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Background: Dental anomalies are craniofacial abnormalities in the size, structure or number of the teeth. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of dental anomalies among children aged 0-16 years attending the Paediatric Dental Clinic at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used and data were obtained from the dental records of the Dental Clinic from January 2014 to August 2019 by two calibrated examiners, who are co-authors of the manuscript. To test for statistical differences, Chi-squared test was utilised for the categorical variables. The prevalence of the different dental anomalies was estimated and presented with frequencies. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among the 6175 patients' dental records reviewed, 50.85% (n = 3150) were male and the highest proportion of 45.4% (n = 2807) were aged between 6 and 10 years, with a mean age of 8.62 ± 3.85 years. A total of 1090 (17.52%) had dental anomalies; 465 (7.53) anomalies were in the maxilla, 263 (4.6) were in the mandible while 360 (5.83) were in both. The most common anomaly was hypoplasia 550 (9.06%), followed by retained primary tooth 546 (8.84%) and hypodontia 84 (1.36%). Dentinogenesis imperfecta 1 (0.02) and transposition 1 (0.02) were the least prevalent anomalies. Retained primary teeth (5.8%) and the cusp of Carabelli (0.4%) were slightly more prevalent among males. However, females had a higher prevalence of natal/neonatal teeth (0.4%), fusion/germination (0.4%), hypodontia (1.5%) and peg-shaped lateral incisors (0.9%). Conclusion: Dental anomalies' prevalence in this study was 17.52%, with a higher occurrence of anomalies in the maxilla. Hypoplasia was the most prevalent anomaly, after which was retained primary tooth, then hypodontia. Prompt diagnosis and preventive interventions are crucial for the appropriate management of these dental anomalies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Waterpipe smoking (WPS) has been reported to have a wide range of damaging health effects on pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. Studies suggest that waterpipe tobacco smoking is associated with reduced harm perceptions, mental health problems and the use of psychoactive substances. We investigate the patterns of use and the association of WPS with anxiety, poly-tobacco and alcohol use in Lagos, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to assess the data from 818 adolescents and adults in Lagos State, Nigeria. An online questionnaire obtained demographic information, waterpipe, e-cigarette, alcohol and other tobacco product use from respondents. Anxiety was assessed using the validated Generalised Anxiety Disorder 7-point scale. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors associated with waterpipe ever-use. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean (standard deviation) age of respondents was 23.43 (±3.96), over half were female (55.2%) and a majority had a college diploma or more (88.59%). Among study participants, 18.58% reported waterpipe ever-use. Among ever waterpipe users, 17.33% reported current use (past 30-days), with a majority having smoked waterpipe in a bar or pub. Alcohol use (P < 0.001), e-cigarette ever-use (P: 0.010) and poly-tobacco ever-use (P: 0.030) were significantly associated with higher odds of waterpipe use in the multivariate regression model. Further, there was a lower likelihood of waterpipe ever-use in the bivariate regression model among respondents with mild and moderate to severe anxiety levels than those with normal anxiety levels (P: 0.030); however, this association was no longer significant in the adjusted model. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a relatively high prevalence of WPS in Lagos, Nigeria. Concurrent alcohol consumption, e-cigarette and poly-tobacco use are associated with WPS, and most waterpipe smokers have normal anxiety levels. The Nigerian Government should consider surveillance measures for WPS and a more comprehensive smoke-free policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The oral health of children is a significant public health issue that considerably affects nutritional intake, growth and development, daily learning activities, sleep pattern, self-esteem, and quality of life. In Nigeria, limited progress has been made in reducing the prevalence and burden of oral health problems such as dental caries, Noma, and oral cancer due to absence of national data, inadequate budgetary allocation, dearth of personnel, poor policy framework/implementation, and challenges of care access. Lagos state has a large, diverse population, hampered by illiteracy and poverty, and school-based dental screening is a strategy that can potentially reduce the prevalence of oral diseases among a vulnerable population in resource-poor settings. This document proposes secondary prevention through screening for a significant proportion of children in Lagos State and will be a veritable source of Data for oral Health planning. Proposed Interventions: A draft policy document is proposed for the Ministry of health for legislation mandating a low-cost comprehensive oral health examination to screen every child admitted into Primary or Secondary School in any of the State Government-owned Schools in Lagos State. Each child will receive an oral health education leaflet and a duplicated annual dental screening form in addition to all the other requirements he will provide before being cleared for resumption when the academic year commences. The parents of the child will then be expected to present the form at any of the Lagos State-owned General hospitals for dental screening. The children will receive expedited attention and will not be kept waiting unnecessarily before being attended to. Students who have any form of dental disease will however be required to open a dental card at the clinic and have their treatments done as soon as possible. Except the dental treatment is found to be very expensive, the parents would be firmly encouraged to have the treatment done before the academic year commences and the form can be filled and signed. The school authorities would be notified if the parents cannot bear the cost and the ministry of health would be duly informed. Once the child is examined and found to be free of dental disease, the form can be filled and signed by the attending dental practitioner and duly stamped. A duplicate would be retained in a dedicated file in the dental clinic while the main form will be returned to the school. The schools will keep the forms in a dedicated file and at the end of each admission cycle, a report on the oral health status of the children for each school must be