Psychosocial Aspect of Anterior Tooth Discoloration among Adolescents in Igbo-Ora, Southwestern Nigeria

Background: Aesthetic problems in adolescence can have a significant effect on their psychosocial development. Abnormalities in tooth color can lead to such problem especially if it affects anterior teeth.Objective: This study therefore assessed the effects of anterior tooth discoloration on the psychosocial well being of adolescents with a view to providing information that will aid the prevention and treatment of this dental problem.Materials and methods: This study was a cross-sectional study involving 384 adolescents aged between 10 and 20years in Igboora southwestern Nigeria. Twenty-six item semi-structured questionnaire comprising variables on demographics and psychosocial effects were researcher-administered. Oral examination of the labial surfaces of the anterior permanent teeth was carried by two examiners. Frequencies and mean were generated. Chi-square and Fischer’s exact tests were used to test associations between categorical variables at (P<0.05).Results: The mean age of participants was 14.7±2.3 years. Ninety four (24.5%) participants perceived that their anterior teeth were discolored, 65 (69.1%) of these did not like the discoloration. Sixty two (65.9%), 47 (50.0%) and 38 (40.4%) respectively reported that it prevented them from freely answering questions, smiling and interacting. After oral examination, 120 (31.2%) subjects had one form of anterior tooth discoloration. The cause of tooth discoloration in the majority 64 (16.7%) of the participants was due to extrinsic stains from compounds incorporated into plaque and calculus. Age group, sex, class of participants and presence of tetracycline stained teeth were significantly related with reported psychosocial problems(p<0.05).Conclusion: About one third of adolescents had anterior tooth discoloration and the majority reported one form of psychosocial problem.Keywords: Psychosocial, Anterior tooth discolouration, Adolescent

Pattern of Demand for Removable Acrylic Partial Denture (RPD) in the city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Background: Pattern of demand for RPDs and distribution of stock teeth carried by these prostheses is rarely reported. The current study is designed to determine the pattern of demand for RPDs and to compare the patterns of distribution of stock teeth carried by these prostheses between the right and left sides of each jaw and between the upper and lower jaws respectively.Materials and Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the authorization forms of 1,000 adult patients who requested for RPD from two dental hospitals in the metropolitan city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The gender, type (upper, lower or both) of RPD and the teeth requested were analyzedResults: There were 906 properly filled forms belonging to 464 (51.2%) females and 442 (48.8) males. More males (38.5%) compared to 32.5% females requested for upper RPD and more females (15.8%) as against 7.3% males demanded for lower RPD. More males (3.5%) compared to females (3.0%) requested for combination of upper and lower RPD. A decline in the number of teeth demanded was noted as we move away from the central incisor to the nd 2nd premolars. No marked difference was noted between the distribution of teeth provided for the right and left sides of each jaw. More prosthetic teeth were demanded for the upper jaw.Conclusion: More females requested for removable acrylic partial denture. No marked difference was noted  between the distribution of teeth provided for the right and left sides of each jaw. More prosthetic teeth were demanded for the upper jawKey words: Acrylic partial denture, removable, stock teet

Impact of Oral Health on The Quality of Life of Elementary School Teachers

BACKGROUND: The success of preventive school health programs is largely dependent on teachers who are role models to pupils and pivotal to implementation. It is therefore important to understand the perception of school teachers about the impact of oral health on their daily activities. The aim of this study was to assess oral health related quality of life of elementary school teachers by evaluating the impact of oral conditions like dental caries and periodontal disease on their daily performances and school work.METHODS: This was a descriptive cross sectional study in which 407 teachers were selected through multistage random sampling technique. Data were collected with structured interviewer-administered Oral Impact on Daily Performances (OIDP) questionnaires and by clinical oral examinations. Data were collated and analysed with SPSS.RESULTS: The prevalence of reporting of impacts on daily performances was 39.1% with eating and enjoying food being the most commonly impacted activity. Impacts on daily performances were more likely to be reported by teachers with better education (p = 0.019). Teachers with caries had higher odds of reporting impacts as a result of oral health status (CI: 1.04, 5.64, p = 0.040). The severity of periodontal disease found on clinical examination was not related to reporting of impacts on quality of life (p > 0.05).CONCLUSIONS: The oral health status of school teachers impacted significantly on their daily performance and school work when they experienced pain. Painless but highly prevalent oral lesions were, however, not perceived to influence their quality of life.KEYWORDS: Oral health status, OIDP, quality of life, school-based program, teacher

