Pattern and prevalence of dental anomalies among a paediatric population in Lagos, Nigeria.

Background: Dental anomalies are craniofacial abnormalities in the size, structure or number of the teeth. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of dental anomalies among children aged 0-16 years attending the Paediatric Dental Clinic at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used and data were obtained from the dental records of the Dental Clinic from January 2014 to August 2019 by two calibrated examiners, who are co-authors of the manuscript. To test for statistical differences, Chi-squared test was utilised for the categorical variables. The prevalence of the different dental anomalies was estimated and presented with frequencies. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Among the 6175 patients' dental records reviewed, 50.85% (n = 3150) were male and the highest proportion of 45.4% (n = 2807) were aged between 6 and 10 years, with a mean age of 8.62 ± 3.85 years. A total of 1090 (17.52%) had dental anomalies; 465 (7.53) anomalies were in the maxilla, 263 (4.6) were in the mandible while 360 (5.83) were in both. The most common anomaly was hypoplasia 550 (9.06%), followed by retained primary tooth 546 (8.84%) and hypodontia 84 (1.36%). Dentinogenesis imperfecta 1 (0.02) and transposition 1 (0.02) were the least prevalent anomalies. Retained primary teeth (5.8%) and the cusp of Carabelli (0.4%) were slightly more prevalent among males. However, females had a higher prevalence of natal/neonatal teeth (0.4%), fusion/germination (0.4%), hypodontia (1.5%) and peg-shaped lateral incisors (0.9%). Conclusion: Dental anomalies' prevalence in this study was 17.52%, with a higher occurrence of anomalies in the maxilla. Hypoplasia was the most prevalent anomaly, after which was retained primary tooth, then hypodontia. Prompt diagnosis and preventive interventions are crucial for the appropriate management of these dental anomalies.

The Pattern and Impact of Social Media Use among Orthodontists and Orthodontic Resident Doctors in Nigeria.

Background: This study aims to assess the orthodontists'/orthodontic resident doctors' use of social media, social variables such as gender and age grouping and the impact of social media use on orthodontic practice. Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among Orthodontists and orthodontic residents in the country. This study involved a convenient sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection on socio-demographics, social media use and its perceived impact on orthodontic practices. Data was analyzed using statistical software package for Social Sciences-Chicago version 20. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: The study consisted of 44 participants made up of 45.5% male and 54.5% female Orthodontists and orthodontic residents in Nigeria with majority (84.1%) being between 31 - 50years age group. The prevalence of use of social media was 100% in the study population. Most (81.8%) of the respondents understood social media as a means of communication, others (18.2%) defined it as a means of obtaining information. Whatsapp (100%) and Facebook (77.3%) were the mostly used social media. All the participants reported that social media did not affect their practice negatively and that it has led to an improvement in patient's compliance with instructions (81.8). Only a few (20.5%) of the respondents felt social media was a distraction. Conclusion: The prevalence of use of social media was 100%. Whatsapp was the most frequently used social media and it was used mostly for social interaction. The use of social media was not perceived by any of the participants to negatively affect orthodontic practice.