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Objective: To assess the use of self medication in oral health problems in Cameroon. Methods: This multi-regional cross-sectional survey was conducted in three towns; Bamenda, Yaounde and Buea over a 10 month period. The questionnaire elicited information on demography, oral problem for self medication, substance used for self medication, source of the substance, duration of self medication, reason for self medication, source of advice of the drugs or those products used, opinion about the substance, effect and duration. Results: The prevalence of self medication for oral health problems was 67.8% which was significantly associated with age, marital status and location. The most frequently self medicated oral health problem was toothache (54.7%). The majority (64.5%) of the respondents used pharmaceutical products while a minority (7.7%) used dangerous substances such as petrol and vinegar for self medication. Sources of substances of self medication included pharmacy (55.6%), road side vendors (26.1%), native healers (7.8%), mobile drug vendors in buses (5.3%), and others (5.3%). The choice of substances used for self medication was mostly guided by the advice from relatives. Conclusion: The majority of the respondents self-medicated for oral health problems. Unmarried, urban residents, aged 21–30 years reported significantly increased self-medication for oral health problems. Evidently dangerous substances were utilised for self-medication in this study, necessitating awareness and other forms of intervention.

Objectives: To assess awareness and prevalences of occupational health problems among oral health care workers in Edo State, Nigeria. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among oral health care workers working in two tiers of health care delivery in secondary and tertiary government-owned dental centres across Edo State from December 2008 to February 2009. A self-administered questionnaire was used to elicit information on demographic characteristics, awareness and prevalences of occupational problems, and preventive measures. Results: The response rate was 93.8%. Overall, 71.1% of respondents were dentists; other respondent groups included dental nurses and dental surgery assistants (16.7%), dental technologists (8.9%) and dental therapists (3.3%). The occupational health problem for which respondents reported the highest level of awareness was biological hazards (96.7%). The most commonly prevalent occupational health problems were musculoskeletal problems [wrist pain (66.7%), waist pain (76.7%), body pain or weakness (84.4%)]. Infection by biological hazards was reported by 6.6% of respondents, and included infection by HIV/AIDS (2.2%), hepatitis B (1.1%), tuberculosis (1.1%) and other infections (2.2%). Chemical hazards in the form of skin reactions to latex gloves (17.8%), camphorated p-monochlorophenol (CMCP, 8.9%), X-ray (7.8%) and other allergies (5.5%) were reported. A few respondents (2.2%) reported occupation-related malignancies. Overall, 52.2% of respondents possessed a health insurance policy, and 93.3% and 88.9% worked in environments they described as well ventilated and well lit, respectively. A quarter (25.6%) of respondents used a film-holder when taking intra-oral radiographs and 23.3% used protective ear plugs when working in close proximity to noisy machines. Conclusions: Occupational health issues were significant among oral health care workers in Edo State. Awareness of biological hazards was very high. However, musculoskeletal issues represented the predominant occupational problem, and their potential negative impact necessitates urgent educational and ergonomic intervention.

Objective: To determine the periodontal characteristics of diabetic patients with tooth mobility attending the Periodontology Clinic of University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted among diabetic patients with tooth mobility in the Periodontology Clinic in UBTH, Benin City, Nigeria. The indices recorded for the participants were gingival index, community periodontal index of treatment need, and Miller'sindex for tooth mobility. Results: A total of 54 participants who met the inclusion criteria were approached, but only 49 of them consented and participated in this study giving a 90.7% recruitment rate. The age range and mean age of the participants were 42–84 years and 63.84 ± 1.31 years, respectively. The self-reported age of diagnosis was between 41 and 70 years with a mean age of 56.22 ± 6.88 years. About two-thirds (67.3%) of the participants were males. Less than half (38.8%) of patients were visiting the dentist for the first time. Mandibular arch housed about two-thirds (64.9%) of the mobile teeth and mandibular left quadrant housed about one-third of (34.5%) the mobile teeth. Central incisor (42.3%) constituted the most mobile teeth followed by the first molar (28.9%). A total of 17.0% of the mobile teeth were Miller's Grade 3 mobility. More than one-third (28.5%) (code 3 = 26.5%, code 4 = 2.0%) of the participants had periodontal pockets. More than half (52.7%) of participants had probing pocket depth of 5 mm and above. The gingival score which had mean as 1.60 ± 0.08 was significantly associated with age of the participants. The mean probing depth was 4.86 ± 0.21 mm. The probing depth was significant with age and duration of diabetes mellitus (DM) of the participants. Conclusion: Data from this study revealed that age of diagnosis of diabetes with tooth mobility was higher than previously reported. The most mobile teeth and earliest teeth to become mobile were the mandibular incisors, and Grade 1 severity constituted the majority. DM with tooth mobility exhibited gingival score and probing depth that had a variable significant association with demographic characteristics.

