Assessment of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Using the Oral Impact on Daily Performance (OIDP) Instrument Among Secondary School Teachers of Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Oral health has an impact on a person's general health, well-being, and quality of life. Due to their expertise and interactions with people, school staff members can actively contribute to the promotion of children's health if provided with the proper training. Methodology A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the "oral health-related quality of life" using the Oral Impact on Daily Performance (OIDP) instrument among the secondary school teachers of Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh. The study included a sample of 400 government secondary school teachers and 400 private secondary school teachers. The independent sample t-test was performed to assess the relationship between the mean of OIDP dimensions and the prevalence of dental caries. Any p-value less than 0.05 was considered significant. The data was analyzed using the SPSS version 20.0 software package (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results In the present study, most of the participants (174 (43.5%) government teachers and 197 (49.2%) private teachers) were in the age group of 41-50 years. According to the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index, the mean decayed teeth present for government and private school teachers were 0.45 ± 0.503 and 0.41 ± 0.493, respectively, and the mean DMF scores for government and private teachers were 1.27 ± 0.736 and 1.03 ± 0.757, respectively. There was a positive correlation between the DMFT scores and the mean scores for the dimensions of the OIDP among both government and private secondary school teachers. Conclusion The poor dental health status of teachers' has a bad impact on everyday performance and academic work. The findings of the study highlight the need for oral health education and good oral health maintenance among school teachers since they are the ones who can easily influence the behavior of the children.

Acquaintance and Approach in the Direction of Tobacco Cessation Among Dental Practitioners-A Systematic Review

Background:

Nowadays, tobacco consumption has become one of the major public health problems and is the leading cause of escapable illness and death. A significant role is played by dental professionals in the identification of smokers; they are, thus, in a better position to offer preventive care. The aim of the present study was to systemically review the knowledge and attitude of dental practitioners toward tobacco cessation.

Methods:

A literature search was performed in PubMed Central and Cochrane Library, Medline—PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar up to 2018 to identify appropriate studies. Full-text original research articles of the cross-sectional design were only included in the study. Our target was to systemically review the knowledge and attitude of dental practitioners toward tobacco cessation.

Results:

The present review included a total of nine articles (studies) that fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Two articles which were hand searched and one article which was obtained through contact with experts were included. The results of the review revealed that the dental practitioners in most of the included studies lack satisfactory knowledge and were unaware of existing referral pathways to specialist smoking cessation services. At the same time, most of the dentists have a positive attitude toward tobacco cessation.

Conclusions:

Dental professionals are aware of their obligations toward smoking cessation counseling for patients but certain barriers including lack of time, confidence, and training prevent them from practicing the same in their daily routine. The dental professionals should obtain appropriate training and attain knowledge along with quantifiable skills for the prevention and cessation of tobacco use.

Assessment of implementation and compliance of (COTPA) Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act (2003) in open places of Delhi

Background:

The use of tobacco in modern life leads to major epidemic disease resulting in social, financial, and environmental problems. In 1975, the first anti-tobacco legislation was passed which was incompetent; however, in 2003 “Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Bill” was passed which represents effectiveness in tobacco control. Thus, the aim was to assess the implementation of various sections of COTPA like Sections 4, 5, 6-a, and 6-b, and 7, 8, and 9 in public places of Delhi.

Materials and Methods:

The study was conducted in open places of Delhi in which 376 public places were visited for observing the compliance of Section 4 of COTPA, 350 places for observing the compliance of Section 5 of COTPA, and 70 educational institutions for observing the compliance of Section 6(a) and 6(b) of COTPA, and data were recorded through direct observation.

Results:

From a total of 376 places visited, smoking was seen in 59.28% of the places visited in Delhi which is against Section 4 of COTPA. For the compliance of Section 5, 97.42% were as per the COTPA specification; however, the compliance of Section 6-a was 68.57% and Section 6-b was 52.85%. In Delhi, 100% compliance of Sections 7, 8, and 9 has been observed.

Conclusion:

The finding of our study suggests that after years of implementation of the COTPA Act 2003, it is executed only to a certain degree in Delhi. For effective implementation of act, various health policy makers, institutions, media, NGOs, and so on can help in minimizing the usage.

