Self-disclosed oral hygiene habits from students of Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi campus

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Dental hygiene reflects the overall health and impacts the quality of life. The present study was designed to assess knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding oral hygiene among medical and dental undergraduate students and to compare the oral hygiene habits among male and female students METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted among medical and dental students of Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi (BUMDC) from December 2018 to January 2019. Ethical approval was taken from the ERC committee of Bahria University Medical and Dental College (ERC/2/2018). Students (n= 332) of MBBS and BDS from first to final year were enrolled by non-probability convenience sampling technique. A self-structured questionnaire was used to obtain data. Percentages were determined for each response. The Chi-Square test was used to check the association of oral hygiene outcomes with respect to gender. RESULTS: The study comprised 332 male and female students, out of which 189 (56.9%) were dental and 143(43.1%) were medical. The majority of students (71.4%) were female. The mean age of participants was 20.8± 1.3 years, 44.6% used toothbrushes, 33.7% used toothbrush and floss, and 21.4% used toothbrush and miswak, 61.4% of respondents have brushed their teeth twice a day, 5.1% of respondents were reported bad smell from their teeth, 58.1% were complaining sore jaws. Dental hygiene was significantly associated with gender (p≤ 0.05). Females have better practices and a positive attitude toward oral hygiene. CONCLUSION: Female students had better oral hygiene knowledge and practices with more positive attitude as compared to male counterparts.

Is oral hygiene performed by caregivers of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy effective?

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of oral hygiene performed by caregivers of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) during the moments before and after three months of oral health instructions. Methods: In a longitudinal study, 102 participants were joined in two groups: G1 (n=51) composed of children and adolescents (C/A) with CP and G2 (n=51), composed of their caregivers. Sociodemographic and oral hygiene habits were collected and evaluated using the Visible Plaque Index (VPI) and Gingival Bleeding Index (GBI), before and after oral hygiene orientation. The Qui-Squared, ANOVA 1, and tStudent tests were applied. P < 0,05. Results: The C/A group with pattern clinical CP tetraparesis, diparesis and hemiparesis were homogeneous in terms of gender (P = 0,07), however differed in age (P < 0,05), the youngest being diparetic. No difference was observed when comparing VPI and GBI before and after instructions in oral health for the three clinical types (P> 0,05). However, a reduction in the VPI and GBI indexes (P < 0,05) before and after, in each of the three clinical patterns. Most of the caregivers were female, married, with a high school degree, and they performed oral hygiene three times per day. The caregivers presented significant drops in VPI and GBI after receiving oral hygiene instructions. (P < 0,05). Conclusion: Oral hygiene instruction is fundamental for the caregivers of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy since it is an effective form of controlling health problems.

RISK FACTORS AND GINGIVAL INFLAMMATION IN CHILDREN AGED 10 TO 14 YEARS - AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY

Aim: The aim of the present study is an epidemiological study of risk factors and the prevalence of periodontal disease in children aged 10-14 years. Materials and methods: The subject of the study were 457 children. All were clinically examined, and the data were recorded on a specially designed card. Each child was assessed for risk periodontal profile in 4 levels, which includes: assessment of oral hygiene habits; registration of dental status, reporting of carious lesions and obturations on surfaces dangerous for periodontal health (proximal, cervical); the presence of orthodontic anomalies and other risk factors; assessment of the plaque index of Silness-Loe (PLSL); assessment of gingival index according to Loe and Silness (GILS) Results: Carious lesions at risk for gingival inflammation surfaces are registered in 59% of children, at risk for periodontal health fillings in 32% and orthodontic anomalies in 37%. The studied children showed relatively good oral hygiene (PLSL-0.43 ± 0.28), which improved with age, with the largest amount of plaque observed on the proximal and vestibular surfaces. Over 88% of children have mild gingival inflammation (GILS-0.56 ± 0.42), mainly affecting the front teeth in both jaws. Conclusions: Gingival inflammation in 10-14 year old children covers more than half of the studied children, with mild forms of inflammation predominating with a relatively low oral hygiene index. 2/3 of registered caries and 1/3 of the fillings have a localization which presents a risk for periodontal health. Orthodontic anomalies are the next most serious risk factor for plaque accumulation and gingival inflammation.

