Periodontal health of the geriatric population in old-age homes of Delhi, India.

BACKGROUND: Periodontal disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in the geriatric population. Assessment of periodontal disease in a population is an important step in planning effective prevention and control programs for periodontal disease. Therefore, a study was carried out in old-age homes of Delhi to assess the periodontal status of 65-74-year-old elderly and recommend interventions to improve their periodontal health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 464 elderly from old-age homes of Delhi. Periodontal health status of the participants was determined using the WHO oral health assessment form. Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and loss of attachment (LOA) were recorded. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Chi-square test was used to determine statistically significant difference among CPI scores and LOA according to age and gender. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The result of the study showed that 25.4% of the elderly had healthy periodontium, 71.1% had a periodontal pocket of 6 mm or more, and 2.40% had a pocket depth of 4-5 mm. Around 36% had 6-8 mm LOA and 34.70% had 9-11 mm LOA. The difference between CPI scores among gender and age group was not significant (P = 0.20, P = 0.096). However, the difference among gender for LOA was found significant (P = 0.014). CONCLUSION: The results from this study show that periodontal health of elderly residing in old-age homes is very poor. The periodontal status of this population can be enhanced by special collaborative efforts from the government and various nongovernmental organizations toward preventive and curative periodontal health services.

Dental students' tooth shade selection ability in relation to years of dental education.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Perfect tooth shade selection is indispensable for successful esthetic dental restorations. Shade matching is a complex and multidimensional process that involves the cognitive ability of students. Hence, the aim of the present study was to assess and compare the shade matching ability of undergraduate dental students in various years of dental education. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 students enrolled in all five class years of the Bachelor of Dental Surgery course in a dental college in India. Each enrolled participant was presented with two exercises to assess shade matching ability. In the first exercise, basic shade matching ability of the students was assessed by a shade tab matching in a bench setting using Vitapan Classical shade guide. In the second exercise, the participants were asked to perform intraoral tooth color matching to evaluate their ability of shade matching in a clinical setup. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21 and descriptive statistics were applied. Chi-square test was applied to find out significant differences among years of education. RESULTS: For Exercise 1, 53 participants (35.30%) showed fair color matching ability in bench setting, 26.70% (n = 40) showed good ability, 22.70% (n = 34) demonstrated an excellent ability, whereas 15.30% (n = 23) had a poor ability of color matching. For Exercise 2, where clinical color matching ability of the students was analyzed, 34% (n = 51) obtained fair scores, 33.30% (n = 50) obtained good scores, 26% (n = 39) obtained excellent scores, whereas 6.70% (n = 10) of the participants had poor scores. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the clinical performance of dental students for shade matching improved as the years of dental education increased. Also, better outcomes were seen in clinical setting as compared to in vitro conditions.

Fostering cognizance of organ donation: An education-based approach.

INTRODUCTION: The knowledge of health professionals and trainees is of great importance as they could be very effective sources of motivation for the general population toward organ donation. So, a study was planned to improve the perceptions of students and faculty about organ donation. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A program-based educational intervention was implemented in a dental institute by a medical professional. It was attended by 168 participants, including interns, postgraduate students, and faculty members. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 27 questions about knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of organ donation was used. Statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software Version 23, IBM. The difference in knowledge and attitude according to various demographic factors was determined by applying independent t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. A Chi-square test was used to assess the association between demographic variables and willingness to sign organ donor card. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULT: The mean knowledge score of the study participants was 9.6 and the mean attitude score was 3.4 at the end of educational program. When association between willingness to sign organ card was assessed with age and gender, it was found that no such association existed. Statistically significant difference was found among males and females when compared for knowledge (P = 0.006) scores and among education group when compared for attitude (P = 0.0238). CONCLUSION: The present educational intervention for improving the perceptions of students and faculty about organ donation was successful as the study population was able to achieve sound knowledge and good attitude level.

Testing of a dental student-administered multidisciplinary health promotion program.

BACKGROUND: A multidisciplinary approach involving healthcare students for health promotion has been recommended. With this view, the primary phase of the integrated health promotion program (IHPP) was designed and pilot tested. METHODS: A pre-post-intervention study was conducted among 55 housewives of two self-help groups in India. The intervention consisted of a motivational interview, interactive session with a nutritionist, group discussion, personal hygiene training, and an illustrative reinforcement leaflet. Interventions were provided by trained dental students. The evaluation was based on outcomes from six tools specifically tailored for the program. These were the health self-regulation self-efficacy scale (HSSS), visual analogue scale (VAS) for self-health perception, oral health knowledge and attitude questionnaire, motivational interview, group discussion, and personal hygiene demonstration test. RESULTS: Statistically significant change in mean pre- and postprogram scores in HSSS (P < 0.001), its two components, metacognitive component, action component, as well as VAS (P = 0.001) indicated a change in health-related perceptions in the participants. Mean oral health knowledge score (6.1), as well as attitude score (3.8), was fair. Most of the participants were able to demonstrate personal hygiene and tooth brushing correctly; take collective decisions about their health, plan changes in their diet, and resolve upon bringing about healthy changes in their lifestyle. CONCLUSION: The program evaluation indicated successful intervention and may be replicated in a larger population. Healthcare student population may be used in developing countries to bring about an attitude change in the underprivileged population through an IHPP.

Distribution and prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in residents of old age homes in Delhi, India.

BACKGROUND: It has been seen that very less attention has been given to the oral health of the geriatric population residing in old age homes and as the oral mucosal lesions are a matter of concern for this growing population. Therefore, a study was done with the objective of finding the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions and the distribution of oral mucosal lesions among 65-74 year old residents of old age homes in Delhi, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study was done on 65-74 year old age group elders of old age homes in Delhi. A total of 464 subjects participated in the study. Oral Health Assessment Form, WHO was used for assessing oral mucosa. Clinical examination was performed using two mouth mirrors under natural illumination in a systematic manner. Data was processed and analyzed using SPSS version 23. RESULTS: Out of a total of 464 subjects, 291 (62.70%) were males and 173 (37.30%) were females. Oral mucosal lesions seen in the study subjects were malignant tumours, leukoplakia, lichen planus, ulcerations, ANUG, Abscess and candidiasis. Leukoplakia was seen in 70 subjects (15%) and was present on buccal mucosa in the majority. A malignant tumour was seen in 7 subjects (1.5%) and commonly seen area is floor of mouth. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of oral mucosal lesions among residents of old age homes shows the need for increased preventive and diagnostic measures for prevention and early identification of oro-mucosal lesions. Taking adequate care for oro-mucosal health of elderly people residing in old age homes is necessary.