Prevalence of anterior teeth fracture among visually impaired individuals, India.

AIM: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of anterior teeth fracture among visually impaired individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 103 blind individuals (70 males and 33 females), with age ranges from 10 years to 29 years, the survey was carried out according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and by using WHO classification for teeth fracture. All subjects were divided into two groups on the basis of whether they are partially sighted or totally blind. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test, with keeping the level of significance at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of 34.95% of traumatic injuries to anterior teeth was found in the study population with no significant difference between both groups (P < 0.05). Female were having significantly more fracture than males (P < 0.005). Fall being indoor was the most common cause. Permanent maxillary central incisors were most commonly injured with injuries involving enamel and dentin being the most frequently observed. Increased overjet and inadequate lip coverage were significantly associated with the occurrence of trauma (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of dental injuries in a group of individuals with blind. This should alert caregivers to carry out a profound investigation of the events and suggest methods to reduce this type of morbidity.

Prevalence of allergy to latex gloves among dental professionals in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.

PURPOSE: Nowadays, gloves are worn routinely by most general dental practitioners while treating patients, with latex being the most commonly used glove material worldwide. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of allergy to latex gloves among dental professionals of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 163 dental professionals (73% males and 27% females) were surveyed using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was comprised of a total of 12 items and gave information about the participants and their glove use, namely demographic profile, working habits and glove use, signs and symptoms related to glove use, any other type of allergy, as well as precautions taken to minimise it. The statistical analysis was performed using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests to compare frequency and percentage. The level of significance was set at P u 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 26 (16%) dental professionals reported allergy to latex gloves, of which females (27.3%) reported significantly greater allergy than males (11.8%) (P = 0.016). The number of years of glove use was significantly associated with allergy to latex gloves (P = 0.000). The prevalence of allergy to latex gloves was significantly greater for those who had allergy to pollen grains, foodstuffs and rubber dam, those who had asthma or history of eczema and those with family history of allergy. However, allergy to latex gloves was independent of age, type of gloves used, hours of use per day as well as number of patients seen per day. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed a high rate of allergy to latex gloves among dental professionals in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.