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Background: Ameloblastoma is one of the most common benign odontogenic tumours in Nigeria. It is considered uncommon in children. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective study of pediatric patients with histopathological diagnosis of ameloblastoma seen over seven years at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Nigeria. Relevant information was retrieved from patients’ records and data obtained were analysed using SPSS version 23, the chi-square test was used to compare qualitative variables, a p-value of

Objective: To determine the frequency of symptomatic malpositioned mandibular third molars in elderly patients. Method: An analytic study of hospital records of elderly patients with symptomatic impacted mandibular third molars over 17 years was undertaken. Information on demographics, types of impaction, reasons for surgical extraction, and complications after treatment were obtained. Those who were asymptomatic would be excluded from analysis. Results: Altogether, 6214 impacted mandibular third molars were isolated in 5, 431 patients. However, 436 (7.0%) symptomatic impacted teeth were recorded in 436 (8.0%) patients and these were extracted, while the rest, 5778 (93.0%) were asymptomatic. Males were greater than females in the ratio of 1.1:1. The frequency of occurrence of mesio-angular and vertical impactions were significant (P= 0.001) compared with disto-angular and horizontal. Periodontal disease was 211 (48.4%) of the case in addition to dental caries and its clinical sequelae 203 (46.6%) were significant reasons for extractions (P=0.000). The common postoperative complications were alveolar osteitis and hypersensitivity of the adjacent molar 22(68.7%) which related to surgical extraction of disto-angular impactions (P= 0.001). Conclusions: This study showed the older the patient the less likely malpositioned mandibular third molar suggesting that majority of such impactions do not cause pathology after many years of their presence in the oral cavity. Prophylactic extraction of malpositioned mandibular third molars in all patients should be discouraged, but each case should be treated on merit or when symptomatic.

Background: This study was aimed at assessing the level of knowledge, attitude and practice of dental surgeons on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted among all the consenting dental surgeons at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria, between May and July, 2015. The survey was carried out using a self-administered, anonymous, twenty-five item, and structured questionnaire.Results: A total of 40 (74.1%) males and 14 (25.9%) females responded in the study. The majority, 37 (68.5%), of the dental surgeons had inadequate knowledge about PEP. Majority of the dental surgeons, 44 (81.5%), had a good attitude towards PEP for HIV/HBV. From the study participants, 52 (96.3%) agreed on the importance of PEP for HIV/HBV in the work place. A high proportion of the respondents, 47 (87.0%), had been vaccinated against HBV. Among all of the respondents, 25 (46.3%) were exposed to HIV/HBV risky conditions. Sixteen of the 25 exposed dental surgeons, 16/25 (64.0%), did not take PEP. Among the respondents who did not take PEP, 15 of those 16 (93.6%) stated that their reason for not taking PEP was due to fear of stigma and discrimination.Conclusion: This study shows that knowledge and practice of dental surgeons towards PEP for HIV/HBV is inadequate. A formal PEP training centre with proper guidelines is recommended for dental surgeons.

Background: The management of pathologic lesions of the mandible includes plans for the reconstruction of the resultant defect to give the patients optimal surgical reconstructive and prosthetic results. Objective: To evaluate the degree of deviation of the contralateral half of the mandible toward the surgical defect after hemimandibulectomy and intermaxillary fixation (IMF). Patients and Methods: This is a 9-year prospective single-blinded clinical study conducted at the Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic of our institution. Information obtained from the patients included age, gender, type of mandibular lesion, method of wound closure, duration of IMF, temporo-mandibular joint (TMJ) symptom(s), and the deviation toward the surgical defect of the remnant contralateral half of the mandible, measured in centimeter at maximum mouth opening. Results: Ninety-six patients, unevenly distributed according to their duration of tolerance of IMF, were studied. The age of the patients ranged from 29 to 57 years with an overall mean age of 42.6 ± 5.1 years. There were 72 males and 24 females with a male-to-female ratio of 3:1 (P = 0.001). The lesions that were extirpated were all benign, and ameloblastoma was the most common tumor (P = 0.001). The shorter the duration of IMF, the greater the deviation of the mandibular mid-line toward the surgical defect (P = 0.001). Conclusion: This study shows that there is a deviation of mid-line of the residual mandible toward the surgical defect after hemimandibulectomy, even after its immobilization with IMF for 4–12 weeks. IMF is still useful in the prevention of mandibular collapse after hemimandibulectomy.