Introduction: There is dearth of information on the impact of oral health information on knowledge and belief of oral health among pregnant women. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of oral health information on oral health knowledge and belief among Nigerian pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among pregnant women attending the antenatal clinic (ANC) of a large university teaching hospital in Benin City, Nigeria, using interviewer-administered questionnaire as data collection tool. Descriptive and regression statistics were performed on data collected using SPSS version 17.0. P

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infection rate and mortality among Nigerian health care workers appear to be on the increase. Aside from health workers, it has caused millions of infections and deaths worldwide. This study determined the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices of nursing and midwifery students towards COVID-19 in a North-Eastern Nigerian state.Methods: A total of 156 respondents were involved in this institutional-based cross-sectional study, conducted after the lockdown period. A total of 17 questions were used to assess the KAP with knowledge appraised with 12 questions, attitudes with 2 questions, and practices with 3 questions.Results: The majority of the students (53.80%) possessed a good level of knowledge regarding COVID-19, while 40.4% had fair knowledge regarding COVID-19 with only 5.80% having poor knowledge of COVID-19. The mean knowledge of COVID-19 in this study was 9.40±1.353 with an overall 78% correct answer rate. A vast majority of the respondent (82.7% and 98.1%) had strong confidence in Nigeria and believed that the pandemic will soon be over, respectively. Only a few avoided large gatherings of people (30.8%) with the vast majority reporting to have worn a mask when going out (84.6%) and washing their hands with running water and soap frequently as recommended (73.1%). In multiple logistic regression analyses, the COVID-19 knowledge score (OR: 0.39-0.40, 95%CI: 0.26 – 0.62, P

Objective: Periodontal diseases are treated using nonsurgical treatment methods and surgical treatment methods. There is a paucity of information on surgical periodontal treatment in Nigerian periodontal healthcare settings. The objective of the study was to determine the indications and pattern of surgical periodontal treatment in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This retrospective review of patients that had surgical periodontal treatment at University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria, over a 37 month period (January 2013–2016) was done using a self developed proforma as the data collection tool. A total of 52 patients out of the 5111 patients treated within the period had surgical periodontal treatment and were subsequently analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Results: The patients aged between 16 and 81 years with a mean age of 44.15 ± 18.99 years and a median age of 45 years had surgical periodontal treatments. The majority of the patients were older adults (57.7%) (middle-age adults [34.6%] and elderly [23.1%]) and females (75.0%). The indications for the surgical periodontal treatment were mainly periodontal abscess and gingival enlargement. The gingival enlargement was majorly pyogenic granuloma in 41.2% (7/17) and fibrous epulis in 23.5% (4/17). Incision and drainage and gingivectomy constituted the main surgical periodontal treatments among the patients in this study. Age and gender were found to be significantly associated with the indications for surgical periodontal treatment and the pattern of surgical periodontal treatment among the patients. Conclusion: Periodontal abscess and gingival enlargement constituted the main indications for surgical periodontal treatment while incision and drainage and gingivectomy were the main surgical periodontal treatments in this study.

Background: The objective was to examine the oral hygiene, gingival, and periodontal status among smokers and to relate them with nicotine dependence. Methods: The cross-sectional study was carried out among smokers and nonsmokers in Benin-City, Edo State. Data collection was done through questionnaire and oral examination. The indices applied were Fagerstrom test, Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S), Gingival Index (GI), Community Periodontal Index, and tooth mobility index. Results: A total of 40 (20 smokers and 20 nonsmokers) persons participated in the study. The mean OHI-S for smokers was 2.87 ± 0.92 while that of nonsmoker was 2.20 ± 0.73 and this was statistically significant (P = 0.015). The mean GI for smokers was 1.04 ± 0.36 while that of nonsmoker was 0.80 ± 0.22 and this was statistically significant (P = 0.018). The mean number of mobile teeth for smokers was 0.15 ± 0.49 while that of nonsmoker was. 00 ± 0.00 and this was not statistically significant (P = 0.178). One-quarter (25%) of smokers had score 3 and 4 while only 5% of nonsmokers had were found Shallow and deep pockets were found score 3 and 4. About half (45.0%) of the smokers had low-moderate nicotine dependency among the smokers revealed that. Participants with higher nicotine dependence had nonsignificantly poorer oral hygiene, gingival, and periodontal status than their counterparts. Conclusion: Smokers generally had poorer oral hygiene, gingival, and periodontal status as compared to the nonsmokers. Smokers with higher nicotine dependence did not have poorer oral hygiene, gingival, and periodontal status than their counterparts.

Objective: To determine dental caries, missing teeth, and oral health behavior among smokers and to correlate same with nicotine dependence. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out among smokers and age-matched nonsmokers in Benin-City, Edo State Nigeria. Nicotine dependence, periodontal knowledge, subjectively rated periodontal status, and oral self-care were assessed with questionnaire while carious, missing, and filled teeth were recorded during oral examination. Results: The mean periodontal health knowledge was 1.65 for smokers and 2.75 for nonsmokers. The mean subjectively rated periodontal status was 4.25 for smokers and 3.40 for nonsmokers. The mean oral health behavior was 9.05 for smokers and 10.50 for nonsmokers. The mean carious teeth was 2.10 for smokers and was 1.00 for nonsmokers. Nicotine addiction was negative correlated with periodontal knowledge, oral behavior, carious teeth, filled teeth, and abrasion teeth but positively correlated with subjectively rated periodontal status and missing teeth. Conclusion: Smokers had lower periodontal knowledge, poorer subjectively rated periodontal health, poorer oral self-care behavior and more carious teeth than nonsmokers. Further studies to include smokers with high nicotine dependence are recommended.

