Evaluation of preventive care in the dentistry department clinics of the University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar

This was a cross-sectional study of 295 patients treated by dentistry students that aimed to evaluate the preventive care received by patients attending clinics of the dentistry department of the University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar. The sociodemographic characteristics of the patients, clinic specialty, patients' brushing technique and the other preventive care was recorded. The study sample comprised 48.5% men and 76.6% adults. Over 32% of the patients were from the conservative dentistry clinic. For 52.2% of the patients, no preventive action was provided. The use of visual aids when teaching oral hygiene was observed for 17.4% of cases. Attitudes and practices of the dentistry students in relation to care require more vigilance and emphasis on prevention

Caries prevalence and treatment needs of healthy and medically compromised children at a tertiary care institution in Saudi Arabia

We examined the caries prevalence and treatment needs of medically compromised and healthy paediatric patients attending the dental clinic of a tertiary care institution in Saudi Arabia. The medical records of 175 healthy and 211 medically compromised 5-year-old Saudi children were reviewed. Data was extracted on clinical status and number of decayed, extracted and filled teeth [deft score]. A total of 91.9% of medically compromised and 84.0% of healthy children had evidence of caries. Mean deft score was 9.91 for medically compromised and 6.25 for healthy children. A high proportion of carious teeth [79%] were untreated, with no significant difference between the 2 groups

Attitudes of dental students towards using computers in education-a mixed design study

This mixed design study explored attitudes of dental students towards use of computers. It employed quantitative analyses of a questionnaire answered by 979 students and qualitative analysis of suggestions by a subgroup of 339. Positive attitudes towards computers were predicted by "computer use for > 1 year" and "year of study". Qualitative analysis of students' suggestions confirmed these findings and brought up new issues such as the need for establishing a website for the faculty. The results indicate that careful planning is needed to improve students' skills and incorporate computer applications in educational curricula

Evaluation of the Ministry of Health school oral health programme in the West Bank region of Palestine

This paper reports an evaluation of the activities and outcomes of the school oral health programme conducted by the Ministry of Health in public schools in the West Bank region of Palestine from 1997-98 to 2003-04. Retrospective analysis of official records focused on oral health indices and student referrals. A slight improvement in DMFT scores in students in some governorates in the last 2 years showed some progress in caries control. However, maintenance efforts are required to ensure that caries level does not rise in disease-stable areas, and an increase in strategic effort is required to address the high caries level in high-risk areas. In-depth interviews with stakeholders identified the strengths and weaknesses of the screening programme and recommendations for improvements

Oral health- related quality of life: a broader perspective

It is important to understand how people perceive the impact of oral diseases on their quality of life. Oral health-related quality of life [OHRQOL] is a relatively new but rapidly growing notion. The concept of OHRQOL is particularly significant to 3 areas-clinical practice of dentistry, dental research and dental education. There are different approaches to measure OHRQOL; the most popular one uses multiple item questionnaires. OHRQOL should be the basis for any oral health programme development. Moreover, research at the conceptual level is needed in countries where OHRQOL has not been previously assessed, including the Eastern Mediterranean countries

Effect of 5 years of dental studies on the oral health of Tunisian dental students

This study is a follow- up of one made in 1998- 99 on first- year dental students in Monastir. Now in their fifth year, we assessed the effect of dental studies on students' oral health practices and dental health. Of the 155 students in the first study, 140 were still enrolled. Periodontal troubles, malocclusion and dental decay affected 84.3%, 80.0% and 43.0% of the students respectively. Compared with the previous study, students had achieved a better dental health status - tooth-brushing rate was much higher, prevalence of dental decay and periodontal pockets had decreased, and DMF index had improved. However, the prevalence of smoking, bleeding and calculus had not changed, and the frequency of malocclusion had increased

Dental caries among schoolchildren: report of a health education campaign in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

The study describes a dental health education campaign and reports the epidemiology and prevalence rates of dental caries among male and female primary-school children in Jeddah. Over a 2-year period, all 296 public primary schools in Jeddah were visited by dentists conducting a health education campaign. A total of 82 250 children in the first and fourth grades were screened. The rate of detected dental caries was 83%, with significantly higher rates detected among females and first-grade children. Lower social class was significantly associated with higher rates of dental caries. The study emphasizes the importance of health education programmes and the value of school health surveys for targeting this young group

[Prevalence of dental caries in children with low birth weight]

Dental caries was evaluated in 58 children with low birth weight [750-2500 g] and in a control group of 58 children with birth weights greater than 2500 g. All children were examined for their caries experience using a standardized clinical examination. The results showed a higher prevalence of caries in the children with low birth weight [77.5%] than in the children with birth weights greater than 2500 g [44.8%], the difference being statistically significant [P < 0.001]. There was a negative correlation between birth weight groups and prevalence of caries [r = -0.34]. It was concluded that children with low birth weight have a greater risk of dental caries than others

[Oral health care and periodontal disease among schoolchildren in the Syrian Arab Republic]

It has been observed that a strong inverse correlation exists between prevalence and severity of periodontal disease and the level of oral hygiene, where appropriate oral health behaviour and good knowledge in oral health have an important role in preventing such disease. A study was conducted among 360 children of 15 years of age in the Syrian Arab Republic. to assess the relation between oral health behaviour and periodontal disease. The results of the study revealed law cleanliness levels, poor knowledge and inappropriate behaviour in oral health and high prevalence of periodontal disease. Oral health education programmes and oral hygiene procedures should be oriented towards schoolchildren as early as possible