Background: The prophylactic extraction of asymptomatic impacted mandibular third molar is a contentious issue in dental practice. Objective: To evaluate symptomatic impacted mandibular third molars in patients 50 years and above, and determine the burden of the impaction on the adjacent second molar. Methods: This was a prospective clinical study over a three-year period. The diagnosis of impacted mandibular third molar and their associated pathology was made by clinical and radiological examination. The data obtained were age, sex, type of impaction, reason for surgical extraction, and the clinical condition of the adjacent second molar. Results: Patients 50 years and above were 33.4%, and those with impaction 22.8%, while the symptomatic cases were in 18.4% patients. The age of the patients ranged from 52 to 84 years with male: female ratio, 2.3:1. In all the asymptomatic impactions, the adjacent second molars were disease-free, whereas 73.6% of the adjacent second molar related to symptomatic cases were asymptomatic (P=0.001). Conclusion: This study showed that 15.9% of impactions in 18.4% of patients were symptomatic and required surgical ex- traction, whereas the burden of impaction on the adjacent second molar was 26.4%, and these required only preventive and restorative treatments. Keywords: Mandible, impaction, second molar, third molar, prognosis.

Objective: To analyze cases of compound, unfavorable and non-comminuted mandibular angle fractures treated by trans-osseous wiring, presenting postoperative complications, in a low resource center.Materials and methods: This was a 13-year retrospective study of 1,324 fractures in 1,317 subjects. The predictor variables were age, gender, aetiology, time lag between injury and treatment, and concomitant mandibular and midfacial fractures. The outcome variable was the development of complication(s) after treatment. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed with EPI INFO 7 version software, and the P value was set at 0.05.Results: The sample size was composed of 63/1317 (4.8%) of patients with complications. There were 48 males and 15 females with male: female ratio of 3.2:1. The age of the patients ranged from 21 to 62 years (mean 37.4± 5.6 years). The test of significance showed statistically significant association between complications of mandibular angle fractures and increasing age (P

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics of cases of spontaneous bone regeneration of the mandible after segmental resection. This retrospective study covered a 23-year period and used data obtained from the hospital records; patient data were entered into a pro-forma questionnaire. Overall, the cases of 636 patients with mandibular lesions treated by segmental resection were reviewed; 13 (2.0%) had spontaneous bone regeneration. The time post-surgery at which bone regeneration was first noticed ranged from 9 to 17 weeks. Seven patients were male (53.8%) and six were female (46.2%), giving a male to female ratio of 1.2:1. The patients ranged in age from 16 to 51 years (mean 26.6±3.6 years). The periosteum was completely excised after resection in eight patients (61.5%), while it was partially preserved in five (38.5%). The younger the patient, the earlier the spontaneous bone regeneration occurred in the defect (P=0.001), particularly in those who had complete excision of the periosteum. Radiographically, the new bone formed was observed to have the same appearance as the cortical bone of the mandibular stumps, but lacked height. This study suggests that bone graft reconstructions may still be necessary for this group of patients who show spontaneous bone regeneration.

