Evaluation of Dental Caries Among Preschool Children in Kathmandu- Using Significant Caries Index.

INTRODUCTION: Dental caries among preschool children is common but there is scarcity of updated data about its prevalence among Nepalese preschool children. This study was conducted to evaluate prevalence, Significant Caries Index, Caries pattern, Restorative care index and Disparity ratio among preschool children of Kathmandu aged 3-6 years. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted on 17 preschools of Kathmandu following WHO criteria. Data were analysed using SPSS 20 and descriptive statistics was applied. RESULTS: Prevalence of dental caries was 803 (55.6%) with a mean deft of 3.28±3.581 and Significant Caries Index score was 7.439. Caries pattern showed the most commonly decayed teeth were mandibular second molars followed by maxillary central incisors. The least affected teeth were mandibular lateral incisors. The restorative care index was 106 (7.32%) in the total sample size and 14 (2.86%) in the SiC and disparity ratio was 2.26. CONCLUSIONS: The SiC Index indicated high dental caries prevalence; severity rates and restorative care index indicated little experience of restorative treatment in preschool children of Kathmandu identifying the need for more targeted efforts to reach preschool children early to effectively address unmet oral health needs. KEYWORDS: caries pattern; dental caries; Kathmandu; preschool; significant caries index

Amelogenesis Imperfecta: A Case Series from the Community

Amelogenesis Imperfecta is a hereditary disorder affecting the formation of enamel structure. Two female children and one male (11 years, 12 years and 6 years respectively) reported with chief complaint of yellowish discoloration of teeth since their childhood. They reported that they had similar discoloration in their deciduous teeth. Examination showed generalized deposits of plaque and calculus, yellowish discoloration of the teeth with chipping off of the incisal and cuspal enamel structures. OPG revealed thin lining of enamel with thick dentin layer and pulp chamber. PA view revealed unfused anterior fontanels and lateral cephalogram indicated vertebrae in growing phase. The patients were instructed to maintain proper oral hygiene and regular follow up till the growth cessation. Permanent skeletal, functional, esthetic needs is addressed after growth completion. Oral rehabilitation through multidisciplinary approach can certainly provide a good prognosis and patient was counseled and motivated to maintain good oral hygiene

Partial edentulism and its correlation with educational status: a hospital-based study

Background: Maintenance of oral hygiene is one of the most important factors to prevent tooth loss. Education plays a significant role to maintain good oral hygiene. The objective of the study was to determine partial edentulism based on Kennedy’s classification and to find out correlation between partial edentulism and educational status. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 189 partially edentulous patients visiting dental OPD of three government hospitals. Patients above 18 years of age were selected using non-probability convenience sampling, 63 from each center. History taking and visual examination were done after getting informed consent from the participants. Descriptive (mean, median, standard deviation, range, ratio and percentage) and inferential (Man-Whitney test) statistics were applied. Results: In 189 partially edentulous patients 61% were females and 39% were males, and 48.1% people had no formal education. Kennedy’s Class III was most common (59% in maxillary, 61% in mandibular arches) and Kennedy’s class IV was least common (1% in maxillary, 6% in mandibular arches). From the study, we found that the number of teeth missing was higher in people with no formal education and there was statistically significant difference in the number of missing teeth in people with formal education and people who didn’t have any formal education (p<0.05). Conclusion: The study showed that education plays a vital role in generating awareness about maintenance of oral hygiene and people who are educated have a tendency of retaining more of their natural dentition. Preventive educational programs should be focused in the low education group so that more effective outcomes can be achieved. Keywords: Caries, Edentulism, Kennedy’s classification, Oral hygiene, Periodontal Diseas

Oral Health Status of Martyr Memorial Residential School Children of Sunsari, Nepal

Context: Students, who are healthy, active, and well nourished, are likely to attend schools regularly which accelerate their learning process. Poor oral health has a profound effect on general health and quality of life. Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the oral health status of Martyr Memorial Residential School Children of Sunsari, Nepal, during 5-year period and also to assess the effectiveness of school oral health program. Settings and Design: A retrospective longitudinal study was carried out among Martyr Memorial Residential School children. Subjects and Methods: Aretrospective longitudinal study was performed among 411 school children of Martyr Memorial Residential School, Sunsari, Nepal. Five years' data of children were collected from the department record forms from 2009 to 2014. Data on demographic parameters, oral health condition (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth [DMFT], oral hygiene status, type of dentition, malocclusion, and diet history), and treatment done for each child were collected from the surveyed forms. Statistical Analysis Used: Frequency distribution, prevalence, and incidence of dental caries were calculated. Results: This study showed that the prevalence of dental caries in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 was 21.0%, 23%, 29.1%, 10.0%, 13.5%, and 30.9%, respectively. The incidence of dental caries in permanent dentition was high (22.0%) in 2011 follow-up. None of the dentition developed new cavity in 2010 follow-up period. More than half of the children had good oral hygiene status in 2012, whereas only 32.9% had so in 2009. Majority (95.5%) of the enrolled children had normal occlusion. Conclusions: This study showed the overall positive impact on the children's prevalence and incidence of dental caries as well as on oral hygiene status. The incidence of developing new caries in both types of dentition decreased. There was an increase in filled component of DMFT/decayed, filled teeth index. Most of them had good oral hygiene status at the end of the study

Dental Caries in Permanent First Molar and Its Association with Carious Primary Second Molar among 6–11-Year-Old School Children in Sunsari, Nepal

The permanent first molar (PFM) plays an essential role in maintaining the dental and overall health of an individual. It is the most susceptible tooth to dental caries due to its early eruption and location near the primary second molar in the oral cavity. We assessed the clinical status of the PFM and its association with carious primary second molars among 6–11-year-old children in Sunsari, Nepal, from January 2019 to December 2021. We recorded DMFT/DMFS and dft/dfs indices of the first permanent molar and secondary primary molar. Chi-square, logistic regression, and Spearman rank correlation (rs) were used to explore the association between carious molar lesions. Of the 655 children, only 612 had all first permanent molars. The prevalence of caries was higher in the second primary molar (70.9%) than in the PFM (38.6%). In both molars, the occlusal surface was the most commonly affected surface by dental caries. A significant association (p<0.01) was found between the decayed primary second molar and the decayed PFM. A moderate but statistically significant correlation (p<0.01) was found between the occurrence of dental caries in both the molars