Oral Health Practices of Adult Inhabitants of a Traditional Community in Ibadan, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Although, the association between oral health care practices and sociodemographic characteristics of populations have been documented, information is sparse on sociodemographic indices influencing oral health practices of residents of traditional communities. The study aimed to describe the oral health practices of adult inhabitants of a traditional community in Nigeria.METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study involving adult residents in randomly selected houses in Idikan, Ibadan, Nigeria. Data on their oral health care practices was obtained with the use of structured interviewer administered questionnaires. Data was analysed with SPSS and test of association carried out using Chi square.RESULTS: A total of 390 adult residents participated in the study, of which 56.2% were males. A total of 196 (50.3%) participants used toothbrush solely to clean their teeth, 72 (18.5%) used chewing sticks alone while119 (30.5%) used both tooth brush and chewing stick. Older residents of the community, those with no formal education and in lower occupational classes were more likely to use chewing stick (p < 0.05). The majority(68.7%) cleaned their teeth once daily, 30% cleaned twice while 1.3% cleaned infrequently. Educational level attained and occupational class were significantly related to frequency of oral hygiene. Nearly all (95.4%)of the participants knew that oral health services are available in most hospitals, yet only 35.9% had ever visited a dental centre with a significantly higher proportion being males (p < 0.05).CONCLUSION: The study showed that the oral health practices of a typical traditional community in Nigeria are highly influenced by socioeconomic considerations.  KEY WORDS: Oral health, practices, traditionalcommunity

How valid are the psychometric properties of the oral health impact profile-14 measure in adult dental patients in Ibadan, Nigeria?

BACKGROUND: The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) is the most widely used quality of life (QoL) measure to evaluate the influence of oral diseases on individuals. QoL measures have been noted to be context and environment specific, and there is a need to cross-culturally adapt a scale before its introduction into any community. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties, validity and internal consistency of the OHIP-14 measure in an adult patient population in Ibadan, Nigeria.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a four-month period on 204 adult patients using OHIP-14 structured questionnaire, global self-report indicator of oral conditions and perceived treatment need. Oral examinations were performed to assess periodontal status, caries  experience and attachment loss. Data were analyzed using SPSS and p-value for statistical significance was set at < 0.05.Results: A total of 204 patients participated in the study with a mean OHIP score of 11.2 (± 9.8). OHIP scores were not related to the  sociodemographic characteristics. Perception of need for treatment was greater among those who reported impacts on their QoL (89.3% vs. 14.3%, p < 0.001). The OHIP scores correlated negatively with global self rating of oral health status (rho = -0.23, p < 0.01). Higher OHIP scores were  associated with having carious teeth (p = 0.023). The Cronbach’s alpha for the 14 inventory items ranged from 0.857 to 0.871.CONCLUSION: The OHIP-14 measure showed good psychometric properties with satisfactory validity and internal consistency in adult patients in  Ibadan, Nigeria.Keywords: Oral health, quality of life, OHIP-14, validity, internal  consistenc

Factors influencing awareness and attendance of traditional oral health care practices by residents of a peri-urban community in Ibadan, Nigeria

Background: In order to institute preventive programmes against harmful traditional oral health practices there is a need to identify targets.Objectives: To investigate factors influencing awareness and attendance of traditional oral health practices by residents of a peri-urban community in Ibadan, Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional study of adult residents selected by simple random sampling in a peri-urban community in Ibadan, Nigeria, was conducted over a period of six months. Information was obtained with interviewer administered questionnaires. Data were recorded using SPSS version 16 software.Results: A total of 172 (44.1%) respondents were aware of the existence of traditional healers for dental problems. Only 34 (8.7%) participants had been to traditional healers on account of toothache. About 76.5% reported having relief after treatment with relapse occurring in 12 cases (46.2%). Twenty (58.8%) of these (34) participants said they would not choose this option of treating dental problems in future. Significant associations existed between knowing that traditional healers provided dental treatment and gender (p = 0.001) or history of dental problems (p =0.008).Conclusion: The study showed moderate awareness of traditional oral care practices in Ibadan, Nigeria as influenced by gender and previous dental problems.Key words: Traditional, oral health care, practices, awareness, attendance, factor