BACKGROUND: There is need to understand the nature of sports-related traumatic injuries to the oro-facial region in an environment due to increasing popularity of sports. OBJECTIVE: To report the prevalence, characteristics, treatment approach and outcome of mandibular fractures sustained through sports. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a descriptive clinical study that evaluated mandibular fractures sustained during sports over 10 years. The data analyzed were age, sex, occupation, mechanism of injury, site, concomitant injuries, and monthly/yearly distribution of patients, treatment and complications. RESULTS: The prevalence of sports related mandibular fractures over the 10 year period was 72 (7.4%) patients who had 79 (5.7%) different fractures. This prevalence was optimum in the month of July and in the year, 2012. The male to female ratio was 11:1. Their ages ranged from 16-31 years but majority (76.4%) were between 20 to 27 years (P=0.001). The frequency of patients was less in the first five years (43.1%) when compared with the subsequent five years (56.9%) of the ten-year study period (P=0.03). Football related injuries in patients (87.5%, P=0.000) were the most common cause. Concomitant injuries occurred in 23 (32.0%) subjects, and these were mostly cerebral concussion (n=13, 18.1%). The methods of treatment utilized to manage the patients were conservative (n=10, 13.9%) and closed reduction (n=62, 86.1%). Limitation of mouth opening was complication in 3 (4.2%) patients treated by inter-maxillary fixation and these were corrected during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Although the treatment outcome was good, this study has shown an increasing trend in the occurrence of mandibular fractures.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the degree of preoperative pain and trismus with the development of complications following the repair of isolated unilateral compound mandibular body fractures using a closed reduction technique. Subjects and Methods: This was a 7-year prospective study carried out at the Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria. Of a total of 97 patients, 83 (85.6%) subjects (66 males, 17 females, ratio 5:1) were preoperatively evaluated for trismus and pain in a blinded manner by a single examiner, and complications were recorded postoperatively. The data obtained were statistically analyzed with EPI Info 2008 software. Results: Of the 83 patients treated, 13 (15.7%) developed complications. The fractures were most common in the age range of 21-40 years (n = 45, 54.2%). The age (p = 0.02) and gender (p = 0.01) distribution of the subjects was significant. The more severe the limitation of mouth opening (p = 0.03) and pain (p = 0.04) before treatment, the more complications developed, and these significantly affected treatment outcome. Impaired mastication and facial asymmetry (n = 17, 41.5%) were the most common complications. Conclusion: This study showed that posttrauma pain and trismus due to unilateral mandibular body fractures may be associated with the development of complications. An adequately powered prospective study treating patients at 5 or 7 days is required in order to make the case for later intervention.

Background : There is evidence that self‑medication practices among dental patients with toothache are common, and despite the adverse clinical consequences, there is a paucity of literature on it, and only few programs are available for its control. Aim : The aim was to assess the self‑medication practices among adult dental patients suffering from toothache. Subjects and Methods : An instrument adapted from modified form of 117‑item self‑report questionnaire based on world Health Organization guidelines for students’ substance use survey and open‑ended questionnaire was administered to adult patients attending the Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic of this Health Institution for a period of 6 months. Results : The results show that 80.6% (287/356) subjects indulged in self‑medication practices. Majority of the patients 42.9% (123/287) were in the 2-4th decades of life, whereas the male: female ratio was 1.3:1. The most commonly abused medications/substance was analgesics/non‑steroidal anti‑inflammatory drug (243/287; 24.5%), antibiotics (233/287; 23.5%), “touch and go” (187/287; 18.8%). The practice of self‑medication cut across all social strata, P < 0.01 (significant) and only 3.8% (11/287) subjects admitted knowledge of the dosage and side‑effects of the used medications/substances. The toothache not being serious initially (112/287; 22.5%) and time constraints to attend dental clinic (93/287; 18.7%) were the major reasons for self‑medication. Conclusion : This study suggests that the practice of self‑medication is common among adult dental patients with toothache in Nigeria. This should be reduced to the barest minimum by dental health education, upgrading of dental health facilities, and enforcement of drug control mechanisms. Keywords : Dental patients, Toothache, Self‑medication, Nigeria