Introduction: Halitosis is a prevalent oral condition that frequently causes personal and social embarrassment with consequent interactional difficulties. The objective of this study was to assess the relational impact of halitosis.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduates of University of Benin, Nigeria. Demographic characteristics, perception of value of fresh breath in social contact, rank of halitosis in first impression impairment, frequency of encounter with halitosis sufferers and their interactional difficulties, and readiness to inform sufferers about the condition were assessed using self-administered validated questionnaire.Results: About three-quarters(77.3%) of the respondents agreed [slightly agree(11.3%) and agree(66.0%)] that fresh breath is an important factor in social contacts. This was significantly associated with gender. Halitosis was ranked as second after body odour among factor that turn respondents off when meeting individuals for the first time. A total of 14.0% of the respondents always anticipated the possibility of halitosis on first contact with individual(s). The majority of the respondents believed that halitosis sufferers experience difficulty in getting good jobs, getting married and suffer marital disharmony. Readiness to inform halitosis sufferers about their condition was high. The level and mode of informing the halitosis sufferers about the condition varied with the intimacy of the relationship.Conclusion: Fresh breath was highly considered as an important factor in social contacts. The high level of encounter with halitosis sufferers and high readiness of disclosure of condition to sufferers were noted. Difficulty in getting good jobs, getting married and marital disharmony experiences were the perceived interactional difficulty.Keywords: halitosis, prevalence, interaction, relationship, odour

Manpower training and development is essential to the improvement of health including oral health. The purpose of this study was to conduct a situation analysis, document trends, and make future projections for the oral health workforce in Cameroon. Data were collected from publications of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, National Order of Dental Surgeons of Cameroon, the Cameroon Dental Association and the Association of Cameroon Nurses, Midwives, and Health Technicians. Test for significance was done with Chisquare and Fisher's exact statistics and statistical significance was set at P

This review aims to determine the prevalence and severity of oral health diseases in the Africa and Middle East region (AMER). The profile of oral diseases is not homogeneous across the AMER. There are large disparities between groups. Reliable data are scarce. The prevalence and severity of oral diseases appear to be increasing in the African region, as does associated morbidity. There are substantial differences in inequalities in oral health. Dental caries prevalence is less severe in most African countries than in developed countries, but the high rate of untreated caries reflects the limited resources available and difficulties of access and affordability to essential oral health care services. The prevalence of gingival inflammation is very high in all age groups in several African countries. The prevalence of maxillofacial trauma has increased in many countries, with a wide variation of the incidence and high prevalence of traumatic dental injuries in primary and permanent teeth. Orofacial clefts are among the most common birth defects. Annual incidence of oral cancer is estimated as 25 cases per 100,000 people in Africa. Noma is a major public health problem for the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. Data about human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS are limited, particularly in the MENA region. According to the World Health Organization Regional Committee for Africa report, some fundamental key basic knowledge gaps need to be underlined. They include inequalities in oral health, low priority for oral health, lack of adequate funding, inadequate dental student training, obstacles to medical and dental research, and poor databases. There are very few effective public prevention and oral health promotion programs in the AMER. Universal health coverage is not achievable without scientific research on the effectiveness of health promotion interventions.

The roles of bacteria in the etiopathogenesis of periodontal disease are well-understand, but that of the virus found in the periodontal environment are poorly understood. The aim of this literature review was to report the roles of viruses in periodontal diseases. The roles of viruses in periodontal diseases were categorized into the role in disease etiology, role in the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases, role in diseases progression and role in response to treatment. Clearer understanding of roles of viruses in periodontal diseases will facilitate the provision of effective periodontal disease prevention and treatment.

AZODO suture is a simple, easy, success-oriented periodontal pocket reduction and gingival papilla reconstruction procedure. It starts with obtaining informed consent for the procedure followed by scaling, root planing, and curettage of the diseased pocket and then by an interrupted suture with polyglycolic resorbable suture. When the pockets on two adjacent teeth exist, a modification (MODIFIED AZODO suture) in the form of horizontal mattress suturing technique is used. The hypothesized mechanism of action is that the suturing of the gingiva apposes the facial and lingual side of the interdental gingiva with the tissues filling the interdental space-generating pressure that facilitates the apposition of the gingiva on the distal/mesial surfaces of the tooth with pocket. The consequent tissue modeling facilitates a proper interdental papilla. This prevents food impaction, ensures cleanliness, facilitates healing, and restores the interdental health.

