Dental Attendance Research Articles

Relationship Among Dental Students’ Class Lecture Attendance, Use of Online Resources, and Performance

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship among dental students' attendance at class lectures, use of online lecture materials, and performance in didactic courses. The study was conducted with second-year predoctoral students at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine during the fall semester of 2014. Three basic science and three preclinical dental courses were selected for evaluation. Online usage for each participant was collected, and a survey with questions about attendance and online behavior was conducted. The final grade for each participant in each selected course was obtained and matched with his or her online usage and attendance. Out of a total 190 students, 146 (77%) participated. The results showed no significant relationship between students' grades and their class attendance or online usage except for a weak negative relationship between class attendance and online usage for the Epidemiology course (p<0.001) and the overall preclinical dental courses (p=0.03). Although the results did not show strong relationships among class attendance, online usage, and course grades, most of the students reported that having the online resources in addition to the lectures was helpful.

Influences on preschool children's oral health‐related quality of life as reported by English and Spanish‐speaking parents and caregivers

This study examined young, preschool children's oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among a community-based cohort of English and Spanish-speaking parent-child dyads in North Carolina, and sought to quantify the association of parent/caregiver characteristics, including spoken language, with OHRQoL impacts. Data from structured interviews with 1,111 parents of children aged 6-23 months enrolled in the Zero-Out Early Childhood Caries study in 2010-2012 were used. OHRQoL was measured using the overall score (range: 0-52) of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). We examined associations with parents' sociodemographic characteristics, spoken language, self-reported oral and general health, oral health knowledge, children's dental attendance, and dental care needs. Analyses included descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate methods based upon zero-inflated negative binomial regression. To determine differences between English and Spanish speakers, language-stratified model estimates were contrasted using homogeneity χ2 tests. The mean overall ECOHIS score was 3.9 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.6-4.2]; 4.7 among English-speakers and 1.5 among Spanish speakers. In multivariate analyses, caregivers' education showed a positive association with OHRQoL impacts among Spanish speakers [prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.12 (95% CI = 1.03-1.22), for every added year of schooling], whereas caregivers' fair/poor oral health showed a positive association among English speakers (PR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.02-1.41). The overall severity of ECOHIS impacts was low among this population-based sample of young, preschool children, and substantially lower among Spanish versus English speakers. Further studies are warranted to identify sources of these differences in - actual or reported - OHRQoL impacts.

Oral Health–related Beliefs, Behaviors, and Outcomes through the Life Course

Complex associations exist among socioeconomic status (SES) in early life, beliefs about oral health care (held by individuals and their parents), and oral health–related behaviors. The pathways to poor adult oral health are difficult to model and describe, especially due to a lack of longitudinal data. The study aim was to explore possible pathways of oral health from birth to adulthood (age 38 y). We hypothesized that higher socioeconomic position in childhood would predict favorable oral health beliefs in adolescence and early adulthood, which in turn would predict favorable self-care and dental attendance behaviors; those would lead to lower dental caries experience and better self-reported oral health by age 38 y. A generalized structural equation modeling approach was used to investigate the relationship among oral health–related beliefs, behaviors in early adulthood, and dental health outcomes and quality of life in adulthood (age, 38 y), based on longitudinal data from a population-based birth cohort. The current investigation utilized prospectively collected data on early (up to 15 y) and adult (26 and 32 y) SES, oral health–related beliefs (15, 26, and 32 y), self-care behaviors (15, 28, and 32 y), oral health outcomes (e.g., number of carious and missing tooth surfaces), and oral health–related quality of life (38 y). Early SES and parental oral health–related beliefs were associated with the study members’ oral health–related beliefs, which in turn predicted toothbrushing and dental service use. Toothbrushing and dental service use were associated with the number of untreated carious and missing tooth surfaces in adulthood. The number of untreated carious and missing tooth surfaces were associated with oral health–related quality of life. Oral health toward the end of the fourth decade of life is associated with intergenerational factors and various aspects of people’s beliefs, SES, dental attendance, and self-care operating since the childhood years.

