scholarly journals Life-conditions and anthropometric variables as risk factors for oral health in children in Ladakh, a cross-sectional survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Grazia Cagetti ◽  
Fabio Cocco ◽  
Ezio Calzavara ◽  
Davide Augello ◽  
Phunchok Zangpoo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The aim of this survey was to evaluate the severity of dental caries among children living in Zanskar Valley (Ladakh, India) and its association with anthropometric and background variables. Methods This cross‐sectional survey was conducted on schoolchildren divided into four age groups (< 6, ≥ 6 < 11, ≥ 11 < 14 and > 14 years of age). A total of 1474 schoolchildren (607 males, 41.2%) were examined. Actual caries prevalence (dt/DT) and gingival bleeding were recorded by four calibrated dentists. An ad hoc questionnaire evaluated general health, eating habits, oral hygiene and the self-perception of oral conditions. Height, weight, waist circumference, heart-rate and oxygen-saturation were also collected directly by examiners. Responses to questionnaire items were treated as categorical or ordinal variables. The relationship between children’s caries data, gingival bleeding, gender, Body Mass Index (BMI) following the International Obesity Task Force, waist circumference and questionnaire items was assessed using the Kruskal–Wallis test and Pearson correlation. Conditional ordinal logistic regression was used to analyse associations among caries severity, gender, BMI, waist circumference, oxygen saturation and questionnaire items. A forward stepwise logistic regression procedure was also carried-out to estimate the ORs of gingival bleeding prevalence and the covariates derived from examination or questionnaire. Results Caries was almost ubiquitarian with only 10.0% of caries-free children (dt/DT = 0). Caries severity, in both primary and permanent dentitions, was statistically significantly related to gender, waist circumference, BMI, oral hygiene frequency and self-reported chewing problems (p < 0.01 in both dentitions). An increasing relative risk for caries in permanent dentition compared to caries-free subjects was observed in children with a low BMI (RRR = 1.67, 95%CI = 1.54/2.83 for subjects with 1–3 caries lesions and RRR = 1.52, 95%CI = 1.36/1.74 for subjects with > 3 caries lesions); also, children with reduced waist circumference had a higher relative risk to have 1–3 caries lesions (RRR = 2.16, 95%CI = 1.84/2.53) and an even higher risk to have more than 3 caries lesions (RRR = 4.22, 95%CI = 3.33/5.34). Conclusions A significant impact of untreated caries lesions was observed in Ladakh schoolchildren; low BMI values and reduced waist circumference showed to be the main caries risk predictors. Preventive and intervention programmes should be implemented to improve children's oral health.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
MariaGrazia Cagetti ◽  
Fabio Cocco ◽  
Ezio Calzavara ◽  
Davide Augello ◽  
Phunchok Zagpoo ◽  
...  

Abstract Backgrounds The aim of this survey was to evaluate the severity of dental caries among Ladakh children and its association with anthropometric and background variables. Methods This cross‐sectional epidemiological survey was conducted on Ladakh schoolchildren divided into four age groups (<6, ≥6<11, ≥11≤14 and >14 years of age). A total of 1474 schoolchildren (607 males 41.18% and 867 females 58.82%) were examined. Actual dental caries prevalence (dt/DT) and gingival bleeding were recorded by four calibrated examiners. An ad hoc questionnaire evaluated general health, eating habits, oral hygiene and the self-perception of oral conditions. Height, weight, waist circumference, heart-rate and oxygen-saturation were also collected. Responses to questionnaire items were treated as categorical or ordinal variables. Relation between children’s caries data, gingival bleeding, gender, Body Mass Index (BMI) following the International Obesity Task Force, waist circumference and questionnaire items were assessed using the Kruskal–Wallis test. Conditional ordinal logistic regression was used to analyse associations among caries severity, gender, BMI, waist circumference, oxygen saturation and questionnaire. A forward stepwise logistic regression procedure was also assessed to estimate the ORs of gingival bleeding prevalence and the covariates derived from examination or questionnaire. Results Caries was almost ubiquitarian with only 10.04% of caries-free children (dt/DT=0). Caries severity, in both primary and permanent dentitions was statistically significantly related to gender, waist circumference, BMI, oral hygiene frequency and self-reported chewing problems (p<0.01 in both dentitions). An increasing relative risk for caries in permanent dentition compared to caries-free subjects was observed in children with a low BMI (RRR=1.67, 95% CI=1.54/2.83 for subjects with 1-3 caries lesions and RRR=1.52, 95% CI=1.36/1.74 for subjects with more than 3 caries lesions); also children with reduced waist circumference had a higher relative risk to have 1-3 caries lesions (RRR=2.16, 95% CI=1.84 / 2.53) and an even higher risk to have more than 3 caries lesions (RRR=4.22, 95% CI=3.33 / 5.34). Conclusion A significant impact of untreated caries lesions was observed; low BMI values and reduced waist circumference showed to be the main caries risk predictors. Preventive and intervention programmes should be implemented to improve children's oral health living in Ladakh.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-63
Author(s):  
Bishal Babu Basnet ◽  
Khem Raj Sharma