Aim: To clinically determine the efficacy of tincture of benzoin compound in the treatment and prevention of alveolar osteitis (dry socket) following surgical disimpaction of mesio-angularly impacted mandibular third molars. Patients and methods: This is a 6-year prospective study of 232 patients with mesio-angularly impacted mandibular third molars requiring dental extractions at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. The subjects were recruited into two different groups, A (control) and B (tinctureofbenzoincompound),bysimplerandomsampling. Results: In Groups A and B, 16 (13.8%) and 3 (2.6%) of the subjects, respectively, developed alveolar osteitis. There were more males (n = 123, 53.0%) than females (n = 109, 47.0%) in the two groups, with male-tofemale ratio of 3:1. There were more subjects (n = 11, 68.7%) between 25‐44 years in Group A, with a mean age of 31.5 years, than in Group B, with a mean age of 28.3 years. The most common reason for extraction was dentalcariesanditssequelae(n = 121,52.1%). Conclusion: This study suggests that the tincture of benzoin compound is beneficialandsafeinthetreatmentandpreventionofalveolarosteitis.

Orofacial lesions are among the earliest clinical manifestations of HIV infections.This study to investigate the oral lesions seen in HIV positive women with emphasis on the need for diagnosis of oral lesions by all health workers.A prospective cross-sectional study of HIV positive women attending the HIV/AIDS clinic (PEPFAR) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin-city, Nigeria. The subjects were investigated for the presence of oral lesions, between the period January and March, 2011. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the hospital and a written informed consent was obtained from each subject that participated in the study. Determination of HIV related oral lesions was carried out clinically using the criteria proposed by the ECC/WHO, 1993. P values ≤ 0.05 were considered significant.A total of 107 HIV/AIDS infected women attending the HIV/AIDS Clinic were examined. The age ranged from 18 to 50 years with mean age of 36 ± 9.2 years. The age group of 21 to 30 was the most affected (n = 36, 33.6%). Sixty-one subjects (57.0%) presented with oral lesions. The most common observed oral lesion was pseudomembranous candidiasis (n = 37, 37.8%); followed by melanotic pigmentation (n = 11, 11.2%) and xerostomia (n = 11, 11.2%). Group 1 oral lesions accounted for 64.3%, group 2 accounted for 30.6%, while group 3 accounted for 5.1%.Oro-facial lesions are among the earliest clinical manifestations of HIV infection. These were commonly observed in HIV infected Nigerian women. Oral candidiasis the most common oral lesion observed in the series may therefore be used as a clinical indicator of early immunodeficiency associated with HIV.

Background: There are controversies and debates over the risks associated with the retention of asymptomatic impacted mandibular third molars when compared with the need for their extraction. Objective: To determine the incidence and types of complications after the surgical extraction of asymptomatic impacted mandibular third molars. Patients and methods: This was a four-year prospective, single blinded, clinical study, carried out at the Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic of our institution. The variables analyzed were patients’ age, gender, types and site of impaction, and complaints during reviews. Results: Overall, 115 patients with asymptomatic impacted mandibular third molars were seen, and 63/115 (54.8%) were treated. The age of the patients ranged from 26-65 years with a mean age of 42.3 ± 3.4 years. Majority (n=47, 74.6%) of the patients were in the age category of 31-50 years. The male: female ratio was 1: 1.3. Mesioangular (n=33, 52.4%) impaction was the most common. Complication rate was 4.8%, comprising two (3.2%) females and one (1.6%) male who had numbness of the ipsilateral lower lip. The numbness resolved by the 4th post-operative week, and the extraction sockets clinically healed uneventfully. Conclusion: This study shows that the complications associated with the surgical extractions of the asymptomatic impacted mandibular third molars were acute, neurological and without a permanent sequel.