Possible Abstraction Sites along Osun River Lower Course in Ogun and Lagos State, Nigeria For Sustainable Supply Of Potable Water

Water scarcity remains a major challenge in all the developing nations of the world; not because of paucity of surface water (rivers and streams) that could be abstracted for treatment, but, finding a suitable and sustainable abstraction site. The main objective of this research is to identify good locations, where water treatment plant could be sited along Osun River in Ogun and Lagos State for sustainable production of potable water. To achieve this, water quality of Osun River upstream Lekki lagoon was investigated at three sampling stations; Ogbere, Igbonla and Lekki. Water parameters such as physical (temperature, solids, turbidity) chemicals (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrate, phosphate, chloride and sulphate, alkalinity, potassium, lead, chromium, iron) and bacteriological (feacal coliform) were determined using standard procedures. The results revealed that Ogbere and Igbonla stations are better locations where water could be abstracted from Osun River than Lekki stations due to low measured parameters (indicators of water pollution), which were within World Health Organization (WHO) acceptable limits. The findings also showed that while raw water abstraction from Osun River at Ogbere and Igbonla stations would require a conventional treatment, raw water from the Lekki lagoon (station) would require special treatment especially desalination due to high chloride and EC contents with expected cost implication

The role of forensic dentist following mass disaster

This review article focuses on mass disaster situations that may arise from natural or manmade circumstances and the significant role of forensic dental personnel in human identification following such occurrences. The various forensic dental modalities of identification that include matching techniques, postmortem profiling, genetic fingerprinting, dental fossil assessment and dental biometrics with digital subtraction were considered. The varying extent of use of forensic dental techniques and the resulting positive impact on human identification were considered. The importance of preparation by way of special training for forensic dental personnel, mock disaster rehearsal, and use of modern day technology was stressed. The need for international standardization of identification through the use of Interpol Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) for ms was further emphasized. Recommendations for improved human identification in Nigerian situation include reform of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA), incorporation of dental care in primary health care to facilitate proper ante mortem database of the populace and commencement of identification at site of disaster

Effectiveness of an Oral Health Care Training Workshop for School Teachers: A Pilot Study

Background: School teachers play key roles in imparting appropriate and up-to-date knowledge to pupils and students. However, most teachers in developing countries like Nigeria have poor knowledge and motivation about oral health which may be due to inadequate training in the area of oral health. This might be one of the reasons for the poor oral hygiene among them and their students.Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of an oral health care training programme organized for teachers in Eruwa, Oyo state, Nigeria. Methods: An intervention study was conducted among 40 school teachers who attended a two day oral health training workshop at Eruwa, headquarters of Ibarapa East Local Government Area. Training methods included lectures and demonstrations on aetiology, clinical features, treatment and prevention of common oral diseases. Pre- and post- evaluation written tests were administered to the participants to assess the effectiveness of the training. The knowledge scores were rated as poor, fair and good knowledge scoring <50.0%, 50.0-60.0% and > 60.0% respectively. Frequencies, percentages and means of relevant variables were generated. Paired t-test was used to compare means at P<0.05.Result: The mean age of the teachers was 40.13 ±7.24 years. There were 16 (40.0%) males and 24 (60.0%) females. Twenty (50.0%) of the participants had poor pre-training knowledge as compared to 7 (17.5%) after the training. Thirteen (32.5%) had fair pre-training knowledge as compared to 17 (42.5%) post training. Only (2.5%) of the participants had good pre-training knowledge as compared to 18 (45.0%) post training. The mean scores of the pre- and post-evaluation tests were 31.70 ±11.31 and 48.20 ±11.16 respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the pre and post evaluations P<0.05.Conclusions: The training workshop improved the knowledge of school teachers regarding oral health.Keywords: Effectiveness, Oral health training, Teachers