EVALUATION OF AN ELECTRONIC PERIODONTAL PROBE VERSUS A MANUAL PROBE IN THE PERIODONTAL DIAGNOSIS OF CHILDREN AGED 12-14 YEARS

Objective: The purpose of the trial is to comparatively analyze an electronic, pressure-calibrated probe third generation Parometer (Orange) and a standard, manual measurement probe WHO 621 (C type) in the context of taking periodontal variables when assessing periodontal status in childhood. Materials and methods: The subject of the study were 28 children aged between 12 and 14 years (12 boys and 16 girls). All patients were clinically examined, and the data were recorded on a specially prepared card. The recorded clinical variables contain: Assessment of oral hygiene habits (type of toothbrush, frequency of brushing); OHI as per Green Vermillion; Registration of dental status; Depth of gingival sulcus (on all teeth) with both types of probes; BOP (bleeding on probing), percentage of bleeding units with both types of probes; Taking into account the complete time needed to take the findings and the sensation of pain experienced by a digital rank scale during probing. Results and conclusion: The average depth of gingival sulcus measured with a mechanical periodontal probe was 1.62 mm, and with an electronic one - 1.38 mm (p <0.05). Values ​​for BOP with both types of probes showed an average of 0.30 ± 0.29, which is 30% of all bleeding units examined (p> 0.05). The time for recording the periodontal indices with both probes is, on average, 10 minutes. In both probes, the discomfort of about grade 4 was observed according to the ranking scale used to read sensitivity (p <0.05). There is a more pronounced sensitivity when using an electronic periodontal probe.

An Assessment of Dental Anxiety in Patients Before and After Scaling and Polishing Procedures

Introduction As of now, there are not many investigations about the improvement of dental apprehension and dental participation in various populations over time. This investigation includes an examination of emotional appraisals of levels of dental apprehension in patients selected at the AB Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences. The investigation also aimed to discover the causes of dental apprehension as well as the effect of sexuality on the distinguished dental apprehension. Materials and Methods The level of dental apprehension was assessed using questionnaires that included 15 questions before and after the scaling and polishing procedures for 78 patients. The typical features were drawn such as gender, age, and oral hygiene habits. The data analysis was analyzed using paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed rank test to assess pre- and postanxiety levels. Results A total of 78 responses were collected, resulting in a participation rate of 100%. Despite the fact that women had significantly higher overall dental apprehension levels compared with men, the discrepancy among the two genders was substantial and could be clarified. Conclusion Dental fear was common in females, especially among those with dental problems, and a larger degree of dental fear can contribute to periodontal disease.

Bitter and sweet taste perception: relationships to self-reported oral hygiene habits and oral health status in a survey of Australian adults

Background Oral health, an essential part of general health and well-being, is influenced by multiple factors, including oral hygiene habits and dietary factors. Dietary preferences are influenced by variation in taste perceptions and threshold tasting. Polymorphisms in specific genes for sweet and bitter taste receptors and bitter taste perception have been associated with dental caries. However, taste is complex with multiple receptors, each with multiple potential polymorphisms contributing to taste perception as well as social, cultural, and environmental influences. Additionally, these association studies have been conducted in restricted cohorts (e.g., children only). Furthermore, outcomes have been limited to dental caries and studies between taste perception and oral hygiene habits have not been completed. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted to investigate the relationships between bitter and sweet taste perception (liking and intensity of index food items), self-reported oral hygiene habits and oral health (n = 518). Results Higher mean intensity scores for bitter (16–21%) and sweet (< 5%-60%) were seen with higher frequencies of oral hygiene habits (brushing, use of mouthwash, chewing gum and tongue cleaning). Lower mean bitter liking scores (18–21%) were seen with higher frequencies of oral hygiene habits (brushing, mouthwash use, floss use and chewing gum). Sweet liking scores varied by reported frequency of mouthwash use and flossing only, with mixed patterns of variance. Mean bitter and sweet intensity perception scores varied with the number of dental caries ((13–20% higher in those with 3 or more caries, compared to none). Conclusions While there were numerous relationships identified between liking and perception of sweet and bitter and oral health outcomes, the magnitude and direction of associations varied by outcome. The direction of the associations cannot be inferred due to the cross-sectional nature of the study. The demonstrated relationships justify further future investigations, which could help better understand if taste liking and perception is impacted by oral hygiene and health, or vice versa. This could be important in understanding the causation and progression of oral health diseases or the development of novel therapeutics for oral health.

