Missing teeth among school going children in a Peshawar sample

Congenitally missing teeth is the most common craniofacial malformation. It is present either individually or associated with syndrome. Hypodontia occur as a result of multifactorial trait, influenced by a combination of gene function, environmental interaction, hence vary among different ethnic regions. This study aims to determine the prevalence of missing teeth among the school going children in Peshawar, its occurrence rate among male and female and distribution of missing teeth in upper and lower jaw. This was a cross sectional study conducted with 780 school going children from age ranged 13 to 15 years. The data were recorded on a structured check list, analyzed by using SPSS version 15 and Micro Soft Excel. Out of total only 30 students were diagnosed as having missing teeth and accounted for 3.8% prevalence [3.0% in female, and 1.5% in male]. Left mandibular site accounted highest frequency 10[33.3%]. Mandibular 2nd premolar was the most commonly observed missing tooth among the sampled students. Hypodontia was more prevalent in females, though not significantly differ

Oral health assessment and barriers to seek care in internally displaced persons from Bajaur agency, Pakistan

The aim of the study was to assess the oral health status of internally displaced persons from Bajaur Agency living in Jalozai Internally Displaced Persons camp, in Pakistan and to identify the barriers leading to unmet treatment needs. It was a descriptive analytical study, carried out at Jalozai Internally Displaced Persons camp. A total number of 400 individuals were studied. A WHO oral health assessment tool was modified and used while a separate questionnaire was developed to identify barriers to seek dental care. Oral mucosal infections were present in 31.8% of the studied population with oral ulcerations being the commonest. Prevalence of periodontal infections was 69%. The DMFT value for the population was 3.92%. Majority of the population relied upon self treatment. Financial reasons were considered by 74.2% of the subjects to be the most common barrier for unmet treatment needs. The high prevalence of caries, periodontal infections, oral mucosal infections as well as barriers to unmet oral health needs pose a significant threat to the overall health of the Internally Displaced Persons from Bajaur Agency