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ABSTRACT: Oral and dental health are vital parts of general baby health, and early dental visits provide significant prevention-focused intervention and parental counseling regarding oral health. Evaluating the age and main complaints of children is therefore important during their first dental visit (FDV). The purposes of this study were to determine the age, reason for the visit, behavioral response, and caries status at the FDV and to evaluate the factors affecting these parameters. Parents of 325 pediatric patients (159 males; 166 females; mean age 7.20±2.78 years) at their FDV were asked to fill out a questionnaire requesting sociodemographic information and their child's medical history, brushing habits, and reasons for attending dental consultation. The decayed-missing-filled-teeth (dmft/DMFT) scores were also recorded. The child's behavioral responses during the FDV were evaluated according to Frankl's Behavior Rating Scale (FBRS). Higher maternal education level and dmft/DMFT score were associated with earlier FDV age. The most common reason for the FDV was dental caries in 33.5% of patients, followed by toothache (29.5%). Most of the children showed positive behavior (46.7%), with positive behavior affected by age and negative behavior affected by the dmft/DMFT score and distance from home. The mean dmft/ DMFT score was 8.1±4.4 and was negatively affected by toothbrushing frequency and family income. These study results indicate that Turkish children living in Edirne present at a late age for the FDV. Raising awareness in terms of dental health care among parents is important to ensure that children attend their FDV at an early age.
RESUMEN: La salud oral y dental son partes vitales de la salud general del bebé, y las visitas dentales tempranas brindan una importante intervención centrada en la prevención y asesoramiento a los padres sobre la salud bucal. Por lo tanto, evaluar la edad y las principales quejas de los niños es importante durante su primera visita al dentista (FDV por sus siglas en inglés). El propósito de este estudio fue determinar la edad, motivo de visita, respuesta conductual y estado de caries en la FDV y evaluar los factores que afectan estos parámetros. A los padres de 325 pacientes pediátricos (159 hombres; 166 mujeres; edad media 7,20±2,78 años) en su FDV se les pidió que llenaran un cuestionario solicitando información sociodemográfica y el historial médico de su hijo, hábitos de cepillado y motivos de presentación a la consulta dental. También se registraron las puntuaciones de dientes cariados-faltantes-obturados (dmft/DMFT). Las respuestas conductuales del niño durante la FDV se evaluaron de acuerdo con la escala de calificación de conducta de Frankl (FBRS). Un mayor nivel de educación materna y una puntuación de dmft/DMFT se asociaron con una edad más temprana de la FDV. La causa más común de la FDV fue la caries dental en el 33,5% de los pacientes, seguida del dolor de muelas (29,5%). La mayoría de los niños mostró un comportamiento positivo (46,7%), con un comportamiento positivo afectado por la edad y un comportamiento negativo afectado por el puntaje dmft/DMFT y la distancia del hogar. La puntuación media de dmft/DMFT fue de 8,1±4,4 y se vio afectada negativamente por la frecuencia de cepillado de dientes y los ingresos familiares. Los resultados de este estudio indican que los niños turcos que viven en Edirne se presentan a una edad avanzada para la FDV. Es importante concienciar a los padres sobre el cuidado de la salud dental para garantizar que los niños asistan a su FDV a una edad temprana.
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Humans , Male , Female , Infant , Child, Preschool , Oral Hygiene , Tooth, Deciduous/growth & development , Dental Caries , Turkey , DentistsABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to describe the timing of the first dental visit and investigate the association of socioeconomic and behavioral factors with dental visit delay among 10/11-year-old children from two live-birth population cohorts with extremely contrasting socioeconomic profiles. Follow-up data (2004-2005) from cohorts of Ribeirão Preto (RP) (n=790) and São Luís (SL) (n=673) were evaluated. Delay in dental visit was defined as not visiting a dentist before the age of 7. Covariates included family socioeconomic characteristics, mother-related health behavior, and child-related characteristics. Prevalence ratios with robust standard errors were estimated. In both cohorts, less than 5% of children had visited a dentist before the age of two and about 35% of them had not visited a dentist before the age of seven. Lower mother's schooling and lack of private health insurance were associated with the delay in first dental visit for both cohorts. A small number of mother's prenatal care visits and being from a single-father family or a family without parents were only associated in the RP cohort, while having ≥4 siblings and lifetime dental pain were associated in the SL cohort. The association with dental pain probably reveals a preventive care-seeking behavior. Therefore, the percentage of delayed first dental visit of children was very high even among those with the most educated mothers. Further studies are necessary to analyze recent changes and underlying factors related to access to first dental visit after the implementation of the National Oral Health Policy in 2006.