Association between Chewable Tobacco Consumption and Oral Hygiene Habits on Periodontal Health

Aims: To determine the pattern of chewable tobacco habits, to assess the oral hygiene habits among patients visiting dental OPD and to determine the association of oral health maintenance and chewable tobacco with severity of periodontal disease. Study Design: It was a comparative cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Dental Outpatient Department, Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad and Jamshoro for six months from 1st February 2020 to 31st July 2020. Methodology: A total of 362 subjects were selected by non-probability sampling technique. A pre-designed questionnaire was used to collect the data. Questionnaire forms was close and open ended. The investigator checked the patients, under the supervision of the OPD specialist and classified the periodontal health status. Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS v.22) was used for data analysis. Results: A total of 362 subjects, (84.5%) male and (15.5%) females were included in the study with the mean age 34.9 and SD ± 11.7. A highly significant association was found between chewable tobacco consumption and oral hygiene habits on periodontal health (p=<0.001) and statistically significant difference was found between the scores of measure of probing depth and loss of attachment for male and females (p=<0.001). Conclusion: Periodontal diseases and poor oral hygiene have been diagnosed in all consumers of chewable tobacco. Usage of various types of chewing tobacco has been found to exacerbate the condition by developing pocket formation, bleeding on the probe, and inducing gingival recession as well.

Quantitative Assessment of Oral Hygiene Habits of 12-15 years old school children of Hayatabad Peshawar: Pilot study

Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the oral hygiene habits of school children aged 12 to 15 years.Materials and methods: A pilot study with a cross sectional study design was conducted to assess the oral hygiene habits. Atotal of 125 school children aged 12-15 years participated in the study. A written informed consent was obtained from the schooland participants before participation in the study. An interviewer-administered calibrated questionnaire was used for data collection. The data was statistically analyzed with SPSS version 25 and descriptive statistics were used to present data.Results: Out of the total, majority of participants were of aged 12 years (45%) followed by 13(33%), 14(17%) and 15(6%),respectively with equal gender distribution. Nearly half of school children brushed their teeth frequently twice a day (46%),almost 37.6% brushed once a day and one-tenth of children did not brush their teeth at all. Almost three-quarter of childrenbrushed before (38%) and after (35%) breakfast. Forty-nine percent of children preferred soft bristled toothbrush, while 28% used medium type and 23% used hard bristled toothbrush for cleaning teeth, respectively. Majority of school children usedtoothpaste as cleaning agent (87%).All the children changed their toothbrushes with highest percentage changing after onemonth (84%). Majority children (84%) never flossed their teeth. More children had never visited dentist than those who visited.Conclusion: Children had limited oral health knowledge which was reason for their unsatisfactory oral hygiene habits.

Knowledge of oral health and oral hygiene habits of college students.

Introduction: Oral health is essential for people's well-being and quality of life; therefore, the present study performs an analysis on the knowledge of oral health and oral hygiene habits, making reference to the indicators of the WHO. Objective: To analyze the knowledge of oral health and oral hygiene habits in students of the Universidad Nacional Hermilio Valdizán, Peru, during the second semester of the 2019 academic year Material and Methods: Research type descriptive correlational design; the sample consisted of 234 students. Data collection involved the use of two questionnaires designed and validated for the study. Data processing was carried out using descriptive statistics and normality analysis using the Kolmogórov-Smirnov test. Results: The results of knowledge of oral health as well as oral hygiene habits showed a medium level. It was determined that there is a high positive correlation between the variables (R=0.796) and this correlation is significant with a level of confidence of 95% (p<0.05). Conclusion: Knowledge of oral health influences the oral hygiene habits of Peruvian students, and considering that oral diseases continue to be an important and growing global public health challenge, the State must formulate preventive measures with potentially different approaches to reduce its prevalence in the population.

Patterns of Periodontal Destruction among Smokeless Tobacco Users in a Central Indian Population

Background: Findings of studies testing the association between smokeless tobacco (SLT) use and periodontal health have shown varying results in different populations. Considering the high prevalence of SLT use in India, the present study was conducted to understand the pattern of periodontal destruction within different areas of the dentition among SLT users. Methods: Age, gender, oral hygiene habits, the frequency and duration of SLT consumption, the type of SLT product used, and the site of retention of the SLT product in the oral cavity were recorded among 90 SLT users. Probing depth (PD), recession (REC), and clinical attachment loss (CAL) at SLT-associated and non SLT-associated teeth of the mandibular arch were compared based on the site of retention of the SLT product, the type of product used, and the duration of the habit. Results: REC and CAL were significantly higher at the SLT-associated zones compared to non SLT-associated zones and at both interproximal and mid-buccal sites of SLT-associated teeth. Among individuals who had the habit for more than 5 years and also among those who had the habit for 5–10 years, PD, REC, and CAL were significantly higher at SLT-associated teeth than at non SLT-associated teeth. Significantly greater periodontal destruction was observed at SLT-associated teeth among khaini users and gutkha users. Conclusions: Smokeless tobacco consumption resulted in greater destruction of periodontal tissues. The severity of periodontal destruction at SLT-associated sites differed depending on the type of smokeless tobacco used, the site of retention of the SLT, and the duration of the habit.