Dental caries experience in relation to body mass index and anthropometric measurements of rural children of Nellore district: A cross-sectional study.

CONTEXT: The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and dental caries consists of multiple contributing factors. There have been no studies documented in the literature in this part of rural India assessing the prevalence of dental caries in relation to BMI. Hence, an attempt was made to study dental caries in relation to BMI and anthropometric measurements. AIMS: The aims were to study dental caries experience in relation to BMI and anthropometric measurements of rural children in Nellore district. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in Nellore city. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 1500 6- and 12-year-old children were examined. Dental caries was examined using the WHO dentition status criteria (1997) and 1-day diet chart was collected from each child followed by collection of anthropometric data. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Spearman's correlation test. RESULTS: In the present study, out of all the participants, 59.2% of low weight children, 41.3% of normal weight children, and 25.7% of overweight-obese children were having dental caries. Dental caries was more among low weight children compared to normal weight and overweight-obese children and was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: All the anthropometric measurements were positively correlated with dental caries except height for age and BMI for age. There was an inverse graded association between the height for age and BMI for age with dental caries in 6- and 12-year-old children.

Cognizance and social attitudes regarding tobacco control laws in and around educational institutions of Nellore city, India.

INTRODUCTION: Indian national law namely Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) exists since 2003 and aims at protecting all the people in our country, but smoking is still prevalent among people. This study was aimed to assess awareness, attitudes, and practices regarding prohibition of sale of tobacco products near educational institutions of Nellore city, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in degree colleges of Nellore city of Andhra Pradesh. The study population includes institutional personnel (student, teaching staff, nonteaching staff, and workers) of selected degree colleges of Nellore city. A structured questionnaire was designed for this study which was validated by Davis criteria; reliability was assessed by test-retest design. The questionnaire was divided into five parts consisting of demographic details (age and gender), smoking behavior, knowledge about tobacco control laws, attitudes toward the law and policies, and practices followed in the institution. Logistic regression analysis was used to find out the association between different independent variables to tobacco usage among institutional personnel. RESULTS: Among the study population (n = 400 [100%]), 75.8% of the teaching staff do not know that there should be a board in the institution saying that "sale of tobacco product in an area within the radius of 100 m of educational institution is strictly prohibited," 82.2% of the study population were not aware to whom should they report, 96.3% of the study population accepted that strict execution of COTPA law saves life, the participants who answered no to strict implementation of COTPA law, and to punish the person who is violating the COTPA law are susceptible to 0.28, and 0.14 times greater odds to be a smokeless tobacco user, respectively. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that there was lack of knowledge about smoke-free legislation among the study population and a high support for strict implementation of COTPA.

Prevalence and risk-factors of early childhood caries among 2-6-year-old Anganwadi children in Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh, India: A cross-sectional survey.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to study the prevalence and associated risk determinants of early childhood caries (ECC) among preschool children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was designed to assess the ECC prevalence and associated risk factors among preschool children in Anganwadi of Nellore district using a standardized questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 550 study participants of age 2-6 years are enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Mean age of the participants was 4.39 ± 0.89 years. Most of the study participants (38%) were in the age of 5 years. When gender wise comparison was made girls represented 62% and boys 38% of the total population. When the risk factors were assessed for their association with caries experience, socioeconomic status, mother's schooling at child's birth, duration of using bottle, and bottle feeding while sleeping and plaque scores showed significant association with caries experience. CONCLUSION: ECC was more prevalent among 5-year-old children as compared to other age groups and moreover demographic factors such as mother's occupation, education, socioeconomic status, developmental characteristics such as enamel hypoplasia, feeding habits like prolonged and nocturnal bottle feeding and clinical parameters like plaque scores showed significant correlation with ECC.

Evaluation and comparison of efficacy of three desensitizing dentifrices on dentinal hypersensitivity and salivary biochemical characteristics: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the efficacy of three desensitizing dentifrices on dentinal hypersensitivity (DH) and salivary biochemical characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized, parallel arm, triple-blinded, clinical trial was conducted over a period of 12 weeks, with a total of three visits: baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks. Calcium sodium phosphosilicate, potassium nitrate and amine fluoride dentifrices were compared. A total of 68 subjects who satisfied the inclusion criteria were included and randomly divided into four groups. Visual analog scale scores for controlled air stimulus were used to assess dentinal sensitivity and salivary pH and buffering capacity were recorded at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks. RESULTS: All groups showed a reduction in sensitivity scores at 6 and 12 weeks. The calcium sodium phosphosilicate group showed a higher degree of effectiveness in reducing DH than potassium nitrate, amine fluoride dentifrices, and placebo for sensitivity measures. Salivary pH of calcium sodium phosphosilicate group was more toward neutral, and the buffering capacity of the same group showed significant changes from baseline to 6 and 12 weeks compared to the other groups. CONCLUSION: The desensitizing toothpaste containing calcium sodium phosphosilicate was found to be more effective in reducing DH and showed improvement in salivary biochemical characteristics over a period of 12 weeks compared to others.

Relationship between stimulated salivary factors, dental caries status and nutritional condition among institutionalized elderly people.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition is one of the important components of health, functional independence and quality of life in elderly population. In this age group, malnutrition is common and the risk of malnutrition increases with the advancing age. Nutritional status acts as a modifying factor in the development of many oral diseases. AIM: To assess the relationship of salivary factors, dental caries and nutritional status among institutionalized elderly people. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in three old age homes in Nellore city. All the institutionalized elderly aged 50 years and above were included for the study. Pearson co-relation was done to know the relationship of malnutrition, salivary parameters and dental caries experience. RESULTS: A total of 81 subjects with a mean age of 70.12 ± 7.32 yrs participated in the study. 43% of subjects were at risk of malnourishment and 14% were malnourished. Analysis of salivary parameters in relation to nutritional status of subjects revealed that salivary flow rate decreased among malnourished subjects (0.50 ± 0.100) when compared to well-nourished subjects (0.93 ± 0.260). DMFT scores increased in subjects who were malnourished (12.45 ± 5.574) compared to well-nourished subjects (6.34 ± 5.765). Co-relation of nutritional status with salivary parameters and caries experience revealed a positive co-relation between nutritional status and salivary flow rate, where as a negative co-relation was observed between caries experience. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of malnourishment was 14% among the institutionalized elderly. All of them had lower salivary flow rate, buffering capacity and pH with increased caries experience.

Prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis among 13- to 15-year-old school children of an area known for endemic fluorosis: Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh.

OBJECTIVES: The present study was conducted to assess dental fluorosis and to compare fluorosis in incisor teeth among 13- to 15-year-old school children of Nalgonda district, Andhra Pradesh. METHODS: Cross-sectional analytical study was conducted. A total of 1000 school children aged 13 to 15 years were selected by stratified cluster sampling from 4 different areas with different levels of naturally occurring fluoride in drinking water. Fluorosis was recorded using TF index (TFI). RESULTS: Prevalence of fluorosis (TFI score, > or = 1) was 100% at all the 4 different fluoride levels. The prevalence and severity increased with increased fluoride levels in drinking water. Prevalence and severity of fluorosis did not show any significant variation between maxillary and mandibular incisor teeth. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of mild-to-moderate fluorosis in Nalgonda district, even in areas with optimal fluoride levels in water.