Influence of the previous dental visit experience in seeking dental care among young adults

Introduction:

Dental fear is one of the highly prevalent types of fear which deters patients from seeking dental cares.

Aim:

This study aims to assess the influence of a previous dental visit experience for seeking dental care among adults.

Methodology:

Young adults (n = 150, 15–26 years) with previous dental visit for care were selected randomly among outpatients’ visit in tertiary dental teaching hospital. To assess the influence of previous experience of dental visit in seeking care, we self-administered a Post-traumatic Check List-Civilian Version [posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)], an Autobiographical Memory Questionnaire (AMQ), and a Dental Fear Survey (DFS). The relationship of negative and positive experience of previous dental treatment, dental fear, and symptoms of PTSD was assessed using Pearson's correlations. Spearman's rho was used to find out the correlation between the DFS and PCL-C and history of dental treatment undergone.

Results:

The mean score of the DFS and PCL-C was found to be 69.57 and 40.17, respectively. The characteristics of the most negative experience including physical reactions (P = 0.936), emotional intensity (P = 0.935), sight (P = 0.941), smell (P = 0.917), and sound (P = 0.911) of dental treatment showed a significant relationship with dental fear, whereas the characteristics of the most positive memory of dental treatment showed only a few statistically significant associations with dental fear. Most of the symptoms of PTSD also show significant associations (P < 0.05) with characteristics of the most negative memory. Spearman's correlation between the DFS and the PCL-C was also statistically significant, r (150) =0.365, indicating that dental fear is indeed associated with symptoms of PTSD.

Conclusion:

There is a significant association between the characteristics of the most negative experiences of dental treatment and increased dental fear in young adults, while positive experiences did not show the inverse relationship with dental fear.

Assessment of knowledge and attitude regarding management of patients with substance usage in dental clinics in Modinagar- A cross-sectional study

Introduction

The consequences of oral issues among drug users necessitate the implementation of a comprehensive dental care program. Integrated oral health-care services should be programmed for the management of drug addiction as a multi-organ disease needs a multi-disciplinary approach.

Aim

The aim of the present study was to assess the knowledge and attitude regarding the management of patients with substance usage at a dental clinic.

Methodology

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 208 dentists working as clinicians. A self-structured 27-item questionnaire consisting of questions related to the management of patients with substance usage at a dental clinic was distributed to them. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and descriptive and analytical tests, including mean, standard deviation, and Chi-square test were used. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Majority of the dentist irrespective of qualification were unaware of the modalities regarding the management of the patients with substance usage at the dental clinic. Most dental clinicians were having a positive attitude regarding such patients and agreed that abuser should be identified and managed in dental settings.

Conclusion

Educating dental graduates and postgraduates about the oral implications of substance usage and making it a part of the dental curriculum may help us deal with the global issues of substance usage. The dental setting is recognized increasingly as an untapped venue for the delivery of medical screenings, given the long-term nature and frequent contacts associated with the patient-dentist relationship.

Spanning the Horizon of Accuracy of Different Intraoral Radiographic Modalities: A Systematic Review

AIM

This study was conducted with an aim to systematically review the literature for assessing the accuracy of intraoral radiographs in detection of dental caries.

INTRODUCTION

Despite the advancements in oral disease science, dental caries continues to be a worldwide health concern, affecting humans of all ages. Correct diagnosis of caries is critical both in clinical practice as well as in epidemiology and radiography are worthwhile adjunct for a thorough examination.

RESULTS

A literature review was performed in PubMed Central and Cochrane library, Embase, and Google Scholar, and these databases were searched up to 2016. The primary outcome measure was to assess the accuracy of intraoral radiographs in the detection of dental caries based on sensitivity and specificity. The sensitivity for conventional radiographs for the detection of lesions in enamel (16-68%) and dentin (16-96%) was found to be superior as compared with other modalities of digital radiography, whereas the specificity of digital radiography was found to be superior in detection of lesion in enamel (77-96%) and dentin (84-100%) when compared with conventional radiography. Sensitivity of conventional radiographs was noted to be superior as compared with digital radiography, whereas in terms of specificity, digital was found to be superior to conventional radiographs.

