A Preliminary Investigation into the Dietary and Oral Practices Associated with Fractured Teeth and Prostheses in a Trinidadian Population

Objectives: This preliminary study seeks to determine the relationship between fractured teeth, restorations, prostheses, and specific dietary practices. Methodology: Anonymous questionnaires were randomly distributed to a convenience sample of Trinidadian adults at various locations around the country, after gaining consent. Data were analyzed using the software; Statistical Package for the Social Sciences for significant associations between various types of food and broken teeth or prosthesis using odds ratios. Results: Three hundred questionnaires were completed. Seventy­five percent of the patients preferred crunchy or hard foods and 51% of the respondents liked crushing bones, mostly chicken bones. It was observed that respondents with a dietary preference for fried whole chana, split chana, crab, and sugarcane were significantly associated with broken dentures. Respondents eating whole chana also had a significant association with broken teeth and broken dentures. Associations were found between some dietary preferences, ethnicities, and age groups. Conclusions: Significant associations between age, ethnicity, sex, and certain dietary practices and habits were found. There also appears to be a significant relationship between patients with fractured teeth, restorations, and prostheses with certain dietary preferences.

Copying Is Not Cheating: The Use of Copy Dentures In The Digital Denture Process

Dental practitioners often encounter patients who want to replace an old pair of complete dentures. There are many factors and inherent challenges involved in providing a new pair of dentures which are not only technically and clinically acceptable, but also acceptable to the patient. These challenges can prove to be particularly difficult, when the replacement denture is for an elderly patient, or patients with systemic disorders such as Parkinson's, Dementia, Alzheimer's or the physically frail. Previous denture use enables a patient to adapt more quickly to a new set of dentures, as compared with a patient who has never worn dentures before. However, when patients are wearing old and inadequate prosthesis over long periods, the necessary muscular control develops, which enables them to still function. Therefore, the difficulty arises if major changes are made in the new denture, and a lot of muscular adaptation is required for control. In these cases, the advantage of a copy dentures would be the ease with which neuromuscular adaption to the new dentures can occur. (Vohra and Habib 2013) The method described in this poster used materials readily available in a private practice to generate a pair of duplicate dentures which captured all of the features of the patients existing pair. These were modified chair-side and used to capture vital information on fit, occlusion and aesthetics, forming a template which was transferred to the laboratory and used to generate new dentures via the traditional laboratory process. The same template was also used to generate a pair of "AVADENT Digital Dentures" for comparison.

The Jaipur foot: the best option for the West Indian amputee - abstract

The amputation rate at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital has doubled over the last 10 years from 114 and 102 in 1979 and 1980 to 274 and 225 in 1988 and 1989. The majority of the amputees are not able to work again because of the unavailability of a suitable prosthesis and physical and psychological rehabilitation are severely compromised. In order to overcome this, we decided to carry out a programme of fitting of prostheses. Of 200 amputees who were assessed 92 were fitted with prostheses, 60 (65 percent) above and 32 (35 percent) below the knee. Most were diabetics ranging in age from 18 to 62 years with a M:F ratio of 1.2:1. The Jaipur foot prosthesis was chosen for its light weight (about 2 kg), low cost (US$8 - $18), and good features (waterproof, well ventilated, good grip, shock absorbent, flexible and cosmetic appearance). Four patients returned for minor adjustments to the stump/socket interface and 90 percent expressed extreme satisfaction with their prosthesis. The Jaipur foot prosthesis seems ideal for West Indian amputees and there is a strong case for an on-going well co-ordinated programme involving trained technicians, physiotheraptists and surgeons to address the needs of the large amputee population in Trinidad and Tobago (AU)_

What happens to the diabetic amputee after leaving hospital? - abstract

Very little known of the background, long-term functioning and survival of the amputee, especially in a West Indian setting. A questionnaire was designed to assess the social, domestic and economic effects of amputation in the diabetic. Statistics from the Department of Surgery, General Hospital, Port-of-Spain revealed that 126 patients with above- or below-knee (AK/BK) amputations were discharged from hospital from 1985 to 1988. Eighteen patients were not diabetic and were excluded and 11 could not be located. Data on the remaining 97 amputees were obtained by interviews with patients or relatives of those who had died. Most (76 percent) patients were >60 years old, and the majority were Negroes (66 percent). Sixty-six patients had AK while 31 had BK amputations. At the time of the survey, 36 (37 percent) patients had died, more than two-thirds (69 percent) of deaths occurring within 6 months after discharge. Only 5 percent used prosthesis, and 20 percent remained permanently bed-ridden. Over 90 percent of those employed experienced a fall in income. Only 6 percent were visited by a social worker. About one-quarter (24 percent) felt quite despondent since amputation. Lower limb amputation results in great psychological, social and economic disability and is associated with a high mortality. Much effort is required to prevent limb loss in the diabetic. Aggressive rehabilitation with early prosthetic fitting should improve the outcome for amputees (AU)