The Birhor tribes of Ramgarh District, Jharkhand - a ferret into their oral health status and treatment needs.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: Jharkhand is a land of 32 listed Tribes, out of which eight tribes have been categorized as 'Primitive Tribes' and the Birhors are one among these. The study was aimed at assessing the oral health status and treatment needs of the native Birhors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional household survey of 400 Birhors in the panchayats of Basantpur, Kuju Purvi and Mandu Chatti was conducted. A modified World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Assessment Form (1997) was utilized and examined according to the WHO methodology (1997). The recorded data were statistically analyzed using the SPSS version 15. RESULTS: Based on the occupation, it was found that 141 (35.25%) subjects were hunters and 90 (22.50%) subjects practiced agriculture. A majority of 337 (84.25%) subjects were using the Sakhua twigs (Shorea robusta) to clean their teeth. It was observed that 381 (95.25%) subjects were quite healthy and had no oral mucosal lesions. Almost half of the study subjects (45%) were habituated to tobacco and among them 101 (56.11%) subjects were using khaini, followed by 46 (25.56%) subjects who used bidis. The mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) Index scores among males and females was 1.05±2.59 and 1.02±2.17, respectively. Subjects with bleeding gums were predominantly seen in the age group of 2-5 years (26.75%) and those with shallow pockets were more commonly seen in the age group of 16-34 years (47.12%). A total of 53 (13.25%) subjects and 33 (8.25%) subjects had a LOA of 4-5 mm and 6-8 mm, respectively. Among males, 0.44±2.60 subjects each needed one/two surface fillings. A total of 14 (3.5%) and 15 (3.75%) subjects needed one-unit prosthesis in the upper and lower jaws, respectively. CONCLUSION: The study showed that a majority of Birhor tribals (84.25%) used Sakhua twigs to clean their teeth. Almost half of the study subjects (45%) were habituated to tobacco in myriad forms.

Association between different blood groups, depression and oral health status of dental students.

INTRODUCTION: Knowledge of blood groups and their association with oral diseases and depression is very important, as it may help in early diagnosis and treatment strategies. METHOD: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted among dental students of a private dental college. The study was conducted in two phases, in the first phase the blood samples of each student were collected and sent for blood group examination in laboratory. Data for oral health status was collected by recording oral hygiene, dental caries and questions regarding oral hygiene habits and adverse oral habits. Depression level was recorded using a pre-validated, 21 item close ended questionnaire. Data thus collected was subjected to statistical analysis using chi-square and frequency distribution test using SPSS software. RESULTS: The total study subjects were 315, 95 males and 220 females. On applying chi-square test between blood group and Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) score, a highly significant association (p=0.00) was observed. A non-significant association p=0.217 and p=0.668 was observed between gender and DMFT and Oral hygiene index-simplified and Blood group respectively. When comparing blood group and Depression score, a non-significant association (p=0.74) was observed. CONCLUSION: DMFT score varies in different blood groups and this might suggest a positive association between blood groups and DMFT score, while depression, oral hygiene and gender might not be affected by the different blood groups.

Oral health of preschool children in Dhanbad District, Jharkhand: A gander into the maternal behavior and practices.

INTRODUCTION: Mothers have an important role in taking decisions about their children's oral health. The study assessed the echelon of oral health behavior and practices of the mothers in relation to their preschool-aged children, which could possibly influence their oral health. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 312 mothers, selected randomly from eight blocks of Dhanbad District, Jharkhand State, by administering a structured questionnaire on oral health behavior and practices regarding oral health. RESULTS: The overall data indicated that the practices of mothers about oral health of their preschool children increased as their age increased, which was however, not statistically significant (P > 0.47). The mothers who had less than higher secondary school education and belonging to lower socioeconomic groups had poorer oral health practices and was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.002). CONCLUSION: The mothers ought to inculcate positive practices and perceptions about preventive oral health for themselves first, to be good role models for their children.