Background: There is a paucity of literature on the use of honey in wound healing after oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures.Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of the healing properties of Obudu honey in patients who developed wound dehiscence after segmental mandibular resections.Patients and Methods: This was a prospective study of 72 patients who had benign lesions of the mandible, and were treated by segmental mandibular resection, with the surgical wounds developing dehiscence. The subjects were randomized into two treatment groups of A (control, n = 36) and B (experimental, n = 36). Unlike the control, the wounds in the experimental group were dressed in honey after debridement.Results: The ages of the patients ranged from 21 to 73 years with a mean age of 46.3 ± 2.1 years while the male: female ratio was 3:1. There was no significant demographic difference about age (P = 0.44) and gender (P = 0.38) between the two groups. The smaller the initial circumference of the surgical wound, the shorter the duration of healing and this was significant (P = 0.001) in either of the treatment groups. Numerically, more healing was completed in the first 5 weeks in subjects in the experimental group (n = 19, 52.8%) than the control (n = 13, 36.1%). However, the duration of healing between the subjects in the control and experimental groups at the end of 9 weeks showed no significant difference (P = 0.23).Conclusion: Honey speeds up the healing of dehiscence wounds of resected mandible when used as dressing more than the control.Key words: Dehiscence, honey, mandible, surgical, wound

Background: The surgical extractions of impacted mandibular third molars are sometimes associated with nerve morbidity. Objective: To determine the incidence of nerve morbidity after mandibular third molar surgery and compare the complications from the inferior alveolar and lingual nerves in two cohorts of patients. Patients and methods: This prospective study was an investigation of two cohorts of patients within duration of four years. The sample size was composed of 212 subjects, made up of 28 patients who had their impacted third molars in close contact with the inferior alveolar canal and 184 patients that did not have their molars in contact. The predictor variables were age, gender, type of impaction, indications for extraction, difficulty index and duration of surgery. The outcome variable was the development of neuro-sensory complication(s) after treatment. Descriptive and bivariate statistics were computed and the P value was set at 0.05. Results: There was no significant relationship between the predictor variables in the two groups. The result showed that 6/212 (2.8%) patients complained of numbness of the ipsilateral lower lip and part of the cheek. Out of this 4/28 (14.3%) were in those that had their molars in close contact with inferior alveolar canal while 2/184 (1.1%) were cases that didn’t make contact. No complication occurred that was related to the lingual nerve. Conclusion: Nerve morbidity occurred after third molar surgery and the incidence is commoner in cases where the third molar made contact with inferior alveolar canal.

Background: The surgical extraction of impacted third molars is a common oral surgical procedure, and it is often associated with complications such as sensory nerve damage, dry socket, pain, swelling, trismus, infection and hemorrhage. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the surgical indications and risk factors for complications of third molar surgery at a Nigerian teaching hospital. Materials and Methods: Medical records of patients referred to the Oral Surgery Clinic of our institution for surgical extraction of their impacted mandibular third molars from January 2008 to December 2010 were retrospectively examined. Information on patients’ demography, types of impaction, operative parameters and complications were obtained and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 13), Chicago, IL, USA. A P < 0.0.5 was considered significant. Results: A total of 330 impacted teeth were extracted from 250 patients. Male comprises (104/250 [41.6%]) and female (146/250 [58.4%]). The mesioangular (176/330 [53.4%]) and distoangular (73/330 [22.1%]) impactions were the commonest types. Recurrent pericoronitis (154/330 [46.7%]) was the most common indication for extraction. The complications were delayed healing (19/330 [5.8%]), alveolar, osteitis (9/330 [2.7%]) and injury to alveolar nerve (2/330 [0.6%]). Cigarette smoking (P < 0.001), Oral contraceptives use (P = 0.01), age of the patient (P = 0.03) and the surgeon’s experience (P = 0.04) were found to be significantly associated with the development of alveolar osteitis; nerves injuries were significantly associated with the raising of a lingual flap (P < 0.001) and the technique of surgery (P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion: The age of the patient, cigarette smoking and oral contraceptive use at the time of surgery are some of the factors affecting outcome in third molar surgery.