Background: Smoking and use of smokeless tobacco affect oral as well as general health. People are reluctant to achieve good oral health in lieu of the avoidance of deleterious habits. The objective of this study was to analyze two contrasting health behaviors; the oral hygiene practices against tobacco use in a sample from eastern Terai.Methods: This is questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey carried out in Jhapa district located in eastern Nepal. In this report, practice of toothbrushing, use of fluoridated toothpaste, frequency of using tobacco related products (paan, gutkha, chilim, cigarette, bidi, hukkah) was assessed. Association of health behavior to sociodemographic variables were tested with regression analysis at 95% confidence limits.Results: A total of 1178 respondents (response rate = 96.8%) completed the interview, among them 80.8% were males. Mean age was 52.21 years (SD = 15.943). Overall 72.6% used fluoridated toothpaste and toothbrush for cleaning teeth, 58.8% consumed tobacco related products. Interdental aids utilization was very less (1.2% using dental floss). Age was significantly related to both toothbrushing and tobacco-consuming. Educational status was related significantly to toothbrushing (p<0.05). Other sociodemographic variables (marital status, ethnicity, educational status) were not related to consumption of deleterious products (p>0.05).Conclusions: Our results showed that consumption of tobacco related products is moderately high in Terai village and oral health practice was found to be influenced by educational status. More such studies to identify status of oral health and impact of tobacco are recommended.Keywords: Oral health; smokeless tobacco; smoking; tobacco


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 226-230
Author(s):  
Talha Ashar ◽  
Asma Shakoor ◽  
Mustafa Sajid ◽  
Rabia Zafar ◽  
Mohsin Javaid ◽  
...  

Background: Parents had a great role in prevention of child’s dental decay and special emphasis has been put on the maintenance of child oral hygiene status for achieving optimum health as early childhood caries is regarded as the major dental disease around the world. Our study aimed to evaluate knowledge and awareness of the parents regarding oral hygiene of the children. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2019 to August 2019 in Nishtar Institute of dentistry, Multan. Total 300 parents of 4 to 9-year-old children were enrolled in the study. Detailed demographics including age, education, and monthly income were recorded. The questionnaire regarding oral health was designed and data was collected through that self-administered questionnaire. Data was analysed by SPSS 24.0. Results: About 7% of Parent’s were uneducated, 38.5% got the school education, 15.5% got the college education and 39% got the university education. Only 32% parents were aware of proper brushing technique while 68% were unaware. 56% parents said that the sweets, chocolates and junk food are not good for oral health while 44% denied this. 46% parents told that their children complained about teeth and 42% parents visited the dentist for their children. Conclusions: There is a need to improve the knowledge and practices of parents and children about the oral hygiene maintenance to aid in reducing the oral health problems in future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
F. Mlenga ◽  
E. G. Mumghamba

