Pervasiveness of Tobacco associated Oral Lesions among Women residing in Urban Slum of Bhopal

Background: The urban-slum population has emerged as a new section which is known to fare very poorly on issues related to oral health. The proportion of the urban-slum population is also increasing at a rapid rate. The deleterious habits are highly prevalent so is the tobacco, in this population. Hence, the study was steered to evaluate the association of tobacco consumption and oral mucosal lesion (OML) in this population. Aim of the study: To assess the prevalence and patterns of tobacco use and related oral lesions among women residing in urban-slum of Bhopal city (Central India). Materials and methods: The descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire based study was deliberated by a convenience sample technique. A predesigned structured questionnaire was the tool used for data collection. All the female participants available on the day of survey were included. Entailing in the study was 130 participants residing in various slums of Bhopal city. Results: Oral health is an important parameter to extent holistic health. The quantum of tobacco is widely prevalent among under-privileged populations. Ramifications are depleted oral health and gross impact on overall health too. Tobacco affects from mild to major lesions in oral cavity. Most devastating is oral cancer directly related to tobacco consumption. Conclusion: The concludory points derived out of this study are sufficient enough to conclude that women were aware of the trivial general ill effects of tobacco consumption but major harmful effects on oral health is still below the iceberg due tounawareness and low socioeconomic status (SES).&nbsp

Oral Health Promotion by Peer Group Model approach among Orphanages in Bhopal City, Central India

Aim: To assess the effectiveness of peer group model among orphanages for oral health education and promotion. Methodology: A study was carried out among orphans residing in Bhopal city in the age group of 11 to 17 years. The study was carried out in two phases. In the 1st phase, data regarding knowledge, attitude related to oral hygiene, and oral hygiene practices of the orphans were collected and certified gingival index and plaque index were examined. In phase 2, oral health education was given to all the caregivers and attenders and particular emphasis was given to oral hygiene procedure. Then after 3 months, the respective indices and knowledge attitude and practices were reviewed for orphanage children and preand postanalysis was done using statistical analysis. Results: Mean gingival score, which was 1.37 ± 0.41 at baseline, gradually reduced to 1.05 ± 0.43 at 3rd month. The mean plaque score, which was 1.28 ± 0.33 at baseline, alsogradually reduced to 1.04 ± 0.38 at 3rd-month examination. Conclusion: Peer group model is a significant method to enhance the behavior and it promotes a positive attitude toward the habits. There is a frequent need to monitor the oral health behavior of orphanage children and educating the peers to promote oral health among themselves

Knowledge of evidence-based dentistry among academic dental practitioners of Bhopal, India: a preliminary survey

This study aimed to characterize the knowledge of evidence-based dentistry (EBD) among dental faculty members in the city of Bhopal in central India. A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered at two dental colleges in Bhopal City. All dental faculty members who were present on the day of the study and who agreed to participate were included in the study. A total of 50 dental faculty members returned the questionnaire. Six Likert-type questions were asked, and the percentages of various responses were used for analysis. Sixteen faculty members (32.0%) strongly agreed that EBD is a process of making decisions based on scientifically proven evidence. Fifteen faculty members (30.0%) strongly disagreed or disagreed with the item stating that the best and quickest way to find evidence is by reading textbooks or asking experienced colleagues. Thirteen faculty members (26.0%) strongly agreed that EBD allows dentists to improve their scientific knowledge and clinical skills. It is recommended that EBD be included in undergraduate and postgraduate curricula and in intensive continuing dental education programs that are conducted for dental faculty members

First-year dental students' motivation for choosing the dental profession: A questionnaire study of budding dentists in Central India