CONCLUSION

Although there was no significant difference between digital and conventional radiography in the diagnosis of caries, conventional radiographs were able to detect carious lesion, in general, but for lesion to be detected precisely, digital was found to be superior.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

As digital radiography produces lower ionizing radiation, dental professionals should employ this method in their routine dental practice for diagnosing and treating carious lesions.

Magnifying the Senescence: Impact of Oral Health on Quality of Life and Daily Performance in Geriatrics: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study is to study the behavior of the GOHAI as well as the OIDPs as potent measures in oral health related to quality of life in senior citizens.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An outreach program-based cross-sectional study conducted in Modinagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. A total of 340 study participants aged >60 years were selected from outreach program which were held between January 2017 and April 2017 based on inclusion and exclusion criterion. The dental health status and its influence on the self-perceived value of life was assessed using GOHAI and OIDP index among the participants. The data were estimated using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Chi-square analysis and Pearson correlation were used to test the significance of the independent variables and the distinct the overall oral impact scores in groups with different dental status.

RESULTS

OIDP shows that most of the patients are suffering from eating food (57.74) and speaking clearly (45.96). GOHAI shows that most of the geriatric population with a lowest mean score of 2.12 and 2.13 were difficulty in chewing food and sorrowful with the condition of mouth and teeth. Similarly, a lower number of population of 3.68 had difficulty in swallowing food.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of OIDPs in this geriatric population was high. Oral impact mainly effect their quality or value of life leading to difficulty in eating and verbal communication.

Effect of Fluoride Concentration in Drinking Water on Intelligence Quotient of 12-14-Year-Old Children in Mathura District: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aims:

The aim was to assess and correlate the influence of the concentration of fluoride in ingested water on the intelligence quotient (IQ) of 12–14-year-old youngsters in Mathura district.

Materials and Methods:

A total of 219 children were selected, 75 from low F area, 75 medium F area, and 69 from high F area. The concentration of fluoride in the routinely ingested water was estimated using “Ion Selective Electrode method”; then, Raven's Test was utilized to estimate the IQ of the study participants. Independent t-test, Tukey's post hoc, Chi-square an analysis of variance tests were used to associate the mean and proportion IQ scores in high-, medium-, and low-fluoride regions along with inter-group significant differences (P ≤ 0.05).

Results:

The comparison of IQ score showed that 35 (46.7%) participants from the high fluoride and 10 (13.3%) participants from the medium-fluoride areas had below average IQ. Further, it was noted that the lowest mean marks were obtained by the children in the high-fluoride region (13.9467) followed by those in medium (18.9467) and uppermost in least noted fluoride area (38.6087). However, gender-based intergroup comparison did not produce a significant relation with fluoride (P ≥ 0.05).

Conclusion:

Concentration of Fluoride in the ingested water was significantly associated with the IQ of children. It has also coined the proportional variability in mental output in accordance to the ingested fluoride level. As two sides of a coin, fluoride cannot be utterly blamed for a lower intelligence in a population; it puts forward a fact that intelligence is a multifactorial variable with a strategic role played by genetics and nutrition to develop cognitive and psychosomatic activities in an individual.

Psychometric Utility in Determining Dental Organizational Attribute: A Cross Sectional Study in Ghaziabad, India

INTRODUCTION

Psychometrics is the field of research involved with the objective measurement of finesse and intelligence, skills, temperament, personality traits, and educational success and technique of psychological measurement. Oral healthcare along with patient satisfaction and quality of care are main factors responsible for organizational attribute. Patient safety is relatively emerging domain which will result in improving patient's conditions without causing harm to them.

AIM

To assess the psychometric behaviours as well as organization attribute with the help of modified version of Survey of Organizational Attributes for Primary Care (SOAPC) instrument among the dental care practitioners in Ghaziabad city, Uttar Pradesh, India.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 268 dental practitioner of Ghaziabad city to determine psychometric behaviours and organizational attributes using SOADC instrument. Data was analysed using SPSS software version 18.0 and was subjected to descriptive and Mann-Whitney U test.

RESULTS

Of the 268 dental practitioner, only 249 completed questionnaires. In communication, 70.3% agreed that they have constructive work relationship with staff with an overall mean score of 3.54±0.15, whereas in the subscale decision making, stress/chaos and history of change, the mean score of 2.77±0.98, 2.56±0.80 and 3.25±0.21 respectively were obtained. A statistical significant difference was noted between all the dimensions except stress/chaos and history of change (p≤0.05).