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the social trait rating of halitosis sufferers by others who are Nigerian undergraduates. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted among main (Ugbowo) campus residential undergraduates of University of Benin, Nigeria. The questionnaire that assessed health status, quality of life, intelligence, caring, trustworthiness, attractiveness, sexiness, aggressiveness, happiness, pleasantry, motivation, spirituality, satisfaction with life, and social life activity of halitosis sufferers was the data collection tool. Results: A total of 245 individuals aged between 17 and 35 years comprising 100 males and 145 females were studied. The worst affected traits were attractiveness and sexiness followed by pleasantry, motivation, satisfaction with life, social life activity, and happiness. The least affected traits were intelligent and trustworthiness. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the low rating of halitosis sufferers on pleasantry, motivation, satisfaction with life, and happiness made them less attractive and sexy and cumulated in diminished social life.

Oral health constitutes an important part of general health. Caries and periodontal disease are the most common dental diseases globally. In Africa, the challenges of cancrum oris, acute necrotizing gingivitis, oral cancer, oral manifestations of HIV/AIDS, and maxillofacial trauma are also common especially among the low-socioeconomic communities. Gender is one variable that contributes to oral health status globally. Other variables include race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, attitude to dentistry, level of education, and cultural values. There is an interplay between these variables and they can increase or diminish the effect gender has on oral health. Gender-based health inequities are apparent in early childhood and even in adulthood. Many families provide better nutrition for boys in the interest of maximizing future productivity given that boys are generally seen as breadwinners. The unfortunate practice of son preference, which occurs worldwide in different levels of severity, often leads young girls being neglected and therefore more likely to develop poor oral health, which is then left untreated. Good oral health has been associated with positive oral health beliefs and stability of beliefs. Women tend to have better and more stable oral health beliefs. This may contribute largely to why women have better oral health in modern society. Gender influence on oral health status is appreciable especially in an economically challenged region of Africa. For optimum oral health, efforts should be geared toward appropriate health care reforms, education of female children, elimination of gender discrimination, and implementation of oral health policies.

This article reported exploratory removal foreign body in the form of a piece of broken glass embedded in the subcutaneous tissues of the right temporal region of a 10-year-old boy who had accidental fall on a glass slab about 12 weeks earlier without imaging technique. The presenting complaint was pain and swelling adjacent to a healed scar (point of entry of the foreign body). Exploration was done out under local anesthesia, and a 2.0 cm by 1.0 cm piece of broken glass was removed. The postoperative period was uneventful. Complications from accidental foreign bodies can be minimized by a more thorough examination of resultant wounds. Proper accidental wound cleansing in children to remove all foreign bodies by parents or doctors at home or the hospital, respectively, is necessary to prevent retention of foreign bodies and their consequent complications.

Introduction: The epidemiology of herpes labialis has been relatively neglected. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and risk factors of self-reported herpes labialis among Nigerian dental health providers. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study of final year dental students and dentists undergoing postgraduate training at University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria was conducted in June, 2014. The demographic information, lifetime and period (previous year) experience of the herpes labialis, perceived triggers and action taken during the last episode were obtained using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: The annual prevalence of herpes labialis was 7.4% while the lifetime prevalence was 22.1%. The lifetime prevalence was significantly associated with marital status, professional status and family history of herpes labialis. However, in binary regression, it was only marital status and family history of herpes labialis that emerged as the determinants of this lifetime prevalence. The most common trigger factors reported by the participants for the last episode of herpes labialis were fever, malaria, fatigue and stress. The actions taken by participants for the last episode of herpes labialis were using drugs without prescription (14.3%), application of lubricant (23.8%), nothing (57.1%) and could not remember (4.8%). Conclusion: Data from this study revealed that one out of fourteen and one out of five every studied dental healthcare providers had experienced herpes labialis in the last 12 months and their lifetime respectively. The reduction of fever inducing infections, stress and fatigue which were major triggers will help decrease herpes labialis among this studied group.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection among patients attending the Dental Clinic of General Hospital Minna, Niger State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: The study was a prospective study of 1080 dental patients of General Hospital Minna. Results: Out of the 1080 patients counseled, only 200 gave consent to participate in the study. Of the 200 participants, 8 tested positive for HIV, giving a prevalence of 4.0%. Females and participants in the sixth and fifth decades of life were found to have higher prevalence of undiagnosed HIV. Corpers and traders had higher prevalence of undiagnosed HIV. Participants with periodontal complaints (bleeding gums and shaking teeth) also had higher prevalence of undiagnosed HIV. The proportion of participants that reported having knowledge about the actual existence, risk factors, and prevention of HIV/AIDS was high. The proportion of participants who expressed willingness to receive more information on HIV-related issues was high. Conclusion: One out of 25 patients attending this secondary healthcare setting for dental services had undiagnosed HIV infection. This highlights the need for the establishment of voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) unit in the dental clinics and also re-emphasizes the strict compliance of standard precaution in dental practices.

