Prevalence of anterior teeth fracture among visually impaired individuals, India.

AIM: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of anterior teeth fracture among visually impaired individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 103 blind individuals (70 males and 33 females), with age ranges from 10 years to 29 years, the survey was carried out according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria and by using WHO classification for teeth fracture. All subjects were divided into two groups on the basis of whether they are partially sighted or totally blind. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test, with keeping the level of significance at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of 34.95% of traumatic injuries to anterior teeth was found in the study population with no significant difference between both groups (P < 0.05). Female were having significantly more fracture than males (P < 0.005). Fall being indoor was the most common cause. Permanent maxillary central incisors were most commonly injured with injuries involving enamel and dentin being the most frequently observed. Increased overjet and inadequate lip coverage were significantly associated with the occurrence of trauma (P = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of dental injuries in a group of individuals with blind. This should alert caregivers to carry out a profound investigation of the events and suggest methods to reduce this type of morbidity.

Oral hygiene and periodontal status among detainees in a juvenile detention center, India.

PURPOSE: To assess the oral hygiene and periodontal status and analyse the influence of age, education, institutionalization, type of visit and oral health behaviour on oral hygiene and periodontal status among detainees in juvenile detention center in Udaipur city, Rajasthan, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The total sample comprised 223 subjects (67.7% male and 32.3% female) aged 6 to 18 years. Clinical examination included assessment of oral hygiene and periodontal status using OHI-S (Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified) and CPI (Community Periodontal Index), respectively. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square, Student t-test and stepwise multiple linear and multiple logistic regression analysis were carried out to find the relation between oral hygiene/ periodontal status and different independent variables. RESULTS: The results showed that the oral hygiene status of detainees was poor, with only 28.1% of the subjects having good oral hygiene. Mean OHI-S scores were significantly associated with all independent variables. Overall periodontal disease prevalence was 80.2% with bleeding and calculus contributing a major part (71.9%). Stepwise multiple linear and logistic regression analysis revealed that oral hygiene practice and type of visit in the detention center were the best predictors for the oral hygiene index, and for periodontal disease it was oral hygiene practice alone. CONCLUSION: The findings confirmed that detainees in the juvenile detention center have poor oral hygiene and an increased prevalence of periodontal disease compared to that of similarly ages in the general population.

Teeth fracture among visually impaired and sighted children of 12 and 15 years age groups of Udaipur city, India--a comparative study.

AIM: To compare the prevalence of anterior teeth fracture among sighted and visually impaired children of 12 and 15 years ages in Udaipur city, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study was carried out among 508 children (83 visually impaired and 425 sighted children), which comprised of 55 males and 28 females among visually impaired and 348 females and 77 males among sighted. The survey was carried out using Andreasen's classification for teeth fracture. Data was analyzed using chi-square test, with keeping level of significance at P < 0.05. RESULTS: It was found that, visually impaired children (32.5%) had significantly higher percentage of teeth fracture than that of sighted children (9.6%) (P = 001). Males had significantly higher percentage of teeth fracture than females in both groups (P = 0.001). It was observed that overjet of more than 3.5 mm had significantly increased risk of sustaining traumatic dental injuries among visually impaired (70.4%) than that of sighted individuals (46.3%) (P = 0.043). However, fracture of teeth was independent of age groups and lip coverage. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of traumatic dental injuries in a group of individuals with visual impairment was higher than that of sighted. This should alert caregivers to carry out a profound investigation of the events and suggest methods to reduce this type of morbidity.

Prevalence of allergy to latex gloves among dental professionals in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.

PURPOSE: Nowadays, gloves are worn routinely by most general dental practitioners while treating patients, with latex being the most commonly used glove material worldwide. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of allergy to latex gloves among dental professionals of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 163 dental professionals (73% males and 27% females) were surveyed using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was comprised of a total of 12 items and gave information about the participants and their glove use, namely demographic profile, working habits and glove use, signs and symptoms related to glove use, any other type of allergy, as well as precautions taken to minimise it. The statistical analysis was performed using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests to compare frequency and percentage. The level of significance was set at P u 0.05. RESULTS: A total of 26 (16%) dental professionals reported allergy to latex gloves, of which females (27.3%) reported significantly greater allergy than males (11.8%) (P = 0.016). The number of years of glove use was significantly associated with allergy to latex gloves (P = 0.000). The prevalence of allergy to latex gloves was significantly greater for those who had allergy to pollen grains, foodstuffs and rubber dam, those who had asthma or history of eczema and those with family history of allergy. However, allergy to latex gloves was independent of age, type of gloves used, hours of use per day as well as number of patients seen per day. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed a high rate of allergy to latex gloves among dental professionals in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.

Public knowledge, attitude and behavioural changes in an Indian population during the Influenza A (H1N1) outbreak.

BACKGROUND: Influenza A (H1N1) is the most recent of the pandemic diseases that has affected the world's population. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, attitude and behavioural responses of an Indian community toward Influenza A (H1N1). METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in Udaipur (Rajasthan, India) among 791 individuals (57% males and 43% females) from 23 July to 27 August 2009. Outcome measures were perceived seriousness of the disease, opinion about government and health authorities, perceived efficacy of various preventive measures, avoidance behaviours, and increased hygiene maintenance in relation to Influenza A (H1N1). RESULTS: Of 791 respondents, 83.1% had heard about Influenza A (H1N1), but 47.4% felt that they did not have enough information about the pandemic. Only 34.5% felt that their health would be seriously affected if they contracted Influenza A (H1N1). Over half of the respondents (59.6%) had no idea about the duration of the pandemic. Knowledge differed significantly according to gender, age groups, and educational status as well as working status; however, females had better attitude than males. Respondents rated face masks and vaccines as the most effective preventive measures. CONCLUSION: Results showed that in spite of having acceptable knowledge and attitude, behavioural response to Influenza A (H1N1) was poor. Therefore, increased efforts should be made by the government to understand what factors are associated with adaptive behaviour changes among the general public. Emphasizing the efficacy of recommended actions and the possible duration of the outbreak may further help to improve public compliance.