Omolola Olubunmi Orenuga

Traditionally, treating dental caries involves using rotary instruments, which can create noise that may frighten and cause discomfort in children. Recent research into caries management has introduced minimal invasive techniques like the Papacarie, which is a chemomechanical caries removal agent. To determine and compare the average time taken for caries removal and pain perception during caries removal by Papacarie as a chemomechanical caries removal method with the use of mechanical method using rotary instrument on carious primary molars. This randomized controlled clinical study carried out at the dental clinic in Lagos university teaching hospital. A split-mouth design was used and it involved 50 primary molars in 25 healthy children aged 5–9 years, each child having at least two primary molar teeth with occlusal dentine caries. Each tooth was allocated to the intervention using simple balloting method and treated with either Papacarie or conventional method for caries removal. Outcome measured were caries removal time, pain during caries removal and preference. Pain assessment was blinded. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 IBM was used for data analysis. The significance level was set at p ≤ 0.05 for all statistical tests at 95% confidence interval. Twenty-five children (with 50 primary molars) met the inclusion criteria and were recruited for the study. The children were between ages 5–9 years. Twenty-five primary molars were treated using Papacarie caries removal method while 25 primary molars were treated using conventional rotary method. There was no statistically significant difference in the time of caries removal between the two groups. Pain perception was lower with the Papacarie method compared to the conventional method, which was statistically significant. More participants preferred the Papacarie method. Twenty-five children (with 50 primary molars) met the inclusion criteria and were recruited for the study. The children were between ages 5–9 years. Twenty-five primary molars were treated using Papacarie caries removal method while 25 primary molars were treated using conventional rotary method. There was no statistically significant difference in the time of caries removal between the two groups. Pain perception was lower with the Papacarie method compared to the conventional method, which was statistically significant. More participants preferred the Papacarie method. The findings from this study indicates that the Papacarie demonstrated a comparable caries removal time, lesser pain perception and better acceptability compared to the conventional method of caries removal. Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR) Trial number PACTR202111738486539. Registered 18th November 2021.

Aim: To compare prevalence of oral hygiene status, dental trauma and malocclusion among institutionalized visually impaired (VI) and non‐visually impaired (NVI) adolescents in Lagos State, Nigeria.Methods and results: A cross sectional study conducted among institutionalized VI and NVI adolescents in Lagos State, Nigeria. One hundred and thirty‐two randomly selected VI adolescents aged between 9 and 23 years and 138 NVI participants aged between 9 and 17 years were recruited using a multi‐stage random sampling technique. Oral examination assessed oral hygiene status, dental trauma and malocclusion. Data entry and analysis was by SPSS version 20. Associations were analyzed using chi‐square test. Statistical significance was set at p < .05. Male to female ratio among the VI and NVI participants, were 1.5:1 and 1:3, mean ages were 15.03 ± 3.36 and 12.96 years ± 1.89 SD, prevalence of dental injury were 16.67% and 7.2% and malocclusion were 15.2% and 11.6% respectively. More of the NVI participants had good oral hygiene status (29.0%).Conclusion: Uncomplicated dental injury was more prevalent among the VI male participants than their NVI counterparts while malocclusion was significantly less among the NVI participants. There is an urgent need for the development of policy and protocol on oral health of persons with special needs.

Objective: The health care workers (HCW) may be the first contact of a tooth avulsion case. This study aimed to assess their knowledge and practice of emergency management of tooth avulsion. Methods: The cross-sectional study was carried out among health care workers in a teaching hospital, using a self-administered questionnaires containing closed and open-ended questions, on their knowledge and practice of management of tooth avulsion. Data collected was analyzed using EPI info version 7 statistical software. Results: A total of 362 questionnaires were administered with a response rate of 90.4%. The health care workers were 331 between the ages of 18 years to 64years. There were 200 (60.4%) females and 131(39.6%) males (ratio 3:2). Less than half (41.7%) of the respondents rated their knowledge on avulsion as fair. About half of the respondents 156 (47.1%) reported that primary tooth should be replaced into the socket. The knowledge of how to hold avulsed tooth among 217 (65.6%) of the respondents was incorrect. More than half 185 (55.9%) answered that avulsed teeth, will be stored in a dry medium. Less than half, 146 (44.1%) knew the appropriate storage media to be used. Only a third 122 (36.9%) were confident in their knowledge to replant an avulsed tooth. About a third 114 (34.4%) of HCW had encountered an avulsion case, most were dentists and nurses. More than a quarter 92 (27.7%) referred the avulsion while (16.1%) did nothing to the avulsed tooth. Conclusion: There is a need to increase the knowledge and practice of HCW, so that immediate replantation can be practiced thereby improving the prognosis for replanted teeth.