CONCLUSION

SOADC can be used to assess psychometric behaviours and organizational attributes of dental care practice. Preference should be given to dentist's communication and reducing stress to enhance the service quality and improving safety of patient.

Global Search Trends of Oral Problems using Google Trends from 2004 to 2016: An Exploratory Analysis

Introduction

Oral diseases are pandemic cause of morbidity with widespread geographic distribution. This technology based era has brought about easy knowledge transfer than traditional dependency on information obtained from family doctors. Hence, harvesting this system of trends can aid in oral disease quantification.

Aim

To conduct an exploratory analysis of the changes in internet search volumes of oral diseases by using Google Trends^© (GT^©).

Materials and Methods

GT^© were utilized to provide real world facts based on search terms related to categories, interest by region and interest over time. Time period chosen was from January 2004 to December 2016. Five different search terms were explored and compared based on the highest relative search volumes along with comma separated value files to obtain an insight into highest search traffic.

Results

The search volume measured over the time span noted the term "Dental caries" to be the most searched in Japan, "Gingivitis" in Jordan, "Oral Cancer" in Taiwan, "No Teeth" in Australia, "HIV symptoms" in Zimbabwe, "Broken Teeth" in United Kingdom, "Cleft palate" in Philippines, "Toothache" in Indonesia and the comparison of top five searched terms provided the "Gingivitis" with highest search volume.

Conclusion

The results from the present study offers an insight into a competent tool that can analyse and compare oral diseases over time. The trend research platform can be used on emerging diseases and their drift in geographic population with great acumen. This tool can be utilized in forecasting, modulating marketing strategies and planning disability limitation techniques.

An Insight into Spiritual Health and Coping Tactics among Dental Students; A Gain or Blight: A Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION

Spiritual health is the youngest dimension of health which affects the coping skills of the individual and may help the dental students who are the caregivers of the future, to overcome crisis situation with time.

AIM

To measure the association between spiritual health and coping skills among the dental students of private dental college.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the spiritual health status using Spiritual Health Assessment Scale (SHAS) and coping skills using Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences (ACOPE) scale among the 389 dental students of different academic years in a private dental college. The data obtained was subjected to descriptive statistics and means were compared using independent t-test and one-way ANOVA.

RESULTS

The mean age of the study participants was 22.8±3.17 years. Majority of the students had fair spiritual health score (74.55%). Of the coping strategies dimension, highest mean score was observed in seeking diversions (3.60±1.40) and the least mean score was observed in engaging in demanding activities (2.67±1.41). Statistically significant association was seen between dimension of coping behaviour and spiritual health (p≤ 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The present study highlights that spiritual health plays a central role and influences the coping strategies in human health. The spiritual health can continuously compensate with other health like mental, physical and social well-being.

Altmetrics - A Collated Adjunct Beyond Citations for Scholarly Impact: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

In emerging Figures, scholars are unifying social media tools like blogs, Twitter, and Mendeley into their professional communications. The online, open nature of these tools reveals the scholarly action to be clear and unambiguous. Metrics which is set on these activities could enlighten broader, faster measures of impact, supplementing traditional citation metrics.

AIM

The present review aims to analyse the correlation of altmetrics with the traditional citations in medical research.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The search strategy used a combination of controlled vocabulary and free text terms. The main database searched were PubMed, PubMed Central, Cochrane Review, Embase and Google Scholar from 2010 to 2016. Out of the total 78 titles appeared seven articles fulfilled the criteria and were selected for the review.

RESULTS

The positive correlation between altmetrics and traditional citations indicates that the two are not entirely different from each other and are familiar with each other. Altmetrics are usually accessible earlier and enable us to evaluate the social impact of scholarly research, almost at the actual time.

CONCLUSION

Much work is needed to develop this research which will focus on the clarity of the impact signal. Thus newer dimensions, such as altmetrics and article-level metrics are an effort to explore the influence of research across the worldwide population.