The psychological cycle behind dental appointment attendance: a cross-sectional study of experiences, anticipations, and behavioral intentions.

This study explored a promising theoretical model to explain dental patients' experiences and planning behavior for future appointments. The model predicts that patients pass through a 'psychological cycle' when undergoing a course of dental care: past appointment experiences influence their anticipations for future dental visits, which in turn affect behavioral intentions to attend appointments. Variables representing the hypothesized model stages and other potentially relevant context variables (dental anxiety, subjective oral health ratings, general anxiety, stress) were assessed by means of a cross-sectional online survey (n = 311). Multiple regression analyses were calculated to estimate the model's fit while controlling for potentially confounding factors. Consistent with the hypothesized cycle, recollections of past appointment experiences influenced behavioral intentions to attend future appointments. This association was mediated by evaluations of prior visits and expectations for future appointments. The variables included within this model explained 42% of the variance in attendance intentions when controlling for the potential moderating effects of context variables. The findings highlight the contribution of cognitive factors, such as evaluations and expectations, to patients' attendance intentions. This knowledge could help find ways to improve treatment expectations to foster better dental service utilization.

The Self-Reported Oral Health Status and Dental Attendance of Smokers and Non-Smokers in England.

Smoking has been identified as the second greatest risk factor for global death and disability and has impacts on the oral cavity from aesthetic changes to fatal diseases such as oral cancer. The paper presents a secondary analysis of the National Adult Dental Health Survey (2009). The analysis used descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses and logistic regression models to report the self-reported oral health status and dental attendance of smokers and non-smokers in England. Of the 9,657 participants, 21% reported they were currently smoking. When compared with smokers; non-smokers were more likely to report ‘good oral health’ (75% versus 57% respectively, p<0.05). Smokers were twice as likely to attend the dentist symptomatically (OR = 2.27, CI = 2.02–2.55) compared with non-smoker regardless the deprivation status. Smokers were more likely to attend symptomatically in the most deprived quintiles (OR = 1.99, CI = 1.57–2.52) and perceive they had poorer oral health (OR = 1.77, CI = 1.42–2.20). The present research is consistent with earlier sub-national research and should be considered when planning early diagnosis and management strategies for smoking-related conditions, considering the potential impact dental teams might have on smoking rates.

Social predictors of less frequent dental attendance over time among older people: population-averaged and person-specific estimates.

Longitudinal studies considering social disparities in the utilization of dental services are scarce. Repeated measures should be accounted for by the use of appropriate statistical methods. The purpose of this study was first to describe the patterns of less frequent dental attendance (less than once a year) over time from the age of 65-70 in Norwegian and Swedish 1942 cohorts. Second, this study estimated the influence of predisposing, enabling and need-related social predictors using marginal model with robust variance estimators and random intercept model, RIM, to account for the clustered structure of the repeated observations. Third, the study aimed to compare the estimates of associations between social predictors and less frequent dental attendance derived from marginal and random intercept models. In 2007 and 2012, all residents born in 1942 in selected counties of Norway and Sweden were invited to participate in a questionnaire survey. In Norway, the response rate was 58.0% (n = 4211) in 2007 and 54.5% (n = 3733) in 2012 with a follow-up rate of 70%. The corresponding figures in Sweden were 73.1% (n = 6078) and 72.2% (n = 5697), with a follow-up rate of 80%. Marginal and random intercept models were fitted for population-averaged and person-specific estimates. Design effects were calculated by comparing the results from ordinary logistic regression analyses and the marginal model with robust variance estimators. The proportion of the total variation due to differences between persons was reported using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Less frequent dental attendance declined from 14.5% to 12.2% in Norway and from 13.6% to 12.9% in Sweden. According to marginal and random intercept models, time-invariant (gender, country of birth, education) and time-variant social predictors (working status, social network, marital status, smoking and perceived health) contributed to less frequent dental attendance. A likelihood ratio test confirmed that adjustment for clustered observations was appropriate. The ICC was 0.90 in Norway and 0.85 in Sweden. The prevalence of less frequent dental attendance was low and dropped by increasing age from 65 to 70 years. Both at population and at person-specific levels, being advantaged on social aspects protects against less frequent dental attendance after 65 years of age in the Norwegian and Swedish cohorts investigated.

