Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and its association with dental treatment needs of adolescents in a rural Nigerian community

Aim: To validate and determine the applicability of OHIP-14 in assessing the impact of unmet dental treatment needs on the quality of life of adolescents in a rural community. Methods: The OHIP-14 questionnaire and the Aesthetic component (AC) of Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) were data collection instruments in a cross sectional survey among students in a rural community. The reliability and validity of the OHIP-14 as well as the association between it and dental treatment needs including malocclusion was assessed. Data obtained was analyzed using Mann Whitney U Test. Results: The mean age of participants was 14.9 (±1.6) years. The OHIP-14 had acceptable Cronbach alpha value of 0.8. It could discriminate between respondents with or without dental treatment needs due to caries and dental trauma (p <0.001). The OHIP-14 did not differentiate between respondents with or without orthodontic treatment need (p= 0.808). However, significant association existed between being irritable with people and unmet orthodontic treatment needs (p= 0.032). Conclusion: The OHIP-14 is a valid and reliable quality of life assessment tool in young adolescents in this rural community. However, only the social disability domain component discriminated significantly between those with or without orthodontic treatment needs. (AU)

The Wits appraisal among a Nigerian sub-population: an assessment of dental base geometric factors

The Wits appraisal is a common linear cephalometric analytic tool established by Jacobson. It has been reported to be superior to angular cephalometric measures as it is not dependent on pericranial structures and their variations both during growth and orthodontic treatment. AIM: To obtain reference values for the Wits appraisal among Nigerians and assess the effect of the dental base geometry on it. METHODS: Lateral cephalometric radiographs of 100 Nigerian subjects with normal occlusion were analyzed to obtain the Wits appraisal, and the effect of the vertical distance from subspinale to supramentale, length of the palatal and mandibular planes, the mandibular plane angle as well as the palatal plane angle were assessed using the ANOVA and linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean age was 20.69 ± 4.9 years. Thirty-four (34%) were males and 66(66%) were females. Mean Wits value of -3.43 ± 3.24 mm was obtained based on the functional occlusal plane (FOP). Linear regression analysis showed that the vertical height from subspinale (A point) to supramentale (B point) caused a significant change in the Wits appraisal reading in participants still undergoing active growth process (less than 16 years of age) (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: It is advocated that the Wits appraisal be used as a moderator to the ANB angle among Nigerians. However, as a result of dental height variations its use in growing Nigerian children requires caution.