Background The few existing studies on herpes labialis among health care workers have been predominantly among non-dental health care workers. The purpose of this study was to determine Nigerian dental health care providers’ knowledge of, attitudes toward, preventive behaviors for, and refusal to treat patients with herpes labialis. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among final-year dental students at the University of Benin, dental house officers, and residents at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria. Data collection was via a self-administered questionnaire. Bivariate statistics and logistic regression were used to relate the dependent and independent variables. Results Of the 120 questionnaires distributed, 110 were completed and returned, giving a 91.7 % retrieval rate. However, 15 of the returned questionnaires were discarded because they were improperly completed, leaving a total of 95 questionnaires for final analysis in this study. The majority of participants were over 28 years old (54.7 %), male (67.4 %), unmarried (66.3 %), and postgraduate dental health care providers (51.6 %). Less than half (43.2 %) of participants demonstrated adequate overall knowledge of herpes labialis. About one-tenth (10.5 %) and more than three-quarters (87.4 %) of participants reported a positive attitude and performance of adequate preventive behaviors, respectively. A total of 16.8 % of participants reported a high tendency to refuse treatment to patients with herpes labialis. Although not statistically significant, young, unmarried, male undergraduate participants reported a greater likelihood to refuse treatment to herpes labialis patients. We found a statistically significant positive correlation between attitude and refusal to treat patients with herpes labialis. However, marital status and the attitude of participants toward these patients emerged as the determinants for refusal to treat patients with herpes labialis. Conclusions Data from this study revealed a high level of inadequate knowledge, negative attitudes, and reasonably adequate preventive behaviors with respect to herpes labialis. One out of every six dental health care workers studied reported having refused to treat patients with herpes labialis. Unmarried dental health care providers and those with negative attitudes toward herpes labialis patients were more prone to refuse treatment to these patients. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12913-015-1023-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Background: The rehabilitative dental care is important for maintaining adequate nutrition, guarding against wasting syndrome and malnutrition among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‑infected individuals. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the Nigerian dental technology students’ knowledge and misconceptions about HIV infection and their willingness to care for HIV‑infected patients. Subjects and Methods: This descriptive cross‑sectional study of dental technology students of Federal School of Dental Therapy and Technology Enugu, Nigeria was conducted in 2010. Data was subjected to descriptive, non‑parametric and parametric statistics using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 (Chicago Illinois, USA). P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The knowledge about the mode of HIV transmission and prevention among the respondents was high with some misconceptions. Specifically, the misconceptions about HIV transmission through a mosquito bite (P = 0.02) and shaking of hands (P = 0.03) were higher among respondents in the higher class than those in lower class. However, 10.6% (21/198), 6.1% (12/198) and 4.0% (8/198) of the respondents erroneous described HIV as harmless, self‑limitation and antibiotics responsive infection respectively. Of the respondents, 78.8% (156/198) and 83.3% (165/198) of them expressed willingness to care for HIV‑infected patients and expressed need for training in the clinical care of HIV‑infected patients respectively. Overall, the respondents opined that the dental therapists are the most suitable dental professional to pass HIV‑related information to patients in the dental setting ahead of dentists and dental surgery assistants. Conclusion: The expressed willingness to care for HIV‑infected patients, knowledge about the mode of HIV transmission and prevention among the respondents were high with existent misconceptions. There were no significant differences in the knowledge about HIV infection and willingness to care for HIV‑infected patients among respondents in the lower class and those in upper class.Keywords: Care, Dental technology students, Human immunodeficiency virus‑infected patients, Knowledge, Misconceptions, Willingness

Background: Undetected and unaddressed anxiety negatively affects performance in clinical learning environments. Aim: The aim was to investigate the anxiety provoking situations in clinical dental care delivery among students of preclinical and clinical years and house officers. Subjects and Methods: A 38‑item modified Moss and McManus clinical anxiety questionnaire, general health questionnaire‑12 (GHQ‑12) and the Zung self‑rating anxiety scale were the data collection tools. Results: Of the 84 recruited, 79 completed the study giving 94.0% (79/84) response rate. The median age of the participants was 25 years with 50.6% (40/79) being 20‑25 years. Gender distribution revealed that males constituted 60.8% (48/79) of the participants. House officers constituted 29.1% (23/79), clinical students 36.7% (29/79), and preclinical students 34.2 (27/79) of the participants. The top anxiety provoking situations using the modified Moss and McManus clinical anxiety questionnaire were extracting wrong tooth 3.24 (1.06), inability to pass examination 3.32 (1.01), achieving examination requirement 3.19 (1.01), fracturing a tooth 3.08 (0.98) and accidental pulp exposure 2.96 (1.04). Getting diagnosis wrong, help in faint episode, not developing radiograph properly and coping with children were the anxiety provoking situations that showed statistically significant difference in the 3 studied training stages of dentistry. Bonferroni post‑hoc analysis significant difference was in the preclinical and clinical students’ pair for getting diagnosis wrong, not developing radiograph properly and coping with children while house officers/clinical students and house officers/preclinical students’ pairs were for help in faint episode. Overall, 2.5% (2/79) had severe, 69.6% (55/79) moderate, 26.6% (21/79) mild clinical anxiety while 1 (1.3%) of the participants expressed no clinical anxiety. Conclusion: Data from this study revealed that the clinical anxiety of moderate severity was prevalent among the studied dental healthcare students. The anxiety‑provoking situations were also found to be majorly similar in preclinical, clinical and post‑graduation clinical stages of dental training stages in Nigeria.