Experience from Classroom Teaching to Clinical Practice Regarding Shortened Dental Arch (SDA) Concept Among Dentists - A Questionnaire Study

INTRODUCTION

Periodontal disease and dental caries are the common oral conditions which cause loss of teeth, mostly molars. This further leads to Shortening of Dental Arch and Shortened Dental Arch (SDA) concept provides the overall requirements of functional dentition at reduced cost without compromising the health.

AIM

The aim of the present study was to assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) towards SDA concept among dentists of Ghaziabad city (Uttar Pradesh, India).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 514 dentists working as academicians or clinicians or both. KAP questionnaire consisting of questions related to SDA concept was distributed to them. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 18.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) and descriptive and analytical tests, including mean, standard deviation, and Chi square test were used.

RESULTS

Of the 514 dentists, only 493 dentists responded to the questionnaire, generating the response rate of 95.5%. Only 113 (22.9%) had knowledge about this concept. Clinicians were found to have more knowledge regarding the SDA concept (p<0.05). Also years of experience and level of knowledge among dentists regarding SDA was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

The study showed lack of knowledge regarding SDA concept among dentists and also only few dentists practice the SDA concept on their patients. If used judiciously the SDA concept can serve as a cost effective and functionally oriented approach in clinical management of patients.

Nomophobia: A Cross-sectional Study to Assess Mobile Phone Usage Among Dental Students

INTRODUCTION

Mobile phones were originally seen as a gadget for communication but currently, the internet enabled mobile phones have become an integral part of our daily life. Their benefits are incomparable but at the same time, they have some negative effects too.

AIM

To assess the pattern of usage of mobile phones and its effects on the academic performance of students.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 554 students of D. J. College of Dental Sciences and Research through a self-administered questionnaire to collect the data regarding the usage and associated anxiety with mobile phone.

RESULTS

About 39.5% students agreed that they score low marks in professional exams if they spend more time on phone. The number of students who frequently checked their cell phone during their classes or while doing clinical work were 24.7% . A total of 24.12% of the students were found to be nomophobic and at risk of being nomophobes were 40.97%. A statistically significant difference was found among preclinical, clinical, interns and postgraduates regarding the usage and effect of mobile phone on them.

CONCLUSION

The pattern of usage of mobile phone among dental students showed alarming indication that students have been addicted to mobile phone which in turn affect their academic performance in a negative way. It would be useful to advise the students about the controlled as well as proper usage of mobile phone.

Changing Trends in oral cancer - a global scenario

Oral cancer is one of the highly prevalent cancers worldwide and a leading cause of mortality in certain regions like South-Central Asia. It is a major public health problem. Late diagnosis, high mortality rates and morbidity are characteristics of the disease worldwide. For control of oral cancer an idea of the coverage of the same in the various regions is necessary. The estimated incidence, mortality and 5-year survival due to lip, oral cavity cancer in world is 3, 00, 373(2.1%), 1, 45, 328(1.8%) and 7, 02, 149(2.2%) respectively according to data of GLOBOCAN 2012. A changing trend in incidence and prevalence of oral cancer has been observed with more women and youngsters being affected by oral cancer.

Oral Health and Oral Contraceptive - Is it a Shadow behind Broad Day Light? A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Oral contraceptives are one of the risk factors for gingival disease. Oral contraceptives can affect the proliferation of cell, growth and differentiation of tissues in the periodontium. Nowadays recent research has suggested that the newer generation oral contraceptives have less influence on gingival diseases.

AIM

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the effect of oral contraceptives on periodontium.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature review was performed; PubMed, PubMed Central and Cochrane Library, Embase, Google Scholar were searched from 1970 up to December 2015 to identify appropriate studies.

RESULTS

Out of the total 94 titles appeared 13 articles fulfilled the criteria and were selected for the review. Two articles which were hand searched and one article which was through e-mail was also included. The hormones progesterone and estrogen have direct impact on immune system of the body and thus, affect the pattern and rate of collagen production in the gingiva. Furthermore, the review also shows that longer duration usage of oral contraceptive could lead to poorer oral hygiene status, gingival inflammation and increased susceptibility to periodontal disease.

CONCLUSION

There are relatively few studies evaluating the effect of oral contraceptives on periodontium. It was found that oral contraceptives have a marked effect on periodontium. The gingival changes after use of oral contraceptives are pronounced in the first few months and with the passage of time these changes get enhanced.