Impact of sociodemographic attributes and dental caries on quality of life of intellectual disabled children using ECOHIS.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of oral health outcomes on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) among intellectual disabled children and their families. METHODOLOGY: OHRQoL based study was conducted among 150 intellectual disabled children students in the North West part of the country, Rajasthan, India. Guardians were asked to complete questionnaire on socioeconomic status and the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) on their perception of the children's OHRQoL. Clinical assessment included dental caries and OHI-S INDEX. Univariate regression analysis was fitted to assess covariates for the prevalence of impacts on OHRQoL. RESULTS: 54% of the caregivers reported that their child had an impact on at least one ECOHIS item. Negative impacts were more prevalent on items related to difficulty in eating some foods, difficulty in pronouncing any words and missed preschool, day-care or school. The univariate Poisson regression analysis showed that dental caries was significantly associated with the outcome. The prevalence of any impact on OHRQoL was approximately 1.32 and 2.84 times higher for children with low and higher severity of dental caries respectively when compared with those who were free of caries. CONCLUSION: Patient-oriented outcomes like OHRQoL will enhance our understanding of the relationship between oral health and general health and demonstrate to clinical researchers and practitioners that improving the quality of patient's well-being go beyond simply treating dental disease and disorders.

Assessment of oral health status and treatment needs of Santhal tribes of Dhanbad District, Jharkhand.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: India has an assortment of tribal population living in isolated pockets, and the Santhals are numerically predominant in Jharkhand. This study was aimed at assessing the oral health status and treatment needs of Santhals residing in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 921 Santhals of Topchanchi Block was conducted. A modified World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Health Assessment Form (1997) was utilized and examined according to the WHO methodology (1997). The recorded data was statistically analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 15. RESULTS: Based on the occupation, it was seen that 620 (67.3%) participants practiced agriculture and 206 (22.4%) worked as laborers. The mean decayed missing filled tooth (score was 3.56 ± 1.93 in 2-5-year-old participants. In the higher age groups of 35-44 and 65-74 years, the scores were 5.21 ± 2.34 and 7.42 ± 4.29, respectively. Participants with bleeding gums were predominantly seen in the age group of 35-44 years (0.91 ± 0.08). Approximately 138 (54.1%) participants had a loss of attachment of 4-5 mm in the 35-44 year age group. In the 13-15-year-old age group, 0.14 ± 0.05 teeth needed two surfaces fillings. A total of 118 (12.8%) participants needed one-unit prosthesis in the upper jaw. CONCLUSION: This study showed that a majority of Santhal tribals used twigs to routinely clean their teeth. Poor oral hygiene and periodontal status was seen among the tribes.

Oral Health of Pre-School Aged Children in Dhanbad District, Jharkhand, India- A Peek into their Mother's Attitude.

INTRODUCTION: Mothers are directly responsible for the dental health of their children and play a major role in shaping the dental health behaviors of their children. They also play an important role in preventing oral diseases in them. OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of attitude of mothers in relation to their pre-school aged children, which in turn can influence the level of oral health. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 312 mothers, selected randomly from eight blocks of Dhanbad district, Jharkhand, India. They were administered with a structured questionnaire on attitude, by an interviewer. RESULTS: The overall data indicated that the attitude of mothers about oral health in their pre-school children increased as their age increased which was not statistically significant (p>.066). Mothers who had less than higher secondary school education and belonged to socio-economically lower groups had poor knowledge of oral health which was statistically significant (p<.001). CONCLUSION: Mothers should be motivated so that their attitude about their child's oral health is enhanced which in turn would improve their oral health related quality of life.

Emerging trends of herbal care in dentistry.

Herbs are staging a comeback and herbal 'renaissance' is happening all over the globe. The herbal products, today, symbolize safety, in contrast to the synthetics that are regarded as unsafe to humans and the environment. A herb, botanically speaking, is any plant that lacks the woody tissue which is characteristic of shrubs or trees. More specifically, herbs are plants which are used medicinally or for their flavour or scent. Herbs with medicinal properties are a useful and an effective source of treatment for various disease processes. Herbal extracts have been successfully used in dentistry as tooth cleaning and antimicrobial plaque agents. The use of herbal medicines continues to expand rapidly across the world. Many people take herbal medicines or herbal products now for their health care in different national healthcare settings. Herbal extracts have been used in dentistry for reducing inflammation, as antimicrobial plaque agents, for preventing release of histamine and as antiseptics, antioxidants, antimicrobials, antifungals, antibacterials, antivirals and analgesics. They also aid in healing and are effective in controlling microbial plaque in gingivitis and periodontitis, thereby improving immunity.