The effect of chewing stick use on oral hygiene and gingival health of young adults in Nigeria

Objective: The maintenance of good oral hygiene contributes to gingiva health. Several items have been used for mechanical removal of plague, examples of which are the chewing stick and toothbrush. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of using chewing stick to maintain gingival health. Methods: A randomised, single blind, (clinical investigator) experimental study was conducted among 40 persons (20 chewing stick group and 20 toothbrush and toothpaste group). Data was collected through the use of interviewer-administered questionnaire and clinical examination. Evaluation of the effect on gingival health were done 3weeks and 6weeks after the baseline treatment (Scaling and polishing and oral hygiene instruction with emphasis on the use of toothbrush or chewing stick depending on which group . Results: The mean age of participants in the study was 21.58±2.43years. Participants in chewing stick group had significantly higher oral hygiene score than toothbrush group at 3 weeks post intervention only (P=0.03). The chewing stick group and toothbrush group did not have any significant difference in mean gingival index score at both 3 weeks and 6weeks post intervention stages. Conclusion: Chewing stick use resulted in poorer oral hygiene in the initial assessment but improved at second assessment. Chewing stick use resulted in lower non-significant positive effect on gingival health in comparison with toothbrush/toothpaste use. Dentists in resource poor economy should not discourage the use of chewing stick but rather educate users on the proper use of it, since it is cost effective

The promotion of oral health within Health Promoting Schools in KwaZulu-Natal

Background. Oral health promotion is a cost-effective strategy that can be implemented at schools for the prevention of oral diseases. The importance and value of school-based interventions in children has been identified in South Africa (SA). Although oral health strategies include integrated school-based interventions, there is a lack of published evidence on whether these strategies have been translated into practice and whether these programmes have been evaluated.Objective. To assess the efficiency and sustainability of the toothbrushing programme implemented at health-promoting schools in KwaZulu-Natal Province, SA.Methods. A mixed-methods approach was used for this study, conducted at 23 health-promoting schools in KwaZulu-Natal using focus group discussions. Triangulation was used for evaluation.Results. The intervention implemented had created awareness of oral health for learners, educators and parents. Findings in this study indicate that although there were benefits obtained from this school-based intervention, many challenges, such as time constraints, large classes and a lack of adequate resources and funding, affected the sustainability of the programme.Conclusion.The school setting has the potential to deliver integrated preventive and promotive programmes provided they are supportedby adequate funding and resources

Does any Relationship Exist between Self Reported Gingival Bleeding; Oral Health Perception; Practices and Concerns?

Background: The objective was to determine the relationship between self-reported gingival bleeding; oral health perception; practices and concerns. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey among undergraduates of University of Benin; Benin City; Nigeria was conducted between April and May; 2011 using a self-administered 21-item structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences and P0.05 was considered significant. Results: Out of the 400 questionnaires that were distributed; 338 were returned filled giving a retrieval rate of 84.5 . About three-quarters (71.3) of the respondents were younger than 22 years. Males constituted 65.1 while the remaining 34.9 were females. The prevalence of self-reported gingival bleeding among respondents in this study was 12.7 . Individuals with gingival bleeding were significantly more likely to rate their dental and gingival health as fair/poor; use strong brushing stroke during tooth brushing and report worsening condition of teeth despite daily tooth brushing; express worry about the gingival color and less likely to be satisfied about the appearance of their teeth and to have received professional instruction on tooth brushing. Conclusion: Data from this survey revealed an established relationship between gingival bleeding; perceived dental and gingival health; tooth brushing force; professional instruction on tooth brushing; perception of the condition of teeth in relation to daily tooth brushing; worry about the color of gingiva; and satisfaction with the appearance of the teeth