ABSTRACT
AIM: To analyse sound levels and sound pollution in a Pediatric Dental Clinic and to analyse whether the levels are significant to the extent of being a health hazard. METHODS: Noise levels were measured in a Pediatric dental clinic in an institutional setting with a precision noise level meter ((HTC 1350). Recordings were taken at different times of the day, at the centre, chair-side, reception, play area and four corners of the department keeping the microphone at a distance of 6 in. from the operator's ear. The noise levels of various equipments i.e. suction, micromotor, airotor were measured with the equipments turned on and during cutting operations with the microphone placed at a distance of 6 in. from the sound source. The sound levels for the laboratory equipments were taken at a distance of 6 in. and 2 m. RESULTS: The highest mean sound levels were recorded at the reception, play area and chair-side area with least mean sound levels recorded at 9:00am which increased at 11:30am & 2:00pm and reduced again at 3:30pm The maximum sounds were produced by the lathe trimmer, airotor and scaler. CONCLUSION: Noise levels in a pediatric clinic approach the level of risk of hearing loss [85 db(A)]. This would have a serious effect on both providers and patients and a concerted effort would be required to control the noise levels and thus avoid the potential health hazards that it poses.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Cognitive development is a major area of human development and was extensively studied by Jean Piaget. He proposed that the development of intellectual abilities occurs in a series of relatively distinct stages and that a child's way of thinking and viewing the world is different at different stages. AIM: To assess Piaget's principles of the intuitive stage of preoperational period among 4-7-year-old children relative to their Intelligence quotient (IQ). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Various characteristics as described by Jean Piaget specific for the age group of 4-7 years along with those of the previous (preconceptual stage of preoperational period) and successive periods (concrete operations) were analysed using various experiments in 300 children. These characteristics included the concepts of perceptual and cognitive egocentrism, centration and reversibility. IQ of the children was measured using Seguin form board test. Inferential statistics were performed using Chi-square test and Kruskal Wallis test. The level of statistical significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of perceptual and cognitive egocentrism was 10.7% and 31.7% based on the experiments and 33% based on the interview question. Centration was present in 96.3% of the children. About 99% children lacked the concept of reversibility according to the clay experiment while 97.7% possessed this concept according to the interview question. The mean IQ score of children who possessed perceptual egocentrism, cognitive egocentrism and egocentrism in dental setting was significantly higher than those who lacked these characteristics. CONCLUSION: Perceptual egocentrism had almost disappeared and prevalence of cognitive egocentrism decreased with increase in age. Centration and lack of reversibility were appreciated in most of the children. There was a gradual reduction in the prevalence of these characters with increasing age. Mean IQ score of children who possessed perceptual egocentrism, cognitive egocentrism and egocentrism in dental setting was higher.