Global Tourist Guide to Oral Care - A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Dental tourism means travelling abroad for economical dental treatment as the cost of treatment is high in one's own country. This trend has been emerged due to high priced health care and long waiting lists in many Western countries. In spite of large debates on dental care, tourism has taken place; still there is lack of scientific studies related to the dental tourism.

AIM

The present review aims to analyze the opportunities, feasibilities, treatment cost variability and popularity of dental tourism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The search strategy used a combi-nation of controlled vocabulary and free text terms. The main database was PubMed, PubMed Central, Cochrane Review, Embase and Google Scholar from 2000 - 2015. Out of the total 69 titles appeared seven articles fulfilled the criteria and were selected for the review. One article which was hand searched and one article through email were also included.

RESULTS

This review focused the strengths of India's dental tourism service as there is a lot of cost difference with good quality work when we compared India to the other countries. Like cost for smile designing in US is 8,000$ and in India is 1,000$ and for dental implants in the US is 2,000$, in Hungary is 1070$ and in India 600$ approximately.

CONCLUSION

Government and industrial infrastructure favours the growth of dental tourism in India. The opportunities like less price with good quality care in India helps to make further progress in dental tourism.

MRI in Dentistry- A Future Towards Radiation Free Imaging - Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), being a technique with huge potential, has become the primary diagnostic investigation for many clinical problems. Its application now has been successfully used in dentistry to maximize the diagnostic certainty.

AIM

The present review aims to analyze the applicability, feasibility and efficacy of MRI in the field of dentistry.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature search was performed in main databases like Pub Med Central, Cochrane Library, Embase and Google Scholar from 1970 up to December 2015. The 2672 titles that appeared, 25 fulfilled the criteria and were included in the review. Two articles were hand searched and three articles through e-mail were also included.

RESULTS

The review highlights the increasing role of MRI in dentistry. In the available literature, it was found that T1 and T2 weighted images were the acceptable diagnostic images for detection of dental related diseases.

CONCLUSION

MRI can be used in diagnosis and treatment planning of implants, jaw lesions, diseases of Temporomandibular Joints (TMJ), orthodontic treatment, endodontic treatment etc., to achieve better prognosis.

Imaging More Imagining less: An Insight into Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Radiation Risk on Pregnant Women among Dentists of Ghaziabad - A Cross Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION

The safety of diagnostic imaging during pregnancy is an important aspect for all clinicians. Pregnant women often do not receive proper dental care as the dentists are not aware of low diagnostic radiation doses involved in dental radiation.

AIM

To assess awareness of radiation risks on pregnant women among dentists of Ghaziabad city.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 268 practicing dentists in Ghaziabad were selected for a questionnaire based cross-sectional study. Data consisted of 18 questions which assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice of dental professionals regarding radiation risks on pregnant women. The questionnaire was distributed and collected personally by the principal investigator. Data was analyzed by Mann Whitney U test and chi-square test. The level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05.

RESULTS

The results showed that the dentists who had attended continuing dental education program had increased level of knowledge regarding radiation effects among pregnant women as compared to the dentists who had not attended continuing dental education programs (p<0.05). Among them who had attended continuing dental education programs 93.3% were aware of the safe dose of radiation and 62% were aware of threshold radiation doses of pregnancy termination. On the contrary there was no significant difference in the knowledge, attitude and practice scores regarding radiation risks on pregnant women based on their academic qualification (p≥0.05).

CONCLUSION

The level of knowledge among dentists was found to be satisfactory, this outcome shows that continuing dental education regarding radiation protection principles and its risks on pregnant women is required to ensure maximum safety both for clinician as well as pregnant women.

Graphical Assessment Technique (GAT) - An Objective, Comprehensive and Comparative Hand Hygiene Quantification Tool

INTRODUCTION

There has been a profound leap in developing countries in sectors of human development but it falls short of millennium development goals. Diarrhoea, respiratory infections are primary cause of child deaths around the world due to improper hygiene practice. There is lack of systematic objective analysis, follow-up and quantification of hand hygiene guidelines. So, there is an urgent requisite of a tool to assess the same.

