A survey of self-reported oral health practices, behaviour and oral health status of pregnant women attending TBA ante-natal clinics in a Nigerian rural community.

Objectives: To assess the self-reported oral health practices, behaviour and oral health status of pregnant women attending traditional birth attendant (TBA) clinics in a rural community.Methods: A cross sectional survey of the oral health practices and oral health status of sixty-two pregnant women attending traditional birth attendant clinics in a rural community was conducted using interviewer-administered questionnaires.Dental caries experiencewas determined using WHO diagnostic criteria to measure the DMFT,Significant caries (Sic) while oral hygiene status was determined using criteria by Greene and Vermillion. Frequency distribution by age, pregnancy status, occupational status, sugary snack consumption, tooth brushing, exposure to fluoride toothpaste and dental visits were obtained. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 and level of significance was placed at p<0.05.Results: Sixty-six percent of the population were in 20-30 years age range and mostly in their third trimester. Caries prevalence was 37%, mean DMFT was 0.87 (SD 1.57) and Sic index was 2.48. Sixty-six percent had good oral hygiene.Seventy-eight percent of the population who had never visited the dentist had some caries experience (p<0.05).Conclusion: Dental utilization was poor and there were a number of unmet treatment needs among pregnant women attending TBA clinics. There is need to train traditional birth attendants to identify simple oral diseases and incorporate them into oral health promotion programmes in order to improve referral of pregnant women, oral health awareness and dental service utilization among pregnant women in the region.Keywords: oral health practices, oral health status, pregnant women, traditional birth attendant clinics, Nigerian rural communit

Oral health characteristics and treatment of individuals with special needs a tertiary institution: A 3 year retrospective study.

Objectives: To assess the oral health characteristics and the treatments carried out on individuals with special needs attending the Dental Clinic of Lagos University Teaching Hospital.Methods: A three-year retrospective study of all individuals with special needs that ttended the dental clinic of a tertiary health center. All relevant data including biodata, type of special need, oral health conditions and treatments carried out were extracted from the case notes and analyzed.Results: Out of 115 records extracted, there were 15 different types of special needs. More than half of the participants were males (54.8%) and their mean age was 12.4 years (SD±7.2). The most frequently recorded study participants with special needs were those with Down syndrome (20.9%). The most common oral conditions were gingivitis (65.2%) and dental caries (37.4%). Dental caries was significantly prevalent among participants with cleft lip/palate and the visually impaired (p=0.02). Of all treatments offered, preventive therapies were most commonly performed.Conclusion:The most common oral health problems among the study population were gingivitis and dental caries. There is need for improved oral health promotion strategies and provision of services for these underserved populations. Keywords: Oral health, treatment, special need

Genetic studies in the nigerian population implicate an MSX1 mutation in complex oral facial clefting disorders

BACKGROUND: Orofacial clefts are the most common malformations of the head and neck with a World-wide prevalence of 1/700 births. They are commonly divided into CL(P) and CP based on anatomical, genetic and embryological findings. A Nigerian craniofacial anomalies study “NigeriaCRAN” was set up in 2006 to investigate the role of gene-environment interaction in the etiology of orofacial clefts in Nigeria. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: DNA isolated from saliva from the Nigerian probands was used for genotype association studies and direct sequencing on the cleft candidate genes: MSX1, IRF6, FOXE1, FGFR1, FGFR2, BMP4, MAFB, ABCA4, PAX7 and VAX1, and the chromosome 8q region. RESULTS: A missense mutation A34G in MSX1 was observed in nine cases and four hap map controls. No other apparent etiologic variations were identified. A deviation from HWE was observed in the cases (p= 0.00002). There was a significant difference between the affected side for unilateral CL (p=0.03) and, between bilateral clefts and clefts on either side (p=0.02). A significant gender difference was also observed for CP (p=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: The replication of a mutation previously implicated in other populations suggests a role for the MSX1 A34G variant in the etiology of CL(P)