Background: The choice of a career is a crucial decision that has a lifelong impact on a person's living pattern. It is important to understand the motives of those choosing to study dentistry, because these motives may influence an individual's level of commitment to the profession. The aim of the present study was to highlight the motives of choosing dentistry as a career among 432 1st year dental students. Methods: A pretested close ended questionnaire comprising of 30 questions, was administered to 1st year dental students registered under Barkatullah University, Bhopal. Students were asked questions pertaining to the importance of five central motives money, people, business, flexibility, and personal background for selecting dentistry as a career. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 17. Results: It was observed that being self-employed (54%) and helping people (51%) were reported as the top two factors for joining dentistry. Conclusion: Students' vision of a being self-employed and helping people appears to have influenced their choice of dentistry. This implies that being independent may be one of the most motivating factors underlying the bright image projected by the dental profession. The policy makers should work on making dentistry a lucrative profession, and improve the other motivating factors

Oral hygiene practices and its relationship with periodontal status among police personnel of Bhopal city, Central India: An epidemiological study

Background: To assess the oral hygiene practices, oral health awareness, and oral health status of police personnel in Bhopal city and to suggest measures to improve the present oral health status. Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted on 781 subjects, mean aged 40.5 years, who were selected by simple random sampling. Type-III examination of the subjects was conducted and along with questionnaire, community periodontal index (CPI), loss of attachment index and decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) data was recorded on modified W.H.O format 1997. A value of P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Awareness related to oral health diseases, its cause, and prevention was low among police personnel. DMFT was significantly lower among this group. CPI score 2 was highest among the majority of subjects. Subjects brushing twice daily had significantly healthy periodontium than those brushing once daily. Conclusion: Most of the police personnel lack oral health awareness and suffer from periodontal diseases. Awareness should be created to maintain good oral hygiene, regular dental checkup and refrain from smoking among police personnel

The critical incident technique in dental research: A review

Research is a scientific quest to find answers to certain questions. It makes us think with curiosity and wonderment about how to make something better. Research contributes in a major way to the development and maintenance of health and health care systems. Qualitative research is concerned with qualitative phenomena and includes subjective assessment of attitudes, opinions, and behavior. It is especially important in the behavioral sciences where the aim is to discover the underlying motives of human behavior. The critical incident technique (CIT) is a well-established qualitative research tool used in many areas of health sciences including nursing, medicine, dentistry, and their respective education systems. This technique is described as consisting of “a set of procedures for collecting direct observations of human behavior in such a way as to facilitate their potential usefulness in solving practical problems.” This review gives a gist of CIT and its application in different aspects of dental research

The green vaccine -The future of preventive medicine and dentistry?

The tremendous impact of plant based products is evident in every facet of human lives. The progress of science has resulted in developing transgenic plants which would prove to be a boon when translated into edible vaccines. Such vaccines would bring about wide reaching changes in the prevention of an array of diseases because of their accessibility and economic viability. Cautious production of edible vaccines under stringent guidelines would endow developing nations with innumerable advantages in disease prevention

The association of lifestyle with the physical activity and diet of adolescents in Bhopal City, India

Purpose: To assess the association of lifestyle with physical activity and diet of adolescents in Bhopal City, Madhya Pradesh. Materials and Methods: A convenience sample of 310 college going adolescents within an age range of 17–23 years from an Arts Institute in Bhopal city were selected for the study. Self-reported questionnaire for adolescents to assess lifestyle factors (tobacco and alcohol consumption), regular physical activity, and dietary habits were used. Descriptive statistics and Spearman's correlation were applied wherever indicated. Results: Out of the total study population, 54% were males and 46% were females. Majority, i.e., 66% of the total study participants were optimal weight, 28% were underweight, and only a few, 5% were overweight. A significant association was observed between lifestyle habits (P < 0.05) and regular physical activity and dietary habits. Conclusion: Lifestyle factors have a strong association with regular physical activities and dietary practices among the adolescents. The unsatisfactory lifestyle habits of adolescents are a major public health concern. These maladapted habits track into later life as predictors of depleted health. Hence, it is mandatory that health professionals keep a check and provide regular health education among children and adolescents