Aim. To determine oral hygiene practices, knowledge, and experience of dental caries and gingival problems among urban and rural primary schoolchildren in Lilongwe District, Malawi. Methodology. This was an analytical and quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study. Four urban and four rural primary schools were conveniently sampled. Pupils aged 11–14 years (n = 409) were recruited using self-administered structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS program v20.0. Results. Out of 409 pupils, most of them had knowledge that dental caries is caused by consumption of sugary foodstuffs (91.4%), toothache is a symptom of dental caries (77.6%), gingivitis is caused by ineffective tooth brushing (92.7%), and gingival bleeding is a sign of gingivitis (85.3%). Most pupils experienced toothache (30.8%); many of them had parents with secondary education and above (35.0%) compared to those with primary education (23.5%). 24.4% experienced gingival bleeding with higher percentages from urban (30.1%) than rural (18.5%) schools. Plastic toothbrush users (95%) overshadowed chewing stick users (24.9%). The use of chewing stick was significantly higher in rural (49%) than in urban (1.9%) schools. Likewise, tooth brushing before bed was significantly higher in rural (33%) than in urban (17.2%) pupils. The use of toothpaste during tooth brushing was significantly higher among urban (91.9%) than among rural (64%) pupils. The prevalence of tongue cleaning was 70.2%, and the differences were significantly higher among pupils who had parents with secondary and higher education in urban schools and among pupils aged 11–12 years in comparison with their counterparts. Conclusions. Most pupils reported cleaning their teeth regularly, mostly using plastic toothbrush rather than chewing stick, using toothpaste, and having adequate knowledge about dental caries and gingival disease, and a quarter of them had suffered from these diseases with evidence of rural-urban disparities. Integration of oral health in school health promotion program and further research on its impact on oral health status are recommended.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
G D Meless ◽  
J C Guinan ◽  
A D Sangaré ◽  
M Traoré ◽  
A A Amangoua ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Despite the proven links between oral health status and adverse pregnancy outcomes, oral examination is not systematically integrated into prenatal examinations in Côte d’Ivoire. In addition, there are no prevention messages specifically targeted at pregnant women. Objective: To assess the oral health of pregnant women in Côte d’Ivoire. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Maternal and Child Health Department of the National Public Health Institute in Abidjan. The data collected were: age, education level, marital status, source of income, trimester of pregnancy, gestational age, oral hygiene habits and the fact that they whether or not received oral health information. A clinical examination was conducted to assess oral hygiene (OHIS index), periodontal condition (CPI index), dental condition (DMFT index), as well as the presence of epulis, erosion or dental mobility. Frequencies and counts were calculated for the different variables in the study. Results A total of 207 women were observed. The age range was 15 to 44 years with 14.0% under 19 years old. The majority were in couple (76.8%), multi-gesture (77.3%), and more than half had no education (52.2%) or source of income (56.0%); 50.7% snacked between meals and 33.3% had vomiting. They brushed their teeth at least twice a day (70.0%) and had not changed their oral hygiene habits (77.3%) during this pregnancy. Only 3.4% had information on oral health conditions during pregnancy. The frequency of caries was 75.4%, dental erosions 13.0%, gingivitis 57.0%, periodontitis 6.8% and epulis 3.4%. Conclusions The results suggest the integration of systematic dental consultation into prenatal consultations in order permit the sensitization of these women, screening and management of their oral conditions. Key messages Oral diseases of pregnant women are a reality without their knowledge in Côte d’Ivoire. A systematic dental visit is essential during prenatal consultations in Côte d’Ivoire.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 017-028
Author(s):  
Nguendo-Yongsi H. Blaise

Background: The public health problems associated with oral health are a serious burden on countries around the world. Those problems are acute in developing countries which are hit by non-communicable chronic diseases, including oral diseases. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess the oral health of individuals from both urban and rural areas in Bafia, Cameroon. Materials and Methods: A commnunity and descriptive cross-sectional survey with probability sampling was used in this study. 2,840 individuals, aged 5 years and older, were selected, using a two-staged simple random sampling technique. The study was based on a structured questionnaire completed by the participants, and on a clinical examination performed by the dentists. Statistical methods included bivariate analyses. Results: Among the 2,759 participants who successfully completed the survey, 53.4% were males and 46.6% were females. Majority of the participants i.e., 52.4 % belonged to 17 years and more vs 47.6 % who belonged to 05-17 years age group. Of the total individuals examined, 50.4% had a poor oral health level, of which 42.9% urban dwellers and 57% rural dwellers. Conclusion: There is a significant need for increased public awareness and regular surveillance of oral hygiene practices, as well as the complications associated with poor oral hygiene. In addition, development of guidelines, public health awareness programmess and dental community educational programmes are urgently needed.


