Ajithkrishnan Cg

Context: Anxiety is a subjective state of feelings. Dental anxiety is often reported as a cause of irregular dental attendance, delay in seeking dental care or even avoidance of dental care, resulting in poor oral health related quality of life. Aim: To assess the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of dental anxiety among a group of adult patients attending a dental institution in Vadodara, Gujarat. Patients and Methods: A total of 150 adult patients waiting in the out-patient Department of Oral Diagnosis of K.M. Shah Dental College and Hospital were included in the study. Subjects were selected by convenience sampling. Dental anxiety was assessed by using Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS) and self-designed, semi-structured questionnaire incorporating various demographic variables, type and nature of dental treatment. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 16. Descriptive analysis, unpaired t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test and multiple logistic regression were applied for statistical analysis. Results: 46% of the participants were dentally anxious. Females were found to be significantly more anxious than males. Subjects residing in villages had significantly more score than those residing in city. Relative influence of age, education, type of dental treatment, and previous dental visit were not significantly associated with dental anxiety. However, those subjects who had past negative dental experience were found to be significantly more anxious. Conclusions: The study shows that dental anxiety was high among study subjects. It is recommended that this issue should be given due importance and addressed in a practical and meaningful manner.

Aim of the Study : To assess the prevalence of oral mucosal and extraoral lesions among the cleft lip and/or palate subjects aged between 3 and 18 years, and to compare with those of noncleft controls. Methodology : A cross sectional survey was conducted during the period of March 2004 to September 2004. A select sample of 150 cases consisted of cleft lip and/or palate subjects aged between 3 and 18 years reporting to Outpatient Department, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, private Hospital and Medical Research Center, Belgaum. A sample of 450 matched noncleft subjects (Controls) was selected based on convenience from general population. Oral health assessment form as prescribed in Basic Oral Health Surveys, WHO, was used to record the data. Results : Approximately 43% of cleft subjects had abnormalities of upper lip. 7% of clefts and 5% of noncleft controls presented enlarged lymph nodes on palpation in the head and neck region. Both the cleft subjects and noncleft controls had ulcerations in the buccal mucosa. However, there was no significant difference between them. Among few cleft subjects abscess formation was observed in the sulcus region (1.33%) as well as gingiva (2.66%) adjacent to cleft. Similarly among controls also few abscess in sulcus and gingival region were observed. Conclusions : On intra-and extraoral examination of cleft and noncleft subjects for any lesions revealed that clefts as well as noncleft subjects exhibited few intraoral lesions, however clinically or statistically significant differences were not observed.