OBJECTIVE The plethora of techniques available for the treatment of mandibular fractures suggests that there is controversy regarding their definitive outcome. The purpose of this study was to clinically study the complications associated with the different treatment methods of mandibular fractures at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Nigeria. METHODS This was a three-year prospective study carried out at the Dental and Maxillofacial Clinic of the hospital. Patients who met the inclusion criteria had their data recorded in a proforma questionnaire. RESULTS Out of the 256 patients studied, 17.2% developed complications. Complications were commoner (70.5%) between ages 21 and 50 years. Thirty-five (79.5%) were males while nine (20.5%) were females with a male:female ratio of 4.9:1. Following treatment by closed reduction, conservative and open reduction, 16.6%, 17.2% and 20.7% had complications, respectively. Whereas occlusal derangement was the most common complication, numbness of the cheek and lower lip was recorded following all treatment methods. CONCLUSION Although the complications recorded in this patient population were managed during postoperative follow-up period, the methods of treatment available give good results, are cost-effective and patient compliance is good. This suggests that the older methods of treatment of mandibular fractures can still be used with reliability in contemporary dental practice.

Patients' factors such as age and sex and surgical variables such as level of difficulty have been linked with surgical outcome in third molar surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of these variables on inflammatory complications in patients undergoing third molar surgery.Patients referred to our institution for surgical extraction of their impacted lower third molar between January 2007 and December 2008 were the subjects of the study. Patients' demographics as well as types of impaction, indication and level of difficulty based on Pederson criteria were obtained. Post operative pain, swelling and mouth opening limitation were evaluated at day 1, day 2, day 3, day 5 and 1 week after the surgery and analyzed. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.A total of 150 patients aged 16-38 years (25.9 ± 4.47) met the inclusion criteria. Male accounted for 66 (44.0 %) while females were 84 (56.0 %), giving male to female ratio of 1:1.3. Age, sex and difficulty index had no effect on pain and trismus throughout the periods of postoperative evaluation (p 0.05). Postoperative swelling was not affected by gender but patients above 25 years who had high scores of difficulty index had more facial swelling.The results of this study shows that age, gender and the level of surgical difficulty have no effect on pain and mouth opening limitation after third molar surgery.

The aim of this prospective randomized study was to evaluate the effect of not using sutures on postoperative pain, swelling and trismus after lower third molar surgery. 80 patients with impacted lower third molars were referred for surgical extraction (42 males; 38 females; aged 18-38 years). The patients were randomly divided into two equal groups (sutures n=40; suture-less n=40). In the experimental group, the flaps were replaced without suturing. The control group was selected using the same criteria and treated under the same surgical protocol as the experimental group, except that the flaps were apposed using multiple sutures. Pain, swelling and trismus were evaluated at 24 h, 48 h and 1 week postoperatively in both groups. The operation time was found to be significantly longer in the multiple sutures group (p0.05). There was significantly less pain, swelling and trismus at 24 h and 48 h, respectively, in the suture-less group (p0.05). There was no significant difference between the two treatment groups in terms of pain, swelling and trismus, at 1 week postoperatively (p0.05). There is less postoperative pain, swelling and trismus with the suture-less technique in third molar surgery.