Author(s):  
Gülçin Yılmaz ◽  
Abanoub Riad ◽  
Martin Krsek ◽  
Hanefı Kurt ◽  
Sameh Attia

Background: elementary schoolteachers play a central role in shaping their students’ beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours related to health and oral hygiene. This study was designed to evaluate Turkish schoolteachers’ levels of oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours. Methods: A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted among elementary schoolteachers in Istanbul using a validated self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed of 36 multiple-choice items categorised into six sections, and the participants were recruited using convenience sampling. (3) Results: A total of 385 elementary schoolteachers participated in this study. The majority were female (62.2%), qualified with a licensure degree (81.3%) and working in public schools (86.5%). Female gender and greater work experience were found to be promoters for oral health knowledge and positive attitudes. The correlation between their perceived knowledge and actual knowledge was very weak, thus suggesting that the teachers are inclined to overestimate their knowledge. Conclusions: The Turkish elementary schoolteachers showed satisfactory oral health knowledge and attitudes toward oral health education. The teachers’ knowledge about dental trauma management was inadequate, necessitating urgent educational interventions, especially for physical education teachers, who are at the greatest risk of encountering such events during their work. The oral hygiene behaviours were not associated with teachers’ oral health knowledge, attitudes, or practice, thus requiring further investigation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (06) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Ilyas ◽  
Muhammad Usman Khalid ◽  
Syeda Qurat-Ul-Ain Arif ◽  
Sobia Ashraf

Aim and Objectives: To evaluate the current status of oral hygiene awareness in patients undergoing active orthodontic treatment and to educate them how they can improve and maintain their oral health throughout orthodontic treatment to minimize the risk of dental caries, plaque deposition, gingivitis and localized enamel decalcification. Study Design: Prospective survey. Setting: Orthodontic Department, Punjab Dental Hospital Lahore, Pakistan. Period: 06 months 1st August 2018 to 31st January 2019. Methods and Materials: A structured questionnaire was distributed to 100 patients undergoing active orthodontic treatment at orthodontic department of Punjab Dental Hospital Lahore, Pakistan in an effort to assess the level of awareness and practical measures taken by patients to maintain and improve their oral health during orthodontic treatment. Conclusion: This survey revealed that most of the patients are aware and practising oral hygiene measures during their orthodontic treatment and dentist should repeat all these instruction on every visit.


2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
KC Oswal

ABSTRACT Aim To assess the knowledge, attitude and awareness related to oral health and associated habits among the patients visiting Terna Dental College (Mumbai). Methodology A cross sectional survey was done among 218 randomly selected patients. The survey captured the demographics, oral hygiene practice, tobacco habits of all the participants. Results Most of the participants use toothbrush and toothpaste. 10% of the patients still use mishri. The knowledge about the correct brushing technique and frequency of changing the brush was poor. 76% of the participants accessed the dental health care only if there is pain. The awareness about the harmful effect of passive smoking and the tobacco control laws was very poor. Conclusion Overall the knowledge, attitude and practices of participants living in this area are not very good. There needs to be a strong, effective oral health promotion campaigns’ targeting all the population and the very high risk groups.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 57-63
Author(s):  
Malvika Bagati Bansal

Aim: To see the difference in oral practices before and during lockdown period in rural patients in jaipur. Material Method: Questionaire was based on the postoperative instructions given after surgerical periodontal therapy, it included 16 questions which were asked to the 40 patients who were in maintainance phase after periodontal surgery (that was performed in the Department of periodontology, in MGDC, Jaipur, Rajasthan), through a telephonic conversation. Results: the 40 patients before and during lockdown, highly significant changes in frequency of brushing were observed during the lockdown some of the patients brushed only once a day. Many of them discontinued using or they diluted mouthwashes before use and 10 % patients complained about bad breath during the time of lockdown. Conclusion: patients were not able give time to their oral health during lockdown when compared to before lockdown period.


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