Disparity in dental attendance among older adult populations: a comparative analysis across selected European countries and the USA

The current study addresses the extent to which diversity in dental attendance across population subgroups exists within and between the USA and selected European countries. The analyses relied on 2006/2007 data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and 2004-2006 data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) in the USA for respondents≥51 years of age. Logistic regression models were estimated to identify impacts of dental-care coverage, and of oral and general health status, on dental-care use. We were unable to discern significant differences in dental attendance across population subgroups in countries with and without social health insurance, between the USA and European countries, and between European countries classified according to social welfare regime. Patterns of diverse dental use were found, but they did not appear predominately in countries classified according to welfare state regime or according to the presence or absence of social health insurance. The findings of this study suggest that income and education have a stronger, and more persistent, correlation with dental use than the correlation between dental insurance and dental use across European countries. We conclude that: (i) higher overall rates of coverage in most European countries, compared with relatively lower rates in the USA, contribute to this finding; and that (ii) policies targeted to improving the income of older persons and their awareness of the importance of oral health care in both Europe and the USA can contribute to improving the use of dental services.

Long-term regular dental attendance and periodontal disease in the 1998 adult dental health survey.

The aim of this study was to explore the association between long-term pattern of dental attendance and periodontal disease among British adults. We used data from 3272 adults who participated in the 1998 Adult Dental Health Survey in the UK. Participants were classified into four trajectories (current, always, former and never regular attenders) based on their responses to three questions on lifetime dental attendance patterns. The numbers of teeth with pocket depth (PD) ≥4 mm and loss of attachment (LOA) ≥4 mm were the outcome measures. The association between dental attendance patterns and each periodontal measure was assessed in crude and adjusted models using negative binomial regression. Never and former regular attenders had more teeth with PD ≥4 mm (Rate Ratios with 95% Confidence Interval: 1.58 [1.28-1.95] and 1.34 [1.12-1.60] respectively) and LOA ≥4 mm (1.34 [1.04-1.72] and 1.37 [1.07-1.75] respectively) than always regular attenders, after adjustments for demographic (sex, age and country of residence) and socioeconomic factors (education and social class). However, no differences in periodontal measures were found between always and current regular attenders. This analysis of national cross-sectional data shows that adults with different long-term patterns of dental attendance have different periodontal health status.

Factors Associated with Routine Dental Attendance among Aboriginal Australians.

To determine factors associated with routine dental attendance in Aboriginal Australians. Data of 271 Aboriginal adults residing in Australia's Northern Territory were used. Routine dental attendance was defined as last visiting a dentist less than one year ago or visiting a dentist for a check-up. Both bivariate and multivariable analytical techniques were used. While 27% visited a dentist in the past year, 29% of these visited for a check-up. In bivariate analysis, being female, low psychological distress, and low clinical attachment loss (CAL) were associated with visiting a dentist within last year. Being aged younger than 39 years, male, no oral health impairment, being caries-free, low CAL, and low apolipoprotein B were associated with visiting for a check-up. Clinical attachment loss remained associated with visiting a dentist less than one year ago while being younger than 39 years and having no oral health impairment remained associated with usually visiting for a check-up in multivariable analysis. Younger age, no oral health impairment, and low CAL were associated with routine dental attendance among Indigenous Australians.