AIM

To conduct a pilot test for assessing the efficacy of Graphical Assessment Technique (GAT) in objectively evaluating and comparing intervention based hand hygiene among students of National Association of Blind School (NABS) and a government school.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

GAT was used to assess the baseline and post-intervention improvement of 80 students considered for the study. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0 and was subjected to quantitative analysis and parametric tests.

RESULTS

Non-significant difference (p≥0.05) was found at baseline and immediate post-intervention on percentage mean scores of blind school students and government school student, while government school children also showed non-significant difference at one week. Significant difference (p≤0.05) was found at baseline, post-intervention one week and post-intervention one month for blind school children along with baseline and post-intervention mean percentage scores for government school children.

CONCLUSION

The primary agenda behind the study was to test a tool which can objectively evaluate, quantify and compare the follow-up of hand hygiene guidelines and aid in better hand hygiene promotion.

The Clinical Effectiveness of Post-Brushing Rinsing in Reducing Plaque and Gingivitis: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Dental plaque is the major etiological factor associated with the development of gingivitis. Hence, maintenance of oral hygiene is very essential.

AIM

To systematically review the literature on the effects of a post toothbrushing rinsing on plaque and parameters of gingival inflammation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature review was performed in PubMed Central and Cochrane library, embase, google scholar were searched up to February 2015 to identify appropriate studies. The primary outcome measure was plaque and gingival inflammation reduction.

RESULTS

Out of the total 56 titles appeared, 08articles fulfilled the criteria and were selected for the review. One article which was hand searched and one article which was through e-mail was included. A statistically significant reduction in overall plaque and gingivitis was noted when different mouth rinses were compared to the control (p<0.05). It was seen that chlorhexidine is the best antiplaque and antigingivitis agent but due to its side effects after continuous use, was not indicated for long term use. Probiotic was superior to chlorhexidine in terms of reduction of gingival inflammation.

CONCLUSION

There are relatively few studies evaluating the association between post toothbrushing rinsing and gingivitis. A clear effect was observed, indicating that different mouthrinses (chlorhexidine, probiotic, herbal, essential oil mouthrinse) when used as an adjunct to mechanical means of oral hygiene, provides an additional benefit with regard to plaque and gingivitis reduction as compared to a placebo or control.

Is Oral Health of the Sugar Mill Workers Being Compromised?

INTRODUCTION

Occupational environment has an immense influence on the general as well as oral health. The specific exposure to sugar and its byproducts might influence the dental health of sugar mill workers.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES

The present study was conducted to assess and compare the oral health status of production line workers and administration staff working in the sugar mills of Western Uttar Pradesh.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in four Government aided and four Private sugar mills of West Uttar Pradesh, India among the production line workers and administration staff. Multistage random sampling methodology was employed to select total of 600 sugar mill factory workers (449 production line workers and 151 administration staff). The oral health status of the study subjects was assessed using the modified WHO Oral health survey Performa 1997.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

SPSS 19 Version was used for statistical analysis. Mean, Standard Deviation and proportions were calculated for each clinical parameter. Student t-test and Chi-square analysis was done to analyse inter group comparison.

RESULTS

Mean DMFT for production and non production line workers was 7.67± 2.99 and 0.15 ± 1.34 (p= 0.001) respectively. 80.17% of production line workers had maximum CPI score 2 in contrast to 63.57% of administration staff (p=0.324).

CONCLUSION

The dental health was found to be debilitated among the production line workers of Sugar mill as compared to the Administrative staff. It is therefore recommended to raise the awareness among the sugar mill workers regarding the same.

Dental Caries Scenario Among 5, 12 and 15-Year-old Children in India- A Retrospective Analysis

OBJECTIVES

Dental caries is the most prevalent dental disease and children are one of the most affected groups. Thus, the present study was conducted to assess the average dental caries prevalence across different WHO index age groups (5, 12 & 15 years) for the past fifteen years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Literature search was performed electronically in various search engines like google scholar, PubMed, Copernicus, etc. using Dental caries and India as MeSH terms. Articles from the past 15 years reporting on dental caries prevalence and experience in India were searched and this online searching strategy collected and listed 781 articles. After evaluating their titles and abstracts, only 30 articles fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria & were finally selected for complete review and data collection. Five articles which were hand searched were also included. Pooled estimates were calculated for different index age groups and different regions (Northern and Southern) separately with a confidence interval of 95% both for prevalence and experience of dental caries.

