Assessment of Oral Health Status and Treatment Needs among Individuals with Thyroid Dysfunction in Nashik City (Maharashtra): A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study is to assess the prevalence of dental caries and periodontal health status among individuals suffering from thyroid dysfunction in Nashik. To compare the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction between males and females. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is cross-sectional in nature. The study group comprised of randomly selected 100 individuals diagnosed as suffering from thyroid dysfunction and fulfilling eligibility criteria, visiting endocrinology center in Nashik city. Type III clinical examination was used for the assessment of oral health status. Control group was selected from the neighborhood in general population who had matched with the eligibility criteria of the study group. Oral hygiene status was assessed by using the WHO pro forma, 2013. Collected data were compiled into MS-Excel and subjected to statistical analysis using appropriate statistical tests. RESULTS: Severity of dental caries status and periodontal destruction was found more in study group as (P < 0.05). The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction, severity of dental caries status and periodontal destruction was seen more in females as compared to males. CONCLUSION: Thyroid dysfunction has an impact on general and oral health as well. It is necessary to identify it early so as to prevent further progression of disease and destruction of oral tissues. It is also necessary to modify treatment plan if the patient is diagnosed with thyroid dysfunction to prevent further complications.

Effectiveness of two different behavioral modification techniques among 5-7-year-old children: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Dental fear is a common, essential, and inevitable emotion that appears as a response to the stressful situation, which raises children's anxiety level, resulting in reduced demand for pediatric dental care. AIMS: (1) To compare and evaluate the effectiveness of customized tell-play-do (TPD) technique with live modeling for behavior management of children. (2) To compare the behavioral modification techniques in managing the children during their dental visits. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-eight children aged 5-7 years were enrolled in the study and randomly allocated into two groups. Phase I: first visit. Group I - children were conditioned to receive various dental procedures using live modeling followed by oral prophylaxis. Group II - TPD technique was introduced with customized playing dental objects followed by oral prophylaxis. Phase II: second visit. After 7 days interval, all the study subjects were subjected to rotary restorative treatment. EVALUATION: Heart rate, Facial Image Scale (FIS), and Venham-6-point index were used before intervention, after intervention, and during dental procedure to quantify the anxious behavior. RESULTS: All 98 children after intervention underwent oral prophylaxis on first visit and rotary restorative treatment on second visit. The average pulse rate, FIS, and Venham scale scores were significantly lower among children who received TPD intervention when compared to those who received live modeling intervention. Unpaired t-test at 5% level of significance was considered as statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: TPD is effective in reducing children's fear and anxiety about dental treatment, children enjoy playing with customized dental object. Thus, to promote adaptive behavior, TPD could be an alternate behavioral modification technique during pediatric dentistry.