Exploring lived experiences on the usage of removable complete dentures among edentulous patients attending Makerere University Dental Hospital, Kampala, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Edentulism remains a major disability worldwide, especially among the elderly population, although the prevalence of complete edentulism has declined over the last decades. In Uganda, the prevalence of edentulism in people aged 20 years and above is 1.8%. The therapy for edentulous patients can be realized through the use of conventional removable complete dentures, implant-supported prostheses, and computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CADCAM), however, the provision of removable complete dentures continues to be the predominant rehabilitation for edentulous patients. However, no published study has explored the lived experiences with removable complete dentures among the Ugandan population. The aim of the present study was to explore patients' lived experiences on the usage of removable complete dentures among Ugandan edentulous patients attending Makerere University Dental Hospital. METHODS: This was a qualitative study approach using purposive sampling. Fifteen (15) respondents were selected across social demographics. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and themes were generated to draw a deeper meaning to the usage of removable complete dentures. A qualitative statistical package, Atlas Ti software was used to generate themes from the interviews followed by an interpretation of the generated data and the results were presented as text and in a table. RESULTS: The reported key positive experiences due to removable complete denture rehabilitation were the improvement in speech, eating ability, regaining good facial appearance, better oral hygiene management, self-esteem and confidence to smile in public, and a feeling of completeness. However, respondents complained of pain and discomfort due to the looseness of dentures, inability to eat certain foods, and regular cleaning of dentures. The respondents did not go through proper informed consent processes before getting removable complete dentures. CONCLUSION: The study found that patients were satisfied with their removable complete dentures rehabilitation due to the positive experiences registered, such as the ability to eat and talk well, and restoration of self-esteem, all of which improved their quality of life. However, they experience pain and discomfort due to the looseness of dentures.

Assessment of the knowledge, attitude and practices of the informed consent process in oral healthcare among dental students in Makerere University Dental Hospital, Uganda.

INTRODUCTION: Informed consent is an ethical and legal component of healthcare. It ensures patient autonomy and allows patients to make decisions regarding their treatment. In dental care, informed consent is particularly important because most dental procedures are invasive. Since dental students are future dentists, they need to learn about their ethical obligations and accountability through the informed consent process as this is critical to patients' well-being. This study aimed to determine dental students' knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the informed consent process for oral health care in Makerere University Dental Hospital, Uganda. STUDY METHODOLOGY: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study using quantitative methods. It was carried out at Makerere University Dental Hospital and third, fourth, and fifth-year students (n = 102) pursuing a Bachelor of Dental Surgery program took part in the survey. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and practices of informed consent for oral health care. Collected data were entered into Epi-data version 3.1, where it was cleaned, coded, and imported to STATA version 14 software for statistical analysis. RESULTS: About two-thirds 67 (65.7%) of the participants were males. The mean age was 25 (SD = 3.21) years. The majority (90%) of the students had a high level of knowledge of the informed consent process. About (80%) had a positive attitude towards informed consent and (85%) most often practiced the informed consent process. Based on bi-variate analysis, training on informed consent, year of study, age, and sex were significantly associated with the informed consent process. However, there was no significant risk factor associated with informed consent in multiple logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSION: The study findings highlighted high levels of knowledge, positive attitude, and practice of the informed consent process among the clinical dental students. Continuous training is necessary to remind dental students about the importance of informed consent in healthcare, not only for complex procedures.

Assessment of the informed consent process in the provision of dental care in Mulago hospital, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Informed consent is grounded in the principle of autonomy and represents patients' right to participate in clinical decisions regarding their treatment. It is equally an ethical and legal requirement in dental care. The dental practitioner must offer appropriate information about all aspects of the treatment and ensure that a patient understands and makes an informed decision. There is limited literature on informed consent for dental care in Uganda. This study assessed patients' comprehension of the informed consent process and dental practitioners' practices in obtaining informed consent. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in the Dental Outpatient Department of Mulago Hospital. Two separate questionnaires were employed to collect data from dental patients and dental practitioners, respectively. Data were entered into Epi-data, coded, and imported into STATA 14 for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Overall, the level of patients' comprehension of the informed consent process was 91.1%, with 96.3% who felt the dental practitioners satisfactorily explained to them the treatment received and, 65.1% understood very well the information given to them. About 93.5% of the patients confessed that they were given other options of treatment while 98.5% consented before the dental practitioners started treatment. Most dental practitioners 94.7% followed good clinical practices in obtaining informed consent and 98.7% gave information before initiation of treatment while 85.3% obtained consent from patients before starting any procedures. However, only 5.3% of the dental practitioners obtained written informed consent from patients. CONCLUSION: There is a need to devise ways of improving patients' understanding of the treatment information given to them to support them make better and informed decisions regarding their care. Dental practitioners need to put more emphasis on the use of written consent in dental care because documentation helps in providing accountability and protects dentists from medical litigation in case the patients were to sue them for any treatment-related complications.