Awareness and Adherence to COVID-19 Preventive Measures among Oral Health Care Workers in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Some studies have been conducted worldwide on the preparedness of dentists and even dental students for infection prevention and control with regard to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but very few studies have been done among other Oral Health Care Workers (OHCWs). The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge and practices of dental health care workers in Nigeria on infection prevention and control with regards to COVID-19. METHODS: This was a descriptive study on the knowledge and practices regarding infection control protocols and procedures with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic among dental personnel in Nigeria. A validated self-administered questionnaire was utilised for data collection. Bivariate analysis was done with a Chi-squared test to determine the association between the participants age, gender, profession and place of practice with knowledge and practices regarding COVID 19 infection. Statistical significance in associations was inferred at P-value < 0.05. RESULTS: The majority of the OHCWs (77.4%) had good knowledge about infection prevention and control, and regulations regarding COVID-19, but most of them (58.5%) displayed poor practices with regard to infection prevention and control regulations related to COVID-19. Male respondents (68.8%), those aged between 55-64 (83.3%) years and Dental therapists (71.4%) had a higher proportion of those with good practices with the male gender and profession (Dental Therapist) being significantly associated with good practices. (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study identified a high rate of knowledge but low compliance with infection prevention and control guidelines regarding COVID-19. Better compliance with recommended infection control and waste management practices for all OHCWs and continuing education programs promoting infection control awareness are vital to improving the practices of these OHCWs.

TREATMENT OUTCOME OF MANUAL VERSUS ROTARY TECHNIQUES IN SINGLE-VISIT ENDODONTICS FOR PATIENTS IN A NIGERIAN TEACHING HOSPITAL: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL.

BACKGROUND: Adequate canal preparation is essential in achieving successful outcome sequel to root canal treatment. Nickel-Titanium (NiTi) rotary instruments has steadily gained grounds in endodontics for root canals preparation, however, it is yet to be widely practiced among dental practitioners in Nigeria. AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To compare the treatment outcomes of single visit root canal treatment when either rotary or manual step-back preparation technique is used in shaping the canal, employing clinical and radiographic criteria. DESIGN OF THE STUDY: A randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Conservation Unit of Restorative Dentistry Clinics, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos, Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 120 consecutive consenting subjects were included in the study. The inclusion criteria were: medically fit individuals with restorable anterior, premolar or first molar tooth diagnosed with irreversible pulpitis, pulp necrosis or apical periodontitis; they had no to moderate pain, with periodontally sound and not excessively curved tooth. Randomization was performed by balloting using sealed envelopes and subjects were assigned in equal numbers to one of two groups, rotary and manual. Subjects were monitored following treatment for clinical and radiographic parameters at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months. Data analysis was done using SPSS-version 20.0, and differences were considered significant if p < 0.05. RESULTS: Twenty-seven (45%) and 23(38.3%) teeth in manual and rotary group respectively had pain at 1-day review. Significant difference in occurrence of pain in relation to both gender (p=0.001) and tooth-type (p=0.026) was noted between the groups at 1-day review. By the final review, there was no reported post-operative pain. There was no significant difference between the two groups in relation to the other clinical parameters at the different review periods. Twenty-four (40%) and 16 (26.7%) teeth had pre-existing periapical radiolucency in manual and rotary groups respectively; by final review, periapical radiolucency had reduced to 16.9% and 3.4% respectively, with the rotary group having significantly less radiolucency. Favourable outcome at 6-month review was significantly higher in the rotary group (96.6%), compared to the manual group (83.1%) in (p=0.033); the difference in outcome was due to significantly better outcomes with the molar tooth category in the rotary group. CONCLUSION: There was a significantly more favourable treatment outcome in the rotary compared to the step-back technique in canal preparation, employing clinical and radiographic criteria.

Frequency and distribution of teeth treated by single- and multiple- visit root canal treatment in a Nigerian population by differently skilled operators.

BACKGROUND: Single visit root canal treatment (RCT) is being advocated around the world. This study profiles RCT in a Nigerian population and compares pattern of single versus multiple visit RCT to tooth type and skill level of the doctors. METHOD: A retrospective study was carried out on RCT performed in one year by fresh graduates and postgraduate dentists. Records retrieved included patients' sex and age, tooth type, location in the jaw and whether single- or multiple-visit RCT was done. RESULTS: Records of 705 teeth were reviewed, 54.6% belonged to females. Age range was 18-87 years, mean of 31.76 (± 12.31) years. Majority (70.1%) belonged to 20-39 years' age group. Most teeth were located in the maxilla (60.8%) and in posterior regions (73.6%). The most frequently root filled tooth was the mandibular first molar (20.7%) followed by maxillary central incisor (18.4%) then maxillary premolar (12.8%). However, all molars accounted for 47.3%, premolars 26.3% and incisors 25.0%. Canines (1.45%) were least frequently root-filled. Incisors (54.8%) were the teeth most frequently treated in single-visit followed by premolars (28.8%). Most frequently treated by multiple-visit were molars (51.0%). All doctors performed multiple-visit RCT in an approximately equal proportion but a significant percentage of single-visit RCT was carried out by senior doctors (71.2%). CONCLUSION: The most frequently root filled teeth were mandibular first molars. Teeth most likely to be treated by single-visit RCT were incisors. Appropriate operator skill and experience is important in the decision to perform single-visit RCT. Single-visit RCT is advocated in the developing environment.

Utilization of Oral Health Care Services by University Undergraduates in Lagos, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Data on the utilization of the available oral health facilities by university undergraduates is scarce in Nigeria. OBJECTIVES: To determine the level of utilization of oral health care services and to identify the barriers to seeking treatment among University of Lagos students. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among University of Lagos undergraduates. Systematic sampling was used to select participants after randomly selecting a male and female hostel. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to participants and collected immediately. The data was analyzed using Epi info version 6.04 software. Statistical significance was evaluated with chi square test and p-value <0.05 was regarded as significant. RESULTS: About half (50.9%) of the respondents had visited the dentist previously while only 42.7% respondents had utilized dental services in the past 12 months. There was no significant association between the age, gender, year of undergraduate education, and the faculty of these students and their level of utilization of oral health care services. A high proportion of respondents that had attended the dental clinic went for dental checkup (33.6%) and extractions (30.9%).The major barriers to receiving dental treatment was a lack of perceived need for dental treatment (53.1%) followed by lack of time (27.1%), fear/anxiety (18.2%) and cost of treatment (18.2%). CONCLUSION: The low level of utilization among the undergraduates in Lagos, Nigeria shows that there is need for greater oral health awareness among the students, thereby increasing the use of oral health care facilities.