Awareness regarding screening of oral cancers in young dental graduate

Oral cancer is an ideal cancer to identify early by screening. Dentists can play a critical role in the early diagnosis of oral cancers. Because oral and pharyngeal cancers can be recognized at an earliest stage by visual and tactile examination, dentists are one of the most likely groups of health care practitioners who have a key role in counseling patients regarding early detection of oral cancer. Assessment of the level of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of dental health care workers regarding oral cancer is thus important and it is vital to train such professionals in oral cancer risk, prevention and control measures, and detection procedures. The aim of this study was thus to investigate the oral cancer awareness of dentist at Lahore dental schools by assessing knowledge and attitude about oral cancer risk factors. This cross-sectional survey was conducted between September to October 2011 by self-administered questionnaires among a random sample of 75 young dentists of dental institutes of Lahore. Questionnaires were then entered in the SPSS and quantitative e qualitative data was analyzed. Though dentists were aware of risk factors associated with oral cancers and understand the importance of screening in early diagnosis as shown by this study but more education was needed in dental schools, postgraduate programs and continuing education programs to enhance dental professionals' knowledge of Oral Cancer risk factors and diagnostic concepts. Such programs should include information about adjunctive diagnostic aids as well

Correlation between salivary glucose level and gingivitis in patients with diabetes

Type 1 Diabetes has been linked with an increased risk of gingivitis and periodontal disease. Patients with periodontal disease and/or diabetes show differences in the profile of constituents in whole saliva. This profile reflects the nature and amplitude of the host response to a periodontal microbial challenge and /or response to diabetes mellitus. To compare gingival health between control group and patients with type I Diabetes and to assess whether there is any association between gingivitis/periodontitis and salivary glucose level. Study was conducted on 90 subjects; 30 control and 60 diabetics. Gingival and periodontal status was assessed for both the groups clinically. Then un-stimulated whole saliva samples from diabetics and control group were collected stored and frozen at -20°C. Saliva samples were then thawed, centrifuged and its supernatant portion was analyzed by Dimension Clinical Chemistry System for Salivary glucose levels. SPSS 17.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results showed that gingivitis was statistically significantly higher among the type I diabetic patients when compared with the control group p < 0.05. It was concluded that gingival health was compromised in diabetic children. It was also concluded that salivary glucose levels were higher in the patients with type I as compared to control group

Dental caries and diabetes mellitus

Diabetes Mellitus has been linked with increased incidence of dental caries. Aim of this study was to compare caries incidence between control group and diabetic patients and to assess whether there is any association between dental caries and salivary glucose level and salivary calcium levels. Study was conducted on 60 subjects; 30 control and 30 diabetics. DFT [Decayed Filled Teeth Score] was assessed for both the groups clinically. Then un-stimulated whole saliva samples from diabetics and control group were collected, stored and frozen at -20C. Saliva samples were then defrosted, centrifuged and their supernatant portion were analyzed by Dimension Clinical Chemistry System for Salivary glucose and calcium levels. SPSS 16.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results showed that DFT score was higher among the diabetic patients [2.49] when compared with the control group [0.53]. It was also concluded that salivary glucose levels were higher and salivary calcium levels were lower in the diabetic patients as compared to control group

Sensitivity and specificity of saliva in estimation of anti-HCV antibodies

This study was done to assess the efficacy of saliva as a screening tool in Hepatitis C infection when collected in a sterile test tube by simple spitting process. Anti Hepatitis C Virus antibodies [Anti-HCV] were detected in salivary samples of patients and healthy controls without using any special salivary collection device. Paired serum and oral fluid collections were obtained from 50 HCV positive cases and twenty five negative individuals. Saliva samples were collected in a sterile disposable plastic test tube by simple spitting of un-stimulated saliva by the study subjects. A modification of the serum HCV ELISA assay was developed to improve test accuracy for an oral fluid substrate. The presence or absence of anti-HCV antibodies in the blood serum was taken as gold standard against which anti-HCV levels in saliva were comparid. Overall sensitivity of saliva to detect Anti HCV antibodies was found to be 94.2% while specificity was 100%. This simple method of oral fluid collection proved to be an effective alternative to special collection saliva can be used as a cost effective screening tool for initial screening of hepatitis C infection in high risk populations

Oral health status in diabetic children

Objectives: diabetes causes numerous oral and salivary changes leading to cariogenic and gingival lesions. The present study was designed to elucidate the role of diabetes mellitus in oral health

Methods: a cross-sectional study including 60 diabetic children [case group] and 30 non diabetic children [control group] of age 3-14 years was conducted. HbA1c and blood glucose level was measured along with the oral health including gingival status and dental caries status was visually assessed. Gingival status was coded for healthy, marginal gingivitis and calculus. Dental caries status [decayed and filled] for both deciduous and permanent dentition was assessed. Data was recorded in a pre-coded oral health proforma, which was then entered and analyzed in SPSS version 10.0. Descriptive analysis such as percentage frequencies and means was performed. Exact Chi-square test was used to analyze any significant changes observed amongst the study population, where level of significance was p < 0.05 with confidence interval 95%

Results: the results show important difference between both groups of children. Dental caries level is significantly higher in diabetic children both in deciduous and permanent dentition than in non-diabetic children [p <0.05]. Gingival health was also observed to be debilitated in diabetic children than non- diabetic children [p < 0.05]

Conclusion: the study highlights that special preventive measures must be adopted to maintain a good oral health of the diabetic children

Oral hygiene status and brushing practices of individuals with sensory and physical disabilities in Lahore, Pakistan

Objective: this study was designed to determine the oral hygiene status and brushing habits of individuals with special needs having sensory and physical disabilities in Lahore, and compare the results with an age- and gender-matched healthy control group

Materials and methods: a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted and a convenience sample of 300 individuals including 200 individuals with special needs having sensory and physical disabilities and 100 healthy control individuals with mean age of 11.49 +/- 2.961 years [age range: 6-17 years] was selected for the study. The oral hygiene status was determined utilizing the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index. Information regarding the brushing habits was obtained through an especially designed questionnaire. Study groups were selected from three special education institutions and one school for normal individuals from Lahore. All the subjects belonged to the low socioeconomic group

Results: the mean OHI [S] score for the complete sample was 2.0780 +/- 1.46470. Mean OHI [S] values for control individuals were significantly lower than that for individuals with sensory and physical disabilities. When the OHI [S] scores of individuals were analyzed based on the groups i.e. normal, sensory disabled and physically disabled, the difference was statistically significant [p <0.05]. Physically disabled persons were having significantly higher mean OHI [S] values than the sensory disabled group. Among individual classes of people with sensory disabilities, blind, individuals with uncontrolled reflexes and cerebral palsy were having the highest mean OHI [S] values. Data regarding the brushing practices suggested that normal individuals were more regular in brushing teeth as compared to individuals with sensory and physical disabilities. The difference was statistically significant [p < 0.05]. No significant age and sex differences were found in the oral hygiene and brushing practices of normal and special needs categories

Conclusions: oral hygiene status of special needs group was significantly poorer than that of control group. Among the individual classes of special needs group, blind individuals in the sensory disabled and individuals uncontrolled reflexes were having the worst oral hygiene status. The individuals with special needs were having more irregular brushing habits as compared to the control group