Two cases of esthetically displeasing and recurrent gingival enlargement were reported. A case of 26-year-old female with gingival enlargement in the maxillary anterior region which has been excised twice by General Dental Practitioners and another case of 42-year-old female with gingival enlargement in the maxillary anterior region that caused displacement and mobility of associated tooth. Both cases had radiologic evidence of bone loss. Excisional biopsy was carried out and the histologic diagnosis was peripheral ossifying fibroma (POF). Healing of the surgical site was uneventful. POF should be considered as the diagnosis in cases of esthetically displeasing and recurrent maxillary anterior region gingival enlargement.

Objective: Tooth mobility, which is a common problem among patients seeking dental health-care attention, causes occlusal instability, masticatory disturbances, esthetic challenges, and impaired quality of life. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and pattern of tooth mobility among patients attending a Nigerian specialist periodontology clinic. Materials and Methods: All the patients who visited the Periodontology Clinic of University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, from January to December 2014, were retrospectively studied. Those with recorded tooth mobility assessed using Miller tooth mobility index were further analyzed. Results: Of the 736 records assessed, 75 patients, aged between 18 and 94 years with median age of 56 years and mean age of 53.89 ± 17.82 years, had tooth mobility, giving a prevalence of 10.2%. The greater proportion of the patients were elderly (32.0%), females (58.7%), ever married (82.7%), indigenous (61.3%), and completely dentate (53.3%). The leading primary presenting complaints were toothache (37.3%), teeth replacement (14.7%), and shaking teeth (13.3%). Nearly half (48.0%) of the patients had one or more underlying medical condition. About two-thirds (61.3%) cleaned their teeth once daily, and 58.7% had previous visits to the dentist. The total number of mobile teeth was 202. Incisors (59.4%) and first molars (7.4%) were found to be the dominant mobile teeth. The mean debris score, calculus score, and oral hygiene score were 1.40 ± 0.09, 1.49 ± 0.12, and 2.78 ± 0.18, respectively, using simplified oral hygiene index. Conclusion: Data from this study revealed that one out of every ten patients attending Nigerian periodontology clinic had tooth mobility of varying grades, and teeth of esthetic (incisors) and masticatory ( first molars) value were mainly affected. Prompt and effective care should be rendered to facilitate retention of the affected teeth.

Introduction: Strict adherence to the radiation exposure guidelines is mandatory when using X-rays for disease detection in order to minimize its harmful effects. The objective of this study was to determine the radiation protection awareness and practices in Cameroon Dental Health care facilities. Materials and Methods: This multiregional questionnaire-based study was conducted among dental clinics located in the capitals of the Littoral, Central, South West, and North West regions of Cameroon. Results: The majority 63 (90.0%) of the participants reported awareness of the adverse effects of radiation on patients and dental professionals. Only 22.9% reported awareness of the agency in-charge of X-ray protection and standardization in Cameroon. The majority of the X-ray machine were located inside the operating room of the dental clinic. The most vulnerable group to the effects of radiation reported was pregnant women while the most vulnerable part of the body to the effects of radiation reported was reproductive organs. The lead shield was the dominantly utilized radioprotective device among the participants. Six meters away from the direction of radiation was the most frequently adopted radioprotection positioning among the participants. Conclusion: Data from this study revealed that many aspects of radiation protection in dental radiology is suboptimal; hence, specific training in education and training in radiation protection is deemed necessary among dental health care professionals in Cameroon. It is recommended that Cameroon National Radiation Protection Agency should establish radiation protection guidelines in dental health care delivery.

Aim: This study aims to examine the Nigerian dental students' permissive tendency to the proposed organized incorporation of stem cells application into undergraduate and postgraduate dental curriculum. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study of Nigerian final year dental students was conducted between April and June 2014 using the modified Sede et al. questionnaire on stem cell use in dentistry knowledge and attitude questionnaire as the data collection tool. Results: Of the 110 participants, 63.6% reported awareness of stem cell use in dentistry with their leading information sources as school lecture and internet. Subjective and objective stem cell knowledge assessment revealed inadequate knowledge among the majority of the participants. Subjective knowledge emerged as the significant determinant of objective stem cell knowledge. About a third (32.7%) of the participants reported a positive attitude toward stem cell application and objective stem cell knowledge was the only significant determinant of attitude. The majority (82.7%) of the participants reported a positive permissive tendency to the proposed organized incorporation of stem cells application into undergraduate, and postgraduate dental curriculum and attitude toward stem cell emerged as the only significant determinant. Conclusion: High positive permissive tendency to the proposed organized incorporation of stem cell application into undergraduate and postgraduate dental curriculum was noted among the participants. Increasing stem cell knowledge will improve attitude toward stem cell use which will ultimately increase positive permissive tendency.

