Sugar consumption pattern of 13-year-old school children in Belgaum city, Karnataka.

To determine the sugar consumption pattern of the school children in Belgaum city and to organize for a diet-counseling program. Easy availability of sugar containing food and high consumption of these sweets if continued unabated, the dental caries among children would become a major public health problem. In this instance, Dietary counseling can be just appropriate to inhibit the carious process. 342 school children aged 13 years, from four schools in Belgaum city participated in the study. The pattern of sugar consumption was assessed using a 4-day diet diary. Analysis was done according to the method described by Nizel and Papas (Nutrition in clinical dentistry, 1989, 277) and the variables were: the sweet score, At meal sugar exposure (AMSE), Between meal sugar exposure (BMSE) and Total sugar exposure (TSE). The mean, standard deviation and/or frequency were calculated for all variables. Student's t-test was used to statistically analyze the gender difference. The mean + SD of the recorded variables were: sweet score 31 + 12.78/day, AMSE 0.88 + 0.33/day, BMSE 3.95 + 0.87/day, and TSE 4.83 + 0.96/day. No statistical significant gender difference with respect to the variables was observed. 'Tell Show And Do' Diet counseling session will perhaps have a greater impact as compared to the most common strategy of simply exhorting the children to eat less sugar.

Toothbrush age, wear, and plaque control.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the effect of toothbrush age and wear on plaque control. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 36 dental students were recruited for the 3-month double blind trail. Each participant received commercially purchased soft toothbrush and nonfluoridated toothpaste. Group I (n= 18) used the same brush for 3 months and Group II (n=18) replaced the brush every month. Toothbrush wear was recorded using Rawls formula (1989) and Plaque score was recorded using Patient Hygiene Performance index (1968). Recalls for the participants were scheduled after 1 (T1), 2 (T2) and 3 months (T3). OBSERVATIONS: Results indicated that the toothbrush wear varied widely amongst the participants. 25-62% wear was observed in Group I and 6-24% in Group II. The participants using the same toothbrush for 3-months did not exhibit statistically significant different plaque scores compared to those who replaced their toothbrush every month. Toothbrush age and wear was not related to plaque control.

Dental caries experience and salivary levels of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli in 13-15 years old children of Belgaum city, Karnataka.

The present cross-sectional study was carried out in 372 school going children of Belgaum aged 13-15 years. The sample was selected by two stage random sampling method. The aim of the study was to estimate the salivary levels of Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli and to study the relationship between these microorganisms and dental caries experience. The DMFT was recorded according to the WHO criteria(1997).The microbial load was estimated from a single saliva sample obtained from the children. The mean DMFT recorded was 2.41. Streptococcus mutans was detected in 87.37% and Lactobacilli in only 36.71% of the sample. Statistically, highly significant relation was found between Streptococcus mutans and DMFT categories ( 2 =125.36, P< 0.001), while Lactobacilli was not statistically related to DMFT categories ( chi2 =8.78, P>0.05).