submitted to the Ministries of Education and Health. The preferred format for submission should be an excel spreadsheet containing the biodata and the summary of dental findings and treatment provided as applicable for each child. Evaluation: Short and long term evaluation will be done to assess coverage rate, the number of dental diseases identified, number of treatments done, the satisfaction of parents and children with the services while the cost-benefit analysis of the services will be determined using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. The results of these analyses will be utilized to justify further government commitment of resources to this program. Conclusion: Strategies to reduce the burden of disease in developing countries must focus on policy design/implementation and preventive interventions. This proposed policy can help to decrease or eliminate barriers to access. It can also increase the number of children who will receive both preventive and curative oral care and also improve their knowledge of oral health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Constraints in dental access and limitations associated with service delivery necessitate the use of an appointment system in patient care. This research aimed to identify association between treatment appointments and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) in dental patients at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive study that surveyed 412 individuals. Socio-demographic, clinical history, and OHRQOL data was collected using a structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess inconvenience while the oral health impact profile-14 was used for OHRQOL assessment at baseline and at review. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS while ANOVA and Chi-square tests were used to determined significant association. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Most (175; 45.2%) dental appointments were within a month although 59 (15.2%) individuals had to wait for more than 6 months. Using VAS, 87 (22.5%) individuals were moderately inconvenienced while 68 (17.6%) were extremely inconvenienced. At baseline, the most commonly reported oral health quality of life impacts were within the dimensions "physical pain" and "psychological discomfort." At review, there was increase in OHRQOL scores in the subdomains of pain (2.27 ± 1.80), self-consciousness (1.67 ± 1.15), discomfort on chewing (1.61 ± 1.13), and pronouncing words (1.49 ± 2.21). The highest mean impact score (2.27 ± 1.80) was observed in the subdomain of painful aching in the mouth. Conclusion: Dental appointments appear to result in worse OHRQOL. Since the appointment systems in public oral health facilities may have a direct bearing on OHRQOL of patients, quality control standards on dental appointments should be established and enforced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Common oral diseases are preventable and if detected early are reversible and schools provide a setting in which the oral health behavior of pupils can be influenced. We aimed to assess the effectiveness of using teachers in place of oral health professionals to deliver oral health education (OHE) in public secondary schools in Lagos State. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in four phases from September 2016-April 2017. A multistage sampling method was adopted to enlist the research participants from four enlisted schools, which were randomly assigned into two groups. Trained dentists delivered OHE in the first group of schools while trained teachers did in the second group and the impact of the intervention was assessed over six months. P values for significant differences were set at 0.05. Results: At the 3 months evaluation, the mean oral health knowledge (OHK) scores were higher among pupils in the Teachers Intervention Schools (TIS) (71.3 ± 19.3) than that in the Dentist Intervention Schools (DIS) (61.3 ± 17.7) (P = 0.023). Subsequent evaluation sessions from baseline revealed a gradual increase in the proportion of pupils with positive oral health attitude scores; with a higher proportion of pupils in the DIS (34.5%) compared to the TIS (34.0%) at 6 months assessment time. At 6 months evaluation, the proportion of pupils with poor oral health practices decreased in both groups of schools (P = 0.104). Conclusion: The proportion of pupils with good OHK was higher in the TIS at post-intervention periods; this difference was statistically significant at 3 months. This result suggests that teachers are as effective as dentists in delivering OHE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a diverse set of metabolic disorders initiated by either a lack of insulin, opposition to its action, or both. The aim of this study was to assess the association between glycemic control and the periodontal/caries status of controlled diabetic patients at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. Materials and Methods: Forty-eight diabetic patients with good glycemic control demonstrated by three consecutive results in their medical records and who gave informed consent were enlisted and screened for periodontal disease and dental caries. Glycemic control was assessed using fasting blood sugar, 2-h postprandial, and glycated hemoglobin (Hb1Ac). Caries was assessed by decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT) while oral hygiene index, gingival index (GI), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and probing pocket depth (PPD) were used to assess periodontal health. The data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 18 and test of statistical significance was done using Chi-square test and ANOVA test. A P ≤ 0.05 was recorded as statistically significant. Results: The PPD and CAL of the participants were significantly associated with their glycemic levels. Those with increased glycemic values had greater attachment loss and pocket depth. Gingival inflammation and oral hygiene were however not significantly associated with glycemic control. Respondents above 65 years similarly had significantly higher numbers of missing teeth (P = 0.04) and greater mean DMFT values (P = 0.03). Similarly, respondents above 66 years of age, those who had no education, and females were observed to have worse oral hygiene, gingival inflammation, and periodontal destruction evidenced by CAL and PPD than other respondents, even though the association was not significant. Conclusion: Oral health manifestations of diabetes need to be emphasized like other systemic diabetic complications. The salient role of glycemic control in periodontal health should also be continuously emphasized among diabetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]