Perception of gingival bleeding and oral health practices in dental anxious and nonanxious Nigerian teachers

Introduction: The objective of this study was to examine the perception of gingival bleeding and oral health practices in dental anxious and nonanxious Nigerian primary school teachers. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional was conducted among public primary school teachers in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Self-administered questionnaire which elicited information on demography, dental anxiety, gingival bleeding, teeth cleaning, and dental attendance was the data collection tool. Dental anxiety was assessed using Modified Dental Anxiety Scale and participants with scores ≥19 and <19 were considered as dental anxious and nonanxious, respectively. Results: A total of 151 teachers participated in the study giving 83.9% retrieval rate. Of the 151 teachers studied, 29 of them reported dental anxiety giving 19.2% prevalence. Dental anxious participants erroneously considered gingival bleeding during teeth cleaning as the manifestation of dental caries and gingival recession more than the nonanxious participants. Dental anxious participants reported lower gingival bleeding preventive measures awareness and took more actions other than visiting the dentist for gingival bleeding than the nonanxious participants. Dental anxious participants reported more daily teeth cleaning for reasonable duration using a combination of chewing stick, toothbrush, and toothpaste than the nonanxious participants. Dental anxious participants reported more irregular dental attendance and fair/poor gingival health status than nonanxious participants. Conclusion: Data from this study revealed that dental anxious participants generally had better oral self-care practices, poorer gingival health, more irregular dental attendance, lower gingival bleeding preventive measures awareness, more erroneous belief, and took more improper steps for gingival bleeding management than the nonanxious participants. Clinical Relevance to Interdisciplinary Dentistry Dentists and periodontologists must take into consideration the effect of dental anxiety on oral self-care, dental attendance practices, and periodontal health to ensure holistic dental healthcare awareness, utilization, and delivery.

Oral health status, knowledge of dental caries aetiology, and dental clinic attendance: A comparison of secondary school students in the rural and urban areas of Lagos

Background: Dental caries is painful, expensive to treat and can harm nutrition and overall health. Good oral hygiene, regular utilization of dental health facilities, dietary habits and knowledge of determinants of dental caries play important role in the prevalence of dental caries among school children. Tooth loss, sequelae to untreated dental caries is higher among urban school children than their rural counterparts. Aim: To compare and determine the oral health status and investigate dental clinic attendance and knowledge of students in rural and urban secondary schools in Lagos on the aetiology of dental caries. Methods: Using stratified and proportionate to size sampling techniques, a random sample of 598 students aged 12-26years from rural and urban local government areas were examined for dental caries and gingivitis. Questionnaires were administered to elicit information on frequency of consumption of refined sugar, parents' educational status, knowledge of dental caries aetiology and dental clinic attendance. The decayed, missing and filled tooth index (DMFT) was measured according to the WHO caries diagnostic criteria for epidemiological studies and the clinical oral hygiene status measured with the gingival index (GI) of Loe and Silness, Plague index and the Simplified Oral Hygiene Index. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between urban and rural students in caries experience in permanent teeth (mean DMFT = 0.26 in urban areas; 0.11 in rural areas), More of the parents of students in the urban schools are educated than those in rural schools. The decayed (D) and missing (M) components were higher in the rural area, indicating a high level of restorative treatment need among the students in rural area. The urban participants had better oral hygiene and the gingival index was higher among rural students. Dental clinic attendance was higher among the urban participants than the rural participants. Conclusion: The students in urban secondary schools had better oral health status and make use of dental facilities more than their rural counterparts. The knowledge of aetiology of dental caries is poor among both the rural and urban school students.

Barriers of dental care utilization for children living in military and civilian areas.

