Most of the mandibular first molars have three canals (56%). Two canals in the distal root are more frequent among females (53.6%) compared to males (30.4%)

Survey of attitudes, materials and methods employed in endodontic treatment by general dental practitioners in North Jordan

BACKGROUND: General dental practitioners provide the majority of endodontic treatment in Jordan. The aim of this study was to gather information on the methods, materials and attitudes employed in root canal treatment by dentists in North Jordan, in order to evaluate and improve the quality of current practice. METHODS: A questionnaire was posted to all registered general dental practitioners working in private practice in Irbid Governate in North Jordan (n = 181). The questionnaire included information on methods, materials and techniques used in endodontic treatment. RESULTS: Reply rate was 72% (n = 131). The results demonstrated that only five dentists used rubber dam occasionally and not routinely. The majority used cotton rolls for isolation solely or in combination with a high volume saliva ejector (n = 116). The most widely used irrigants were sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide, which were used by 32.9% (n = 43) and 33.6% (n = 44) of the respondents, respectively. Forty eight percent of the respondents (n = 61) used the cold lateral condensation technique for canal obturation, 31.3% (n = 41) used single cone, 9.9% (n = 13) used vertical condensation and 12.2% (n = 16) used paste or cement only for the obturation. The majority used zinc oxide eugenol as a sealer (72.5%). All, but one, respondents used hand instruments for canal preparation and the technique of choice was step back (52.7%). More than 50% (n = 70) of the dentists took one radiograph for determining the working length, whilst 22.9% (n = 30) did not take any radiograph at all. Most practitioners performed treatment in three visits for teeth with two or more root canals, and in two visits for teeth with a single root canal. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that dentists practicing in North Jordan do not comply with international quality standards and do not use recently introduced techniques. Many clinicians never take a radiograph for determining the working length and never used rubber dam or intra-canal medicaments

ASSESSING DIFFERENTIAL GAINS THAT OUTSTANDING AND AVERAGE PERFORMING FARMERS ATTAIN FROM CLIMATE-SMART CASSAVA INNOVATIONS IN NYANDO CLIMATE-SMART VILLAGES, KENYA

In adoption of agricultural innovations, a few farmers attain outstanding outcomes above their peer majority. This reveals a positive deviance behavior in successful deployment of technologies and innovations. Assessing this behavior in climatesmart agriculture (CSA) can reveal the yield gap in triple wins of CSA (adaptation, farm productivity and mitigation). This study investigated differential gains in these CSA triple wins between outstanding (positive deviants) and average (typical) performing farmers who have adopted climate smart cassava innovations in Nyando Climate Smart Villages (CSV). In a household survey, a sample of 150 farmers were reached, which through snowballing approach, peers identified 30 to exhibit positive deviant behaviour. Presenting these in Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with stakeholders further isolated six farmers being those they consider positive deviants (PDs) in climate smart cassava innovations. Data were subjected to cross-tabulation to generate frequencies used to compute weighted index scores. This revealed increasing magnitude and was a preferred fair comparison of a sample of fewer positive deviants (n=6) with large number of typical (n=144) farmers. Results revealed substantial differences in the attained triple win gains from climate smart cassava innovations between typical and positive deviant farmers. The weighted index scores showed that positive deviant farmers had attained higher adaptability, production diversification, farm productivity and intensification, food security and were implementing more mitigation practices for climate change. This empirical evidence demonstrates potential gains from climate smart cassava innovations when deployed effectively. This is because innovative management practices distinguish positive deviant farmers from typical farmers. These typical farmers would benefit more by learning from positive deviant farmers about effective deployment of climate smart cassava innovations. The study recommends strengthening extension services linked to farmer platforms in order to grow capacity for more effective deployment of climate smart cassava innovations for realising the CSA triple wins

DO FARMERS’ PRODUCTION AND CONSUMER UTILIZATION OF SWEET POTATO MATCH? A CASE OF THE ROLE OF EXTENSION IN HOMABAY AND KISUMU COUNTIES, KENYA

The concept of extension services has changed over time with technology playing a key role, more emphasis is being placed on expanding the skills and knowledge of farmers in achieving food security and creating more proficient food products that meet consumer demand. Farmers and consumers utilize sweet potato in different ways, including boiling, steaming, roasting and frying the fresh roots. However, it remains unknown whether what is produced by farmers align to what is demanded by consumers and the role of extension in bridging the demand-supply gaps if it exists. Thus, the study assessed the role of extension in promoting sweet potato product utilization among farmers and consumers in Homabay and Kisumu County of Kenya. Mixed sampling procedures were applied to select 120 respondents who participated in the study: 52 farmers and 68 consumers of sweet potato. Data collected using a semi-structured questionnaire were cross-tabulated and responses subjected to independent samples t-test and chi-square test of significance. The results revealed SPK 004 and SPK 20 as the most planted and consumed varieties. There were significant differences in sweet potato trait preference between farmers and consumer. While significantly higher percentage (73%) of farmers considered colour when selecting varieties to produce for domestic sale and domestic consumption, equal percentage (43%) of consumers preferred colour and taste. Raw sweet potato was the most produced and bought sweet potato product for consumption with no significant differences by respondent type and county. Salient find of the study was that extension mediated sweet potato products produced, marketed, and consumed by farmers and consumers. Sweet potato products demanded by consumer matched products that were produced, sold, and consumed by farmers. Therefore, extensionist should be strengthened to effectively promote and dissemination sweet potato varieties and products with desirable traits both to farmers and consumers