Assessment of the willingness of Nigerian Orthodontists to offer face-to-face orthodontic services to patients infected with Covid-19.

Introduction: Efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 disease led to suspension of many services which caused orthodontists to resort to providing only emergency services. The aims of this study were to assess the willingness of Nigerian Orthodontists and Orthodontic resident doctors to treat patients infected with Covid-19 as well as to ascertain advice given regarding traumatic arch wires and aligners during the pandemic. Participants and study design: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. We included dentists who were Orthodontists and orthodontic resident doctors practicing in Nigeria. Data was collected via an online questionnaire (Google form) which was sent three times weekly throughout May/June, 2020 and analysed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Results: Forty-eight out of the 90 members of the WhatsApp group responded within the allotted time, giving a response rate of 53.3%. Out of a total of 48 respondents, 39 (81.3%) were unwilling to treat patients infected with COVID-19 during the pandemic. The major reason was fear of infection with the virus (12, 25.0%). Most of the respondents (41, 55.4%) suggested the use of wax for relief of trauma from arch wires. Conclusion: Majority of Orthodontists and orthodontic residents practicing in Nigeria expressed unwillingness to treat patients infected with COVID-19. Aligner therapy was proffered as an alternative to bracket therapy.

COVID-19 risks and extra-protective measures practised among Nigerian orthodontists and orthodontic residents.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is a high possibility of transmitting the coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) in the orthodontic clinic because orthodontists and their patients are in very close contact when orthodontic care is being given. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and perception of Nigerian orthodontists and orthodontic residents about the risks of COVID-19 as well as the extra-protective infection control measures that need to be taken. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. The questionnaires were distributed and retrieved from consenting participants through an online platform. The questionnaires were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 23. The results were presented in tables and charts. RESULTS: Out of a total of 90 members on the association's WhatsApp group as at the time the study was being conducted, a total of 48 respondents participated in this study. There were more females (60.4%) than males. Majority (97.9%) of the respondents agreed/strongly agreed that an infected patient could infect the orthodontic clinic staff members with COVID-19 while most were of the view that debonding (95.8%) and retainer delivery (70.8%) posed a risk for spread of the virus. More than half of the respondents (52.1%) considered it necessary to change N95 masks after each patient as an extra-protective measure against COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Majority of the respondents knew about the risks that COVID-19 posed to different aspects of orthodontic practice and were also knowledgeable about some of the extra-protective measures that they should take. There is a need to improve the knowledge of the participants concerning the use of appropriate mouth rinses to reduce the risks of transmission of COVID-19 in the dental/orthodontic clinic.

The Pattern and Impact of Social Media Use among Orthodontists and Orthodontic Resident Doctors in Nigeria.

Background: This study aims to assess the orthodontists'/orthodontic resident doctors' use of social media, social variables such as gender and age grouping and the impact of social media use on orthodontic practice. Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among Orthodontists and orthodontic residents in the country. This study involved a convenient sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection on socio-demographics, social media use and its perceived impact on orthodontic practices. Data was analyzed using statistical software package for Social Sciences-Chicago version 20. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: The study consisted of 44 participants made up of 45.5% male and 54.5% female Orthodontists and orthodontic residents in Nigeria with majority (84.1%) being between 31 - 50years age group. The prevalence of use of social media was 100% in the study population. Most (81.8%) of the respondents understood social media as a means of communication, others (18.2%) defined it as a means of obtaining information. Whatsapp (100%) and Facebook (77.3%) were the mostly used social media. All the participants reported that social media did not affect their practice negatively and that it has led to an improvement in patient's compliance with instructions (81.8). Only a few (20.5%) of the respondents felt social media was a distraction. Conclusion: The prevalence of use of social media was 100%. Whatsapp was the most frequently used social media and it was used mostly for social interaction. The use of social media was not perceived by any of the participants to negatively affect orthodontic practice.

Perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on orthodontic practice by orthodontists and orthodontic residents in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had far-reaching effects on orthodontic care delivery worldwide. This study aimed to assess the impacts of the pandemic on orthodontists and orthodontic residents in Nigeria. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among consenting orthodontists and orthodontic residents. The respondents were contacted through the WhatsApp group of the Nigerian Association of Orthodontists to fill the self-administered online questionnaires (Google forms). The questionnaire had two sections: A, Sociodemographics; B, Perceived impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. Descriptive statistics were used to compute mean and standard deviation and chi-square for association. Level of significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: This study population comprised 98 people; however, only 73 participants responded, which represented a response rate of 74.5%. Approximately 60% (44) of the respondents thought that the COVID-19 pandemic would lead to a reduction in the number of orthodontic patients in the future, whereas almost all the respondents reported that it would affect their future practice of orthodontics. Most of the respondents (63.0%) reported that the pandemic had recorded a moderate to severe negative economic impact on them. Significant gender differences were recorded, in the social life of respondents, in addition to economic and psychosocial effects. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all respondents reported that they would change their future practice of orthodontics, particularly with respect to placing a greater emphasis on infection control. Most of the respondents reported perceived economic, psychosocial, and social impacts due to the pandemic.

The impact of playing wind musical instruments on the masseter muscles in a West African population

Aim: The morphological dimension of the masseter muscle is largely influenced by physical and habitual activities, which may impact directly on its performance. This study assessed the effects of playing wind musical instruments on the masseter muscle thickness in a male Nigerian adult population.Materials and Methods: Equal numbers of male wind instrument players (WIP) were recruited and compared with nonwind instrument players (non-WIP) of the same age. Information on the sociodemographic characteristics, history, and type of wind instrument played was obtained. The masseter muscle thickness and fractional shortening were determined during relaxation and contraction using a linear probe of 7.5 MHz on ultrasound machine (Biosound Esaote MyLab40 Ultrasound machine; 2012; Italy, Rome). Reliability test demonstrated an excellent intrarater correlation (Cronbach's alpha; 0.98). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.Results: The overall mean thickness of the masseter muscle at relaxation, contraction, and fractional shortening in WIP group was 9.21 ± 1.43 mm, 14.22 ± 1.95 mm, and 35.06% ± 5.07%, respectively, while 8.92 ± 1.12 mm, 13.97 ± 1.44 mm, and 36.08% ± 4.48%, respectively, in non-WIP group. No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups (P > 0.05). Type of instrument played, duration, and frequency of play did not significantly affect the muscle thickness except for the number of years of play. There was also a significant right/left side dichotomy in each group.Conclusions: Playing a wind instrument showed no significant effect on the thickness of the masseter muscle, however there was a significant increase in the muscle thickness with increasing years of play of wind instruments

The effects of playing wind musical instruments on the occlusal characteristics in a Northern Nigerian Population.

INTRODUCTION: Dentists are often questioned on whether playing a wind musical instrument can adversely affect dental occlusion. This study compared the occlusal characteristics in wind instrument players (WIPs) and non-WIPs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional comparative study comprising a group of fifty males aged 18-45 years that had been playing wind instruments for a minimum of 2 years, whereas the control group were non-WIPs in the same environment. All the participants had full complement of dentition. The occlusal characteristics of overjet, overbite, anterior open bite and Little's irregularity were assessed for both groups. Excellent intra-examiner reliability was observed (Cronbach's alpha - 0.997). The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) version 17 was used for data analysis, and statistical significance level was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: The number of years of playing wind musical instrument ranged from 2 to 25 years. The mean overjet was 3.46 ± 1.49 mm and 3.18 ± 1.27 mm in the WIP and non-WIP groups, respectively (P > 0.05). The maxillary anterior segment showed statistically significantly higher Little's Irregularity Index score in the WIP group (3.18 ± 3.73 mm) than that in the non-WIP group (1.87 ± 2.21 mm) (P < 0.05). The maxillary Little's Irregularity Index score in trumpet and trombone players (3.55 ± 3.93 mm) was significantly higher than that in saxophone and clarinet players (1.69 ± 2.39 mm). Both the maxillary and mandibular anterior-segment alignments were neither influenced by the number of years nor the frequency of play. CONCLUSIONS: Playing wind musical instruments significantly affects the maxillary anterior-segment alignment.