We planned our study to assess whether easy access to dental care facilities result in improved oral health and increased utilization of dental services by children. Four hundred child-parent pairs, 200 each from the military and civilian areas, were randomly selected (children aged 5 years). Prior to the clinical examination of their wards, parents were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their sociodemographic details, family structure, dental care utilization, and attitudinal variables toward oral health. Dental caries prevalence and treatment needs were assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria (1997). Students' t-test and chi-square test were used to assess the significance of difference between the two groups. Multivariate regression analysis was performed for all covariates associated with the child's dental attendance pattern. The percentage prevalence of children affected by dental caries was observed to be statistically higher in the civilian area. The mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) score was 2.35 ± 2.92 and 3.26 ± 3.35 in the military and civilian areas, respectively (t stat = 2.78, P = 0.002). The percentage of teeth requiring treatment was observed to be 22.5% and 27.6% in the military and civilian areas, respectively (χ2 = 16.77, P < 0.0001). Covariates significantly associated with increased child's dental attendance were identified as: High level of the mother's education, regularity of dental visits by the parents, the child's increased brushing frequency, and past caries experience. Despite the adequate availability of dental facilities in military areas, untreated dental problems are prevalent. Our finding confirms that dental care utilization is not solely access-related, and other barriers need to be investigated.

Factors associated with Regular Dental Attendance among White-collar Workers

Background: It has been reported that some factors associated with regular dental attendance. Meanwhile, few reports have discussed a relationship between work environment, lifestyle and oral hygiene behaviour. Aim: To identify factors associated with regular dental attendance among white-collar workers. Method: This cross-sectional internet-based survey was conducted to identify factors associated with regular dental attendance among white-collar workers. The participants were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire. A total of 834 daytime-only workers and 109 night-shift workers aged 30 to 69 years were analysed. Result: Work environment, lifestyle and oral hygiene behaviour were included in the analysis. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the relationship between these factors and regular dental attendance. As a result, significant differences were observed with the following parameters after adjusting for possible confounding factors: duration of eating breakfast (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.72; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.285–2.297), brushing before bed time (AOR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.302–2.263), duration of brushing teeth (AOR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.188–2.046), shift work (AOR, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.067–2.261)a€€and My job is worth doing (AOR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.129–1.993). Conclusion: These results indicate that work environment, lifestyle and oral hygiene behaviour are associated with regular dental attendance. In particular, shift work and work stress was associated with regular dental attendance with regard to work environment. Therefore, health care providers might be able to promote dental attendance by informing workers that the work environment, lifestyle and oral hygiene behaviour might be associated with regular dental attendance.

Discontinued dental attendance among elderly people in Sweden.

Aim:Our objective was to study the loss of dental attendance and a possible age trend among patients aged ≥65 years in Sweden. Regular dental check-ups are considered to be an important factor in maintaining oral health. Approximately 80% of the adult population in Sweden are enrolled in a regular check-up system; however, dental practitioners often find that older patients attend fewer check-ups. Old people may naturally lose contact with dental services as they move to special housing or die. In this systematic study, these factors were investigated and used as exclusion criteria.Materials and Methods:Data were collected for all patients (n = 4759) aged 65 or older from the electronic journal system in 3 large public dental clinics in 3 communities. Their dental records for the years 2004–2009 were studied longitudinally by 1 person at each clinic; 1111 patients were excluded (patients died during study period, wanted emergency care only, obtained special dental care allowance, moved from the community or moved to special housing, or left the clinic for another caregiver). The statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 21 (IBM).Results:Of the 3648 patients (1690 men and 1958 women) included in the study, 13% lost contact with their dental service over the course of the study (10% of those were aged 65–79 and 21% ≥80). The decrease in regular dental contact had a statistically significant association with increasing age (P < 0.001).Conclusion:A considerable number of older people living independently or with moderate supportive care in their own homes lost contact with dental service despite enrolment in a recall system.

Correlation of sense of coherence with oral health behaviors, socioeconomic status, and periodontal status.