Background: Tooth mobility, considered as the extent of horizontal and vertical tooth displacement created by examiners force, is caused trauma and periodontal disease. It is a common presenting complaint in periodontal clinic and may result in occlusal instability, dietary restriction, masticatory disturbances, esthetic challenge, and impaired quality of life. The treatment of tooth mobility involves a combination of treatment of the etiology usually by nonsurgical and surgical periodontal treatment, occlusal adjustment, and splinting. This article reviewed occlusal adjustment and splinting in the management of tooth mobility and reported our experience in University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria on tooth mobility managed with 0.5 mm hard stainless steel wire reinforced composite splint. Results: Composite splinting reinforced with 0.5 mm HSS wire facilitates healing of periodontally compromised teeth with mobility after they have been treated with nonsurgical periodontal therapy and occlusal adjustment. Conclusion: Splinting is a well-accepted integral part of holistic periodontal treatment which results in morale boost, improved patient comfort, and oral functions.

Introduction: Patient desire or preference has been documented as one of the reasons for tooth extraction, but the affected patients have not been properly characterized. The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of patients requesting for tooth extraction in a Nigerian secondary health-care setting. Materials and Methods: This study was a prospective study of patients attending the Dental Clinic of Central Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. An interviewer-administered questionnaire which elicited information on age, gender, educational status, dental attendance pattern, tooth extraction experience or that of close relative or friend, reasons for tooth extraction request, and awareness of tooth restoration options was the data collection tool. Data analysis was done using the IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 137 patients aged between 17 and 65 years that met the inclusion criterion were studied. The majority of the patients who requested for tooth extraction were males, aged between 26 years and 65 years, had tertiary education, and had previously visited the dental clinic. A total of 48.9% and 62.0% of the participants had previous tooth extractions and had relatives that have undergone tooth extractions, respectively. Dental visit pattern was significantly associated with tooth extraction experience. The leading reason for requesting for tooth extraction was a permanent stoppage of pain. Age and gender were not significantly associated with the reasons for requesting tooth extraction. Conclusion: Data from this study revealed that adult patients of both genders, varying ages, educational attainments, and dental attendance patterns requested for tooth extraction in the studied Nigerian secondary health-care setting, and their leading reason for the request was a permanent stoppage of pain.

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 naÏve 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.

Background: The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of patients attending a Nigerian specialist periodontology clinic with periodontal abscess. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was conducted among patients attending the Specialist Periodontology Clinic of University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, with periodontal abscess between January 2008 and April 2014. Results: Out of the 10,110 patients seen, 43 had periodontal abscess; the prevalence of periodontal abscess in this study was 0.43%. Subsequent analysis was done on only 25 out of the 43 cases whose case notes could be retrieved. The major descriptor of pain of periodontal abscess was severe, spontaneous, throbbing, radiating, or nonradiating pain associated with sleep disturbance, aggravated by mastication and drinks of extreme temperature but temporarily relieved by analgesics. The majority visited the dentist within 1 week of the onset of symptoms. The affected patients who were majorly nonalcoholics and nontobacco users cleaned their teeth once daily, had visited the dentist, and received treatment. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) were the main systemic diseases in the patients. Less than half of the patients had partial edentulism and the abscess occurred mostly in relation to posterior teeth. Curettage or incision and drainage with drugs resolved a significant proportion of the periodontal abscess and a few were subjected to tooth extraction. Conclusion: The overall prevalence of periodontal abscess that predominantly affected older males of the lower social class with systemic diseases and complete dentition in a Nigerian specialist periodontology clinic was low. Curettage or incision and drainage with drugs adequately resolved majority of cases.

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.

Objective: To determine self-reported bruxism experience among the undergraduates of a Nigerian university, other associated parafunctional habits and oral health problems. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on undergraduates dwelling in University of Benin, main campus hostel located in Ugbowo, Benin City, Nigeria. The 640 participants that met the inclusion were randomly recruited from four hostels (two males and two females) during the weekend. A self-developed validated questionnaire was the data collection tool. Results: Out of the 578 (response rate = 93.2%) study participants, aged between 15 and 48 years with a mean age of 23.6 ± 8.5, 143 reported bruxism, giving 24.7% prevalence. This was significantly associated with gender. The reported patterns of bruxism were awake (48.3%), nocturnal (15.4%), and diurnal (36.4%). The prevalence of nail biting and anxiety/stress was 56.6% and 29.9%, respectively. These were significantly higher in bruxists than nonbruxists. More of the participants, who reported chewing/biting biro as well as tobacco and alcohol consumption, also reported bruxism. Oral health problems reported include tooth mobility (9.5%), shocking sensation (40.3%), chewing difficulty (6.7%), temporomandibular joint noise/or pain (5.4%), and jaw injury (7.6%). These conditions were significantly more common among those who reported bruxism. Conclusion: Data from this study revealed that one out of every four studied participants is a bruxist. There is need for the dentists to suspect bruxism in undergraduates presenting with oral health problems such as shocking sensation, tooth mobility, nail biting, chewing difficulty, anxiety/stress, jaw injury, joint noise and pain on mouth opening/closing, to give a holistic care.

