RESUMO
Background: The National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW) reports that India has the highest global prevalence of oral cancers. The incidence is significantly more in developing countries when compared to the developed countries. Early detection is key to increasing the survival rate of the patients. Important causes for this late diagnosis could be self-negligence, lack of patient awareness about the causes and asymptomatic and subtle clinical presentation of the lesions. Aim: To assess the causes of self-neglect and awareness levels among oral cancer and pre-cancerous patients. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among pre-cancerous and cancerous patients. Methods and Material: A questionnaire with 16 closed-ended questions was framed relating to the causes of self-neglect and awareness of the patients. A total of 45 patients were selected by convenient sampling technique from the Institutional Tumour Board register of which 62 per cent were male patients and 38 per cent were female patients. Statistical Analysis: Data analysis for demographic data, patients' awareness, and causes of self-neglect about precancer and cancer was done using SPSS Version 10. Results and Conclusions: The present study concluded that the patients had adequate awareness that deleterious habits could lead to cancer but had a low level of awareness about the other causes of cancer, symptoms and management options available to treat cancer. The study result emphasizes that the government should plan for more cancer-screening camps in order to prevent the progression of cancer and to increase the awareness. (Reference I.D.: 2015-05006 for funding the project. ICMR).
RESUMO
Background: The efficiency of probiotics in prevention and also treatment of oral infections including dental caries, periodontitis, halitosis is found to be appealing in the recent literature. Their antagonistic role in oral infections is mainly through formation of biofilm which needs documentation. Though the emergence and practice of oral probiotics is visualized for the past two decades, the consumption and knowledge level is found to be less among the community. Stronger source to spread scientific evidence to the community would be health professionals. Aim: The current study is aimed at assessing the level of awareness of probiotics among dental practitioners of Puducherry thereby aid and assist in the beneficial practice of the same in the community. Methods: The knowledge level was assessed through a cross sectional survey using closed ended questionnaire. Involves practicing dentists of Puducherry (n-173). A prevalidated questionnaire with 17 closed ended and one open ended question was employed as the research tool. Results: The results revealed an acceptable knowledge in 77.4% and a greater level of knowledge in 20.8% of dentists. More number of studies are expected to fulfill the lacunae in the field of safety of usage and long term effects of probiotics. Conclusion: Responses of the current study which was focused on dental practitioners revealed that the knowledge level is well above the acceptable level. There is no profound difference in the awareness level noticed among BDS and MDS practitioners..