Introduction:The sense of coherence (SOC) has been suggested to be highly applicable concept in the public health area because a strong SOC is stated to decrease the likelihood of perceiving the social environment as stressful. This reduces the susceptibility to the health-damaging effect of chronic stress by lowering the likelihood of repeated negative emotions to stress perception.Materials and Methods:The demographic data and general information of subjects' oral health behaviors such as frequency of cleaning teeth, aids used to clean teeth, and dental attendance were recorded in the self-administered questionnaire. The SOC-related data were obtained using the short version of Antonovsky's SOC scale. The periodontal status was recorded based on the modified World Health Organization 1997 pro forma.Results:The total of 780 respondents comprising 269 (34.5%) males and 511 (65.5%) females participated in the study. A significant difference was noted among the subjects for socioeconomic status based on gender (P = 0.000). The healthy periodontal status (community periodontal index [CPI] code 0) was observed for 67 (24.9%) males and 118 (23.1%) females. The overall SOC showed statistically negative correlation with socioeconomic status scale (r = −0.287). The CPI and loss of attachment (periodontal status) were significantly and negatively correlated with SOC.Conclusion:The present study concluded that a high level of SOC was associated with good oral health behaviors, periodontal status, and socioeconomic status.

Retrospective evaluation of the clinical management of patients with periodontal abscesses attending a teaching hospital

Aim: This study aimed to examine the clinical management of patients who attended a Nigerian teaching hospital with periodontal abscesses. Setting and Design: This is a retrospective study among patients who attended the Periodontics Clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Rivers State, Nigeria, between January 2008 and December 2015. Patients and Methods: Information about the diagnosis was obtained from the departmental log book, and case notes were retrieved from record department. Data collection elicited information on age, sex, tribe, frequency of tooth brushing, dental attendance, medical history, clinical features, involved tooth/teeth, and treatment received. Statistical Analysis Used: Epi info version 3.5.1 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Patients aged between 15 and 87 years, with a mean age of 35.53 ± 19.30 years. Majority of patients were males, had minor ethnic extractions, had some form of education, first dental clinic attendees, indulged in once-daily toothbrushing, fully dentate, and had fair/poor oral hygiene. A total of 8.8% and 31.6% of the participants smoked cigarettes and consumed alcohol, respectively. A fifth of the participants had systemic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and peptic ulcer disease. Majority of the participants (91.2%) had severe pain. About two-fifths had periodontal abscess around the incisors and the molars. The upper right quadrant was mostly involved (31.6%). Two-fifth of the patients had extraction done. Conclusion: Data from this study revealed periodontal abscess as a severely painful condition in naIve dental patients, successfully treated mainly through extraction of the implicated tooth/teeth. This implies that oral health awareness and regular dental attendance may prevent its occurrence.

Retrospective evaluation of splinting performed in a Nigerian periodontology clinic

Objective: To determine the characteristics, reasons, and patterns of splinting done in the Periodontology clinic of University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This retrospective review of patients treated with splints in the Periodontology clinic of University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria, over a 3-year period (January 2013–December 2015) was done using a self-developed pro forma as the data collection tool. Results: A total of ten patients aged between 24 and 68 years with a mean age of 45.40 ± 14.19 years had composite and wire splinting. The majority of the patients were middle--aged adults and elderly (60.0%), females (60.0%), indigenous people (70.0%), and reside near the specialist clinic (60.0%). The patients were mostly the first-time dental clinic attendee (80.0%), fully dentate (80.0%), and had fair oral hygiene status (70.0%). The reasons for dental attendance among the patients were mainly due to pain (50.0%) and tooth mobility (50.0%). The main reason for the splinting was tooth mobility caused by chronic periodontitis (50.0%). The patients had 1–11 mobile teeth with a mean of 3.5 teeth. Central incisor (90.0%) was almost always the involved mobile tooth in the treated patients. The periodontal treatments involved were scaling and root planing, medications, incision, and drainage for the abscess. The most prescribed antibiotic was doxycycline. The splinting was equally divided into maxillary and mandibular arches. The majority of the splinting were done on buccal/labial surfaces of the teeth (80.0%). On recall, three cases (30.0%) had complications in form of debonding; one case was changed from lingual/palatal surfaces to buccal/labial surfaces while the other two cases were redone. Conclusion: Periodontal splinting were done mainly for older, nonprofessional, female, indigenous patients for varied reasons in the studied periodontology clinic.