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< 0.05. 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.

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

Background: Training-related injuries constitute a major health problem among military worldwide. The objective of the study was to assess military training-related maxillofacial injuries in Cameroon. Materials and Methods : This cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 participants aged 19–60 years in Koutaba training camp in the Western region (Noun division) between May and July 2014. Data were collected using both clinical examination and questionnaires. Results: Data revealed a high risk of military training-related maxillofacial injuries. Males and young participants were the most implicated population. The main causes of the maxillofacial injuries were parachuting followed by high jump and road traffic accidents. Most of those maxillofacial injuries were not handled at the training camp because of the absence of dental service. The most common maxillofacial injuries were lacerations (36.7%), followed by the fracture of the teeth (21.7%) and fracture of the lower jaw (20.0%). The majority (76.0%) of the injured respondents felt personal disturbances; mostly for those with maxillofacial injuries from pain and emotional distress. In addition, they said it impaired esthetics, impaired mastication, and disturb speech to those with missing teeth. Conclusion: Overall training.-related injuries and training.-related maxillofacial injuries constitute a major health problem in military service in Cameroon that needs a success.-oriented preventive strategy.

Background: Teacher‑led oral health education is equally effective in improving the oral health knowledge and oral hygiene status of adolescents as dentist‑led and peer‑led strategies. Aim: The aim was to determine periodontal disease awareness and knowledge among Nigerian primary school teachers. Subjects and Methods: This cross‑sectional study was conducted among primary school teachers in Edo State, Nigeria. A self‑administered questionnaire which elicited information on demography, awareness of the periodontal disease and source of information, knowledge of etiology, and symptoms of the periodontal disease, was the data collection tool.. The test of association was done using either Chi‑square or Fisher’s exact statistics. P value was set at 0.05 for significance level. Results: Out of 180 teachers recruited from seven public primary schools in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, 151 of them fully participated by filling the study questionnaires giving a 83.9% (151/180) response rate. The majority 74.2% (112/151) of the participants reported having heard of the periodontal disease and the leading source of information was television. A total of 29.8% (45/151) of participants considered periodontal disease as the main cause of tooth loss among adult Nigerian. Only 12.6% (19/151) of the participants knew dental plaque as soft debris on teeth and 29.1% (44/151) attested that plaque can cause periodontal disease. The majority of the participants were not aware of age 81.5% (123/151) and gender 96.7% (146/151) predisposition to periodontal disease. The perceived manifestations of the periodontal disease reported by were mainly gum bleeding 35.1% (53/151) and swollen gum 20.5% (31/151). A total of 70.2% (106/151) of the participants considered periodontal disease as a preventable disease and about half 49.0% (74/151) of the participants considered daily mouth cleaning as the best preventive method. The majority 95.4% (144/151) of the participants expressed interest in learning about the periodontal disease and the most preferred methods were workshops and lectures. Conclusion: A significant proportion of the participants heard about periodontal disease from nondental clinic sources. There existed a poor awareness of etiology, age and gender predispositions, manifestation, complications, and the preventable nature of periodontal disease among the participants. However, the majority of them indicated interest in learning about periodontal disease which should be utilized in optimizing their knowledge.

The significance of herpes viruses in the causation and pathogenesis of periodontal diseases is not completely understood. However, the viral-bacterial association appears to be implicated in the development of periodontal diseases. The article was a report of herpes labialis in a patient with periodontitis as a concomitant or exacerbating factor. This article reported a case of herpes labialis in an otherwise healthy 59-year-old female with Miller Grade I mobility of 47 associated 5 mm periodontal pocket and severe pain. Subgingival scaling, root planning, and grinding of the nonfunctional cusp of affected tooth was done under local anesthesia. The periodontal dressing was applied, analgesics and antibiotic medication prescribed, warm saline mouth bath and oral hygiene instruction given before discharge. On recall, complete resolution of pain, tooth mobility, and herpes labialis were noted. In conclusion, herpes labialis may be considered as a potential periodontitis exacerbating or concomitant factor if it occurs before or at same time, respectively. Assessment of symptoms of herpes labialis and evaluation of herpes simplex-1 antibodies in periodontitis patients of the negroid race presenting with pain is recommended.

Children often have the habit of placing objects in their mouth, and these objects may be accidentally implanted in the oral cavity, ingested or aspirated. The article reported a case of foreign body (inner tube of a biro) forming a collar on the cervical one-third of the crown of 72 in an otherwise healthy 6-year-old male child. There was no history of pain, but mother was bothered by the discoloration and “peeling off” the tooth and requested management of the condition. Artery forcep was used to remove the object to the relief of the mother. In conclusion, dentists attending to a child should suspect foreign body when nonpainful discoloration and “peel off” of the tooth are the presenting complaint even if the child patient did not admit placing the foreign body in the mouth. Inner tube of a biro should be included in the list of intraoral foreign body.