Management of unerupted anterior teeth an audit of treatment outcomes

Anterior teeth are valuable for aesthetics, speech and mastication . Their absence, impaction and/or delayed eruption create significant distress often leading to early presentation to the dental office. This study presents an audit of the management of impacted anterior teeth that presented at a tertiary level dental clinic. The periodontal outcomes of the aligned teeth were also reported. Methods : This is an observational study spanning a nine-year period. Demographic data, clinical presentation as well as post alignment dental and periodontal status of the impacted teeth were assessed. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Fisher's exact test and paired samples T-test were used for categorical and continuous variables respectively. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Twenty-eight (1.76%) cases presenting with failed eruption of thirty-two anterior teeth were found during the period under review. Eight patients were treated by extraction, orthodontic treatment and space closure or prosthetic replacement with a mean treatment time of 2.83 ± 2.66 years. Thirteen patients completed treatment by orthodontic alignment with mean alignment time of 1.4 ± 1.5 years and treatment time of 3.6 ± 2.5 years. There was significant difference in the post-operative root length of aligned teeth compared to their normal antimeres (p < 0.005). Conclusion: Patients with impacted anterior teeth presented later than was beneficial for spontaneous alignment of their teeth. The average 1.5mm loss of root length observed was not detrimental to the anatomical retention or function of the aligned teeth. There is need for more enlightenment with regards to early presentation for dental problems to avoid expensive and time-consuming treatments.

Knowledge and Perception of Preclinical Dental Students about the Dental Training and Profession: a Comparative Study of two Dental Schools in Nigeria

Background: Differential exposure to a profession will affect an individual's knowledge and perception. The extent to which this occurs among Nigerian preclinical dental students in respect of the dental profession is still to be documented. Aim: To compare the knowledge and perception of dentistry among preclinical students in an old versus a new dental school.Methods: A 10-item questionnaire designed to assess knowledge and perception of dentistry and the dental profession was distributed among preclinical dental students of University of Ibadan (old school) and University of Port Harcourt (new school). The information gathered were compared and statistical differences were computed using SPSS version 14.0. Results: Clear disparities were observed between the two schools in three important aspects; i. understanding of the scope of dentistry; ii. awareness of advanced specialty options in dentistry; iii. knowledge of the relevance of some course content. Conclusion: University of Ibadan students appear to have a better knowledge of the dental profession compared to the students from the University of Port Harcourt. Formal familiarization programme for high school and preliminary dental students is advisable to provide proper motivation for prospective dental students