COVID-19 outbreak and dental health care provision in Nigeria: a national survey.

BACKGROUND: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world is unprecedented, posing greater threats to vulnerable healthcare systems, especially in developing countries. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of dental healthcare providers in Nigeria about the disease and evaluate their responses to the preventive measures necessitated by COVID-19. METHODS: This was an online self-administered questionnaire-based study conducted among dentists practicing in Nigeria. A message containing the link to the survey was sent widely via social medial platforms and electronic mails to dentists practicing in Nigeria. The data collection was done between the 2nd of June and 3rd of July 2020. RESULTS: A total of 314 responses was recorded. Fever was the most specified generalized symptom (97.5%), while the use of masks (100%), hand hygiene (99.7%), social distancing (97.7%) and surface cleaning (99.4%) were the most commonly employed general preventive methods. The main identified risk of transmission in the clinic was aerosol generating procedures (98.7%). CONCLUSION: The general knowledge of dental personnel in our study population appears to be adequate on the common clinical features of COVID-19 but less adequate regarding the less common features. The COVID-19 pandemic has also modified some aspects of dental service delivery but more needs to be done in this regard. Preventive measures against the transmission of COVID-19 in dental practice settings include proper utilization of teledentistry, clinical triage, preprocedural 1% hydrogen peroxide oral rinses, and the use of appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which should always be encouraged.

Anthropometric Analysis of the Nigerian Face: Any Conformity to the Neoclassical Canons?

This study defines the facial anthropometric and aesthetic measurements in young Nigerians. This is a prospective cohort study involving facial anthropometric measurement in young adults without craniofacial abnormalities. Ten anthropometric measurements (upper facial height (tr-n), mid-facial height (n-sn), lower facial height (sn-gn), height of auricle (sa-sba) bilaterally, intercanthal width (en-en), palpebral fissure width (en-ex) bilaterally, face width (zy-zy), nose width (al-al), mouth width (ch-ch) and the interincisal distance) were determined. Proportions were compared with neoclassic cannons, published North American and Asian norms 151 individuals consisting of 50 males and 51 females with age range from 16 to 31 (23.9 + 2.49) were enrolled. Only 1% of the study population had equal facial thirds, the midface was the shortest of the facial thirds and the male gender generally had larger mean values of the facial dimensions than the female gender. About half of the participants had the lower third > upper third > middle third, the intercanthal width was equal to the nasal width in only about a tenth of the participants and less than the nasal width in majority (88.1%) of the participants and the mean interincisal distance was 51.1 (SD ±â€Š6.997). The anthropometric measurements from this Nigerian study do not conform to the neoclassical cannons. Racially sensitive facial canons and measurements are advocated during reconstructive and aesthetic interventions in the craniofacial region.

Updates on the epidemiology and pattern of traumatic maxillofacial injuries in a nigerian university teaching hospital: a 12-month prospective cohort in-hospital outcome study.

Many studies have been undertaken in Nigeria on maxillofacial trauma. However, only a few have considered both the skeletal and soft tissue injuries (in general) involving all the aspects of the maxillofacial region or considered other etiological sources of trauma apart from road traffic crashes. Fewer still have reviewed the outcome of management of facial injuries in our low-resource environment. This study sets out to examine the recent trends in both the clinical and epidemiological patterns of all facial injuries from all causes seen in a low-resource practice of a developing country. It also assessed the in-hospital treatment outcomes, and the levels of the patients' satisfaction with treatment received in this setting. Over a 12-month period, the clinical records of consecutive patients who were evaluated and treated for maxillofacial injuries in our unit were prospectively acquired, entered into predesigned forms and subsequently analyzed. There were 259 patients (79.5% males) during the study period. The mean age was 32.21( ± 16.588) years. Overall, motor bike crashes, 42.1%, were the commonest source of these traumas; and armed robbery was the commonest form (69.0%) of assault. Mandibular fractures were the commonest maxillofacial fractures (37.8%) whereas head injury had the highest frequency among the associated injuries (71.4%). Closed reduction and immobilization was deployed in 88.0% of those who had treatment and majority was satisfied with the esthetic outcome of the treatment received. Mean length of hospital stay was 12.6 ( ± 4.423) days. Maxillofacial trauma poses a significant socioeconomic burden on affected individuals in this study population. This is made worse by the presence of associated injuries in the other body systems. More local studies on the outcome of management of maxillofacial trauma will improve the available literature in this region.

Fibro-osseous lesions of the jaws in Ibadan, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Fibro-osseous lesion is a broad term for a diverse group of jaw disorders characterized by the replacement of normal bone by a benign fibrous connective tissue matrix. The present study reviewed the clinico-pathologic characteristics of all biopsied cases of fibro-osseous lesions at our hospital from 1990 to 2011, which we hope will serve as a reference database regionally. METHODS: A retrospective clinicopathological review of all histologically diagnosed cases of jaw fibro-osseous lesions seen at our Hospital between January 1990 and December 2011. RESULTS: A total of one hundred and twenty one fibro-osseous lesions of jaws were histological diagnosed in the 22-year period. The lesions documented included ossifying fibroma (62%), fibrous dysplasia (37.2%) and florid cemento-osseous dysplasia (0.8%). Fibro-osseous lesions of jaws were more in females (61.2%) than males (38.8%), giving a male to female ratio of 1:1.6. CONCLUSION: Fibro-osseous lesions of jaw are a diverse group and since it may not be possible to adequately separate them histologically, the development of a more rigorous clinical algorithm as indicated in this study is essential in reaching a final diagnosis especially in resource-limited settings.

Clear cell variant of squamous cell carcinoma of skin: A report of a case.

Clear cell squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a rare variant of SCC of skin in which ultraviolet radiation has been suggested as possible etiology. This case is that of a 62-year-old male concrete block maker/bricklayer who presented with a 6 months history of a non-healing ulcer on the left side of his face. Histology showed features of malignant epithelial neoplasm composed of islands of large oval to polyhedral malignant squamous cells with eosinophilic to amphophilic cytoplasm and vesicular nuclei and there were areas showing clear cell differentiation and isolated areas of keratin pearl formation. The lesion was also negative for periodic acid schiff, mucicarmine, and alcian blue stains but was strongly positive for AE1/AE3 (immuno-stain). This case showed an aggressive and bizarre clinical presentation but more report of cases are needed to have a better characterization of the clinical presentation and prognosis of this variant of SCC.