Pain, swelling, and trismus are the most common complications associated with third molar surgery. Several methods of alleviation of these complications have been described. The effect of single and multiple suture techniques on these complications was compared in the present study.All consecutive patients 18 years of age or older who had been referred for surgical extraction of their impacted teeth between January and December 2007 at the maxillofacial unit of the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital were recruited and randomized into 2 groups. All selected participants underwent surgical extraction of their impacted teeth by the same surgeon under local anesthesia. The flaps in 1 group were closed by multiple sutures and those in the second group were closed by a single suture. Pain, swelling, and trismus were evaluated at postoperative days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7. Descriptive and comparative statistical analyses were performed, and the results are presented. Significance was set at P.05.A total of 50 subjects participated in the present study. Both groups were comparable in terms of the age distribution (multiple suture group, 26.0 ± 4.73 years; single suture group, 25.8 ± 4.28 years, P = .755), difficulty index (multiple suture group, 5.0 ± 1.68; single suture group, 4.9 ± 4.79; P = .935), duration of surgery (multiple suture group, 29. 7 ± 6.11 minutes; single suture group, 30.0 ± 6.04 minutes; P = .835), and baseline parameters such as facial width (multiple suture group, 10.0 ± 1.32 cm; single suture group, 9.8 ± 0.37 cm; P = .115), mouth opening (multiple suture group, 4.5 ± 1.32 cm, single suture group, 4.8 ± 0.26 cm; P = .165), and preoperative pain, which was 0 in both groups. Other comparable variables included impaction type (P = .210) and indication for surgery (P = .278). A statistically significant difference was found in the level of pain at postoperative days 1, 2, and 3 (P.05). A similar significant difference was found in swelling and trismus (P.05). At days 5 and 7, no significant differences were found between the 2 groups for all parameters of pain, swelling, and trismus (P.05).Our study had a comparable distribution of age, gender, and operative variables, such as the pattern of impaction, preoperative difficulty index, and operative time between patients undergoing the 2 methods of closure. With that, our results have shown that the single suture closure technique was better than the multiple suture technique with regard to postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus.

Case Definition:Sub mental dermoid cysts are not common. Dermoid apidermoid cysts represent about 0.01% of all oral cysts with an incidence of 1.6 to 6.9% in the head and neck region. The can present at birth and remain undiagnosed until they present cosmetic problems to the patient in adult life. They may also present in adult life with vaying degrees of problems. Reason for reporting: This case is reported because it was first diagnosed when the patient was 6 months old but was not treated and presented in the clinic when it was causing aesthetic problems when the patient was 20 years old. Case Report: The patient was a 20-year old male with a sub mental swelling. The swelling, which measured 6.5cmx5cm clinically, was reported by the sonologist to be 6cmx3.9cm. It was doughy in consistency and did nit interfere with swallowing. It was neither visible nor palpable intra-orally. A sub mental vertical incision was made and the cyst was located on the mylohoid muscle and was excised. The histology confirmed dermoid cyst. No recurrence of the cyst has occurred after 18 months of follow up. Conclusion: Dermoid Cysts are sometimes difficult to diagnose in an infant or new born because they may be small and symptomless. An appropriate referral to and follow up by the oral and maxillofacial surgeon to remove them early is advocated. Keywords: Submental, Dermoid, cyst Orient Journal of Medicine Vol. 17 (1&2) 2005: 24-27

Background : Odontogenic tumours occur in our environment and because of late treatment, cause considerable disabilities. Objective: To review cases of odontogenic tumours in our centre in order to obtain a baseline data and subsequently compare the results with that obtained elsewhere. Patients and methods : Using hospital case files and register, we carried out a 15-year retrospective study of odontogenic tumours at the Dental and Maxillofacial Clinic, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. The data documented include age, gender, duration of lesion, type of tumour, socio-economic class, type of surgery, and complaints during follow-up reviews. Results : Majority of the patients (n=49, 31.4%) were in the third decade of life. There were 85 (54.5%) males and 71 (45.5%) females, giving male to female ratio of 1.2:1. There was a significant association between the type of odontogenic tumour and the age of occurrence (p=0.000). The longer the duration of symptoms before presentation, the larger the tumours (p=0.000). The benign odontogenic tumours were 151 (96.8%), ameloblastoma (n=74, 47.4%) being the commonest. Jaw resection (54.5%) was the predominant treatment. Majority (58.0%) of the complications following treatment were Facial deformity, malocclusion and impaired mastication. Conclusion : Majority of the patients was in the lower socio-economic class, presented late for treatment and a few with aesthetic and functional impairment returned for secondary surgery. The intervention of agencies of government and non-governmental organizations is required to assist these patients if we are to accomplish the core healthcare system values in our environment. Keywords : Odontogenic, tumour(s), ameloblastoma, late presentation, complications.