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Humans , Male , Female , Child , Socioeconomic Factors , Dental Care for Children/trends , Brazil/epidemiology , Prevalence , Cohort Studies , Educational StatusABSTRACT
Limb elongation surgeries have been described as an important modality for the management of proximal focal femoral deficiencies. Limb reconstruction systems are available to perform these limb lengthening procedures.Congenital focal femoral deficiency is a clinical condition that was first described by Aitken. They are congenital disfigurements of the lower extremities, mostly involving proximal femur. However, they are clearly distinguishable from isolated coxa vara1. It has clinical presentations varying from short femur in mild cases to coxa-vara deformity seen in extreme cases. Other presentations include pseudoarthrosis in the proximal femur, hypoplasia of the lateral femoral condyle, absent cruciate ligaments of knees, muscle hypoplasia, and sponge like network of vessels in the proximal femoral plate.1,2Limb lengthening is performed in patients with Paley’s type 1a and 1b congenital femoral deficiency. In cases with Paley Type 2a congenital femoral deficiency, treatment options include knee arthrodesis along with extension prosthesis fitting. Van des rotationplasty, Symes amputation or ablative techniques are the other surgical modalities available.3,4Current literature does not provide us with just a single treatment of choice which is completely safe and successful for limb lengthening procedure in congenital proximal focal femoral deficiency patients. Limb reconstruction system is an excellent method for femoral lengthening by external fixation technique.5 Here we present a case of a female child, aged seven with unilateral proximal femoral focal deficiency managed with LRS technique.
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BACKGROUND: Behavior guidance is a technique used to subdue inappropriate behavior by establishing communication that meets the needs of a child. This study aimed to measure the effectiveness of a mobile app (Little Lovely Dentist) compared to the tell-show-do (TSD) technique in managing anxious children during their first dental visit.METHODS: Fifty children (30 boys and 20 girls) without any past dental experience, aged from 7 to 11 years, were randomly allocated into either the dental app group or the TSD group. The pre- and post-operative anxiety of children who underwent prophylactic cleaning was assessed both physiologically and subjectively using a heart rate measurement and the RMS pictorial scale, respectively.RESULTS: The intragroup comparison of heart rate and RMS scores for children allocated to the dental app group was statistically significant (P value ≤ 0.001). However, a significant reduction only occurred in the RMS scores, but not the heart rate measurements, in the TSD group. Conversely, there was an increase in heart rates in the TSD group.CONCLUSION: Educating the child prior to a dental procedure using a smartphone application such as Little Lovely Dentist can significantly alleviate the anticipatory anxiety and engage children in dental treatment during their first visit.
Subject(s)
Child , Humans , Anxiety , Dental Anxiety , Dentists , Heart Rate , Love , Mobile Applications , SmartphoneABSTRACT
Background: Early assessment of the oral health status of children has the potential to reduce or even eliminate oral diseases. Paediatricians are considered a perfect and reliable source for oral health control and prevention. In dentistry, clinical practice is directed towards attitudes that promote oral health and the paediatricians occupy a privileged position in this process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and awareness of paediatricians in the prevention of dental caries in 3 district quarters, India. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken among 123 registered paediatricians in Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) Karnataka directory and digest 2011-2013, Karnataka society. Out of which, 42 did not participate as their email address were not available. 29 sets of questions were mailed to all 81 paediatricians. Results: The response rate of the survey was 90% (70 out of 81), a total of 59% felt that the frequency of Early Childhood Caries (ECC) in their O.P.D was at least once a week. 51% responded that bacteria causing dental caries cannot be transmitted between mother and child. 53% felt that 1 year would be ideal for first dental visit. 64% of pediatricians were not aware that fluoride dentifrices and dental sealants will prevent dental caries. Conclusions: In general, pediatricians’ knowledge, attitudes and awareness regarding oral health and prevention of dental caries was not satisfactory. It is essential to develop oral health information programs to pediatricians.
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An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Gentle introduction to the dental environment is an excellent way to learn proper oral hygiene at an early age. A retrospective study from the year 2009-08/2012 and prospective study from the year 09/2012-08/2013 was carried out using the records of children who have reported to OPD of Pediatric Dentistry, CKS Dental College at Tirupathi. The age group of the children were0-3years, 3-6years and above 6years. The various chief complaints were categorized as pain, cavities, stains, bad breath, un-erupted tooth, fractures, irregular teeth and others. The average age group and most common complaint at first dental visit was assessed. The maximum number of children who reported for the first time was above 6years and most common complaint was dental caries and second most common complaint being pain.