Pain-related pediatric dental attendance in a Nigerian dental clinic

Objective: To determine the characteristics of children presenting with pain at the Pediatric Dental Clinic of a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted among consecutive patients attending the Pediatric Dental Clinic of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Chi-square test was used in comparing proportions, and statistical significance was set at P Results: A total of 193 child dental patients aged between 2 and 16 years with a mean age of 9.00 ± 3.91 years were studied. The majority of the participants were females (61.1%) aged 6–12 years (57.5%), indigenous people (64.2%), of high socioeconomic status (69.4%), and their mother had a tertiary education (63.2%). More than three-quarters (84.5%) of the participants reported tooth-related dental pain. Participants of middle and high socioeconomic status and those whose mothers had more than primary education significantly had more tooth-related pain. The primary diagnosis was mainly dental caries and its complications. The main treatment rendered includes extraction, root canal treatment, pulpectomy, and scaling and polishing. There was a significant association between age, main diagnosis, and treatment rendered. Conclusion: Tooth-related pain which is the predominant dental pain in this study was significantly lower in children of lower socioeconomic status and whose mothers had lower educational attainment.

Pattern of oral health practices among dental, basic and post-basic peri-operative student nurses in Benin City, Southern Nigeria

Objective: To evaluate the oral health practices and perception of student nurses in Benin City. Subjects and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire with closed-ended questions to collect the data from 1st-year students of dental nurses, basic and perioperative student nurses in Benin City. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 16.0 with P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: One hundred and thirty questionnaires were distributed with 112 returned giving a response rate of 86.1%. The participants consisted of three categories of nurses with age range 18–48 years. The mean age of participants was 28.7 years (standard deviation [SD] ±6.80) with those of dental nurses, basic and perioperative nursing students being 23.5 years (SD ± 2.36), 25.2 years (SD ± 3.36) and 36.6 years (SD ± 4.76), respectively. About 80.4% reported always using a toothbrush and fluoride paste out of which the basic student nurses (43%) reported the highest frequency. More than half of the participants (53.6%) brushed their teeth daily, and 76.8% reported taking snacks occasionally. Furthermore, 55.4% had never visited the dentist, with 18.8% visiting within the last 6 months preceding the study and only about a fifth (19.6%) visited for a check-up and 54.5% for scaling and polishing. Furthermore, 41.1% reported having fair oral hygiene. Conclusions: Oral hygiene practices and dental attendance of the student nurses require improvement. Primary oral health should be emphasised in the nursing curriculum, with training in oral examination.

Undiagnosed human immunodeficiency virus-positive patients in a dental health-care setting in Benin City, Nigeria

Background: Barrier to client-initiated voluntary counselling and test. (VCT) which exists in many places in Nigeria creates additional opportunity for provider.initiated VCT. Aim: To determine the prevalence of undiagnosed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection among dental patients in a missionary hospital in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in a Pentecostal missionary hospital in Benin City. The data of interest which included age, gender, occupation, primary reason for dental attendance, primary diagnosis, and HIV status were collected from the case notes with self-designed pro forma. The obtained data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 21.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results: Out of the 613 cases assessed, 7 of them were HIV-positive giving a prevalence of 1.14%. The HIV-positive patients were aged between 11 and 50 years. More females (1.5%) than males (0.7%) were HIV-positive. HIV-positive patients were involved in diverse occupations ranging from schooling, business, and clergy to professionals. The patients whose primary reason for dental attendance was toothache had the highest prevalence of HIV and those with primary diagnosis as periodontitis had the highest prevalence of HIV. Conclusion: Data from this study revealed the one out of approximately every 88 patients attending the Dental healthcare setting Clinics in Benin City, Edo State, had undiagnosed HIV.positive status. The affected patients who were more females than male and aged between 11 and 50. years had their major presenting complaints and diagnosis as toothache and periodontitis, respectively. Dental health.care setting may serve as a provider.initiated VCT center for ambulatory patients.