RESULTS

The pooled prevalence of dental caries was found to be highest in 15 year olds followed by 5 and 12 years (62.02%, 48.11% & 43.34% respectively). Weighted mean was also found to be highest for 15 years, followed by 5 and 12 years (2.56±6.508, 2.49±7.78, 1.48±3.292 respectively). Pooled prevalence and weighted mean for the Northernern India region was found to be more in all the index age groups as compared to the Southernern India region.

CONCLUSION

More than 40% of the children in India have shown dental caries in both primary and permanent teeth in the past 15 years. Also, Northernern region was found to be more affected by dental caries than Southern region. Since children are seen as the future of the nation, this data could be helpful in the planning of oral health care services by the concerned authorities in the community.

Tobacco Cessation Counselling Practices and Attitude among the Dentist and the Dental Auxiliaries of Urban and Rural Areas of Modinagar, India

BACKGROUND

The increasing use of tobacco among youths warrants the need for dental health professionals to effectively provide tobacco cessation counselling (TCC) in the office and community settings. However, there have been concerns among the dental professionals regarding TCC in dental settings.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To assess the attitude of dental professionals including the dentist and dental hygienist towards the TCC and identify the possible barriers towards the implementation of these practices in the rural and urban areas of Modinagar district.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present questionnaire based survey was carried among the qualified dentist and dental hygienist from the urban and rural areas of the Modinagar district to attitudes in tobacco cessation, practices in tobacco cessation interventions and related barriers towards implementation. The survey data were analyzed using the SPSS 16 version software package. The descriptive statistics (frequency) was generated for the each question to assess their attitude and practice.

RESULTS

The response rate of the questionnaire among the dentist and dental hygienist was 100%. The attitude of the majority of dentist towards the tobacco cessation counselling was positive as compared to the dental hygienist. 69.2% of the dentist were of the view that the dental health professionals should provide TCC as compared to 54.2% among the hygienist. Regarding the practice, only 12.5% and 5.8% of the dentist and dental hygienist had ever used the nicotine replacement therapy in their dental practice. The lack of the knowledge and information regarding TCC was the only perceived barrier among the dentists (51.7%) and dental hygienist (68.3%).

CONCLUSION

Dental professionals must expand their horizon and armamentarium to include TCC strategies inclusive of their regular preventive and therapeutic treatment modalities. Also, the dental institutions should include TCC into the curriculum, but it should not be just theoretical knowledge rather it must have a practical component.

Relative Risk of Various Head and Neck Cancers among Different Blood Groups: An Analytical Study

BACKGROUND

Cancer is a unique disease characterized by abnormal growth of cells which have the ability to invade the adjacent tissues and sometimes even distant organs. The limited and contrasting evidence regarding the association of ABO blood groups with the different types of head and neck cancers in the Indian population warrants the need for the present study.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

To assess the relative risk of various Head & Neck cancers among different blood groups.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

Three hundred sixty two diagnosed cases of different type of head and neck cancers and 400 controls were selected from four hospitals of New Delhi, India. The information regarding the type of head and neck cancer was obtained from the case sheets of the patients regarding their socio demographic profile, dietary history using a structured performa. The information regarding type of cancer (cases only), ABO blood group was collected. Statistical Tests: The data was analysed using the SPSS 19 version. Chi square test and odd ratios were calculated. The level of significance was fixed at 5%.

RESULTS

The O blood group was found to be most prevalent followed by B, A and AB among the cases as well as the controls. Oral cancer patients showed maximum number in blood group O followed by B, A and AB. Significant pattern of distribution was seen among the patients of esophageal cancer, laryngeal cancer and salivary gland cancer as well (p= 0.003, p=0.000 p=0.112 respectively.

CONCLUSION

The present study reveals that there is an inherited element in the susceptibility or protection against different types of head and neck cancers. Blood group A was found to be a potential risk factor for the development of oral cancers, esophageal cancers and salivary gland cancers while blood group B was found to be a potential risk factor for laryngeal cancers.