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Oral examination of an infant forms an important first step toward a lifetime of excellent oral health. Examining an infant during the first visit and the subsequent preventive examination visits may be challenging to dentists and pediatric dentists. There are few concerns regarding the effective oral examination using the traditional “knee-to-knee” position. This paper presents a new, simple infant examination table (INFANTT) to facilitate this examination. This table has many advantages, which includes its stability and simplicity. It is non-threatening and resembles common household furniture. Various modifications of the basic design are also possible to suit the individual dentist’s preferences and dental office needs. Additionally, it is possible to use this INFANTT for performing fluoride varnish applications, taking radiographs of the anterior teeth and extraction of natal, neonatal teeth and traumatized teeth.
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Introduction: Good oral health is a mirror of overall health and well-being. Oral health is determined by diet, oral hygiene practices, and the pattern of dental visits. Poor oral health has significant social and economic consequences. Outreach programs conducted by dental schools offer an opportunity for early diagnosis and treatment, dental health education, and institution of preventive measures. Objective: To assess the utilization of oral healthcare services among adults attending outreach programs. Materials and Methods: This study included 246 adults aged 18-55 years attending community outreach programs in and around Bangalore. Using a questionnaire we collected data on dental visits, perceived oral health status, reasons for seeking care, and barriers in seeking care. Statistical significance was assessed using the Chi-square test. Results: In this sample, 28% had visited the dentist in the last 12 months. Males visited dentist more frequently than females. The main reason for a dental visit was for tooth extraction (11%), followed by restorative and endodontic treatment 6%. The main barriers to utilization of dental services were high cost (22%), inability to take time off from child care duties (19.5%), and fear of the dentist or dental tools (8.5%). Conclusion: The utilization of dental services in this population was poor. The majority of the dental visits were for treatment of acute symptoms rather than for preventive care. High cost was the main barrier to the utilization of dental services. Policies and programs should focus on these factors to decrease the burden of oral diseases and to improve quality of life among the socioeconomically disadvantaged.
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O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o perfil dos pacientes com deficiência atendidos no projeto de extensão "Conquistando Saúde: atendimento a pacientes com necessidades especiais" do Curso de Odontologia da Universidade Luterana do Brasil - Campus Canoas / RS, no período de 2001 a 2006. A coleta dos dados foi feita a partir dos prontuários dos pacientes atendidos no referido período. Observou-se um equilíbrio entre os pacientes do sexo masculino e feminino, uma maior procura ao serviço por pacientes jovens, procedentes de Canoas e com distúrbios neurológicos. Aproximadamente 80% dos pacientes apresentavam experiência de cárie. A partir dos resultados obtidos sugere-se o estabelecimento de políticas públicas de promoção de saúde e reorientação de serviços odontológicos que facilitem o acesso e a utilização por indivíduos com deficiências.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the profile of patients with disabilities served by the extension project "Conquering Health: serving patients with special needs" in the School of Dentistry Lutheran University of Brazil - Canoas Campus/RS, from 2001 to 2006. The data was collected from patients's charts. A similar number of male and female patients, a higher prevalence of young patients, coming from Canoas and with neurological disorders was observed. Approximately 80% of the patients with disabilities presented caries. The results obtained suggest the establishment of public policies on health promotion and reorientation of dental services that facilitate access and use by individuals with disabilities.
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Humans , Male , Female , Dental Care , Health Profile , Disabled PersonsABSTRACT
Association between oral habits and tooth wear lesions among adult male population in a rural community in Nigeria was investigated in this cross-sectional study. Participants were 200 consenting males mean aged 35.6 ±11.7 years living in Igbo-Ora community for 5 consecutive years preceding the study. A 15-item semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from the participants. Oral examination to establish the presence of tooth wear lesions was carried out by two examiners who had one day training on the diagnostic criteria for attrition, abrasion and erosion. Frequencies and percentages of relevant variables were reported. Chi-square test was used to test associations between categorical variables at 5% level of significance. Results showed that 53.0% of study subjects had one form of tooth wear lesion. There was a significant association between tooth wear lesions and age, materials used in cleaning the teeth, tooth cleaning techniques, teeth grinding and alcohol consumption (p<0.05). Presence of attrition and multiple tooth wear lesions were significantly associated with discomfort (p<0.05). The study has shown the important relationship between some oral habits and tooth wear lesion in this group of people. This has implication to public health campaigns aimed at reducing the incidence of and progression of tooth wear lesion among the people in the rural community.