Tooth Loss: The Nigerian Experience - A Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND: Tooth loss is an irreversible condition and it is an indicator of overall dental health. Tooth loss impairs speech, aesthetics, mastication, and deglutition, affecting an individual's oral health related quality of life. This study aimed to review the pattern of tooth loss in Nigerians over a forty-one-year period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search for articles on tooth loss and related subjects was performed on databases (NICB PubMed, Medline and Cochrane). Keywords used for the search included "tooth loss" and "Nigeria' as well as partial edentulousness, partial denture, implant and prosthodontics. The articles included were studies published between 1972 and 2019, written in English language and involving human subjects. A self-developed proforma was used to extract clinical and demographic data from the articles. RESULTS: All the studies assessed were observational. Most studies were conducted in tertiary hospitals. There was a marginal difference in the prevalence of tooth loss between males and females. The mean age of persons presenting in hospitals across Nigeria for extraction of their teeth was identical across several studies. Most of the studies reported the molars as the teeth most frequently lost. CONCLUSION: In younger adults, tooth loss was more common in 20-29-year-old subjects, while among the elderly it peaked in the 60-70-year-old group. Dental caries was the predominant cause of tooth loss over the years. Community based studies may provide more accurate information on the extent of tooth loss in Nigerians.

CONTEXTE: La perte de dents est un état irréversible et un indicateur de la santé dentaire globale. La perte de dents nuit à l'élocution, à l'esthétique, à la mastication et à la déglutition, affectant ainsi la qualité de vie d'un individu liée à sa santé bucco-dentaire. Cette étude avait pour but d'examiner le profil de la perte de dents chez les Nigérians sur une période de quarante et un ans. MATÉRIEL ET MÉTHODES: Une recherche documentaire d'articles sur la perte de dents et les sujets connexes a été effectuée sur des bases de données (NICB PubMed, Medline et Cochrane). Les motsclés utilisés pour la recherche comprenaient "perte de dents" et "Nigeria" ainsi que édentation partielle, prothèse partielle, implant et prosthodontie. Les articles inclus étaient des études publiées entre 1972 et 2019, rédigées en langue anglaise et impliquant des sujets humains. Un proforma auto-développé a été utilisé pour extraire les données cliniques et démographiques des articles. RÉSULTATS: Toutes les études évaluées étaient observationnelles. La plupart des études ont été menées dans des hôpitaux tertiaires. Il y avait une différence marginale dans la prévalence de la perte de dents entre les hommes et les femmes. L'âge moyen des personnes se présentant dans les hôpitaux du Nigeria pour l'extraction de leurs dents était identique dans plusieurs études. La plupart des études ont indiqué que les molaires étaient les dents les plus fréquemment perdues. CONCLUSION: Chez les jeunes adultes, la perte de dents était plus fréquente chez les sujets âgés de 20 à 29 ans, tandis que chez les personnes âgées, elle atteignait un pic dans le groupe des 60-70 ans. Les caries dentaires étaient la cause prédominante de la perte de dents au fil des ans. Des études communautaires pourraient fournir des informations plus précises sur l'étendue de la perte de dents chez les Nigérians. Mots clés: Perte de dents, Édentation, Prévalence, Nigeria.

SELF ASSESSMENT OF ORAL HEALTH AND RISK FACTORS AFFECTING ORAL HYGIENE STATUS IN ADOLESCENTS ATTENDING DENTAL CLINIC IN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL, IBADAN.

Introduction: Globally, there is an increasing incidence of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Major oral diseases such as caries and periodontal disease which are classified as NCDs, are not left out of this trend. Recent reports are suggestive of increasing prevalence and severity of oral diseases among adolescents, despite accessibility of dental services. Ascertaining the oral health status of adolescents making use of dental services and how they perceive their oral health could help develop preventive and therapeutic strategies. This study therefore aims to determine the self-perception of adolescents utilizing dental services about their oral health and factors affecting their oral hygiene status. Methodology: This clinic-based cross-sectional study was carried out among adolescents attending the Dental Center, University College Hospital, Ibadan Nigeria. A total of 113 adolescents were recruited into this study using a systematic random sampling technique. A WHO Oral health questionnaire was administered to the participants. Questions were asked on socio-demographics, self-perception of oral health and oral hygiene practices. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentages, mean, standard deviation were used to present the data. Independent T test and One way ANOVA were used to analyze categorical exposure variables with normally distributed numerical outcomes. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Majority of study participants had positive self-perception of health of their teeth (53.1%) and gingiva (62.8%) respectively, their mean OHI-S was 2.24 with 62.8% of adolescents having a fair oral hygiene. Mean DMFT was 0.96 with 75.2% of participants having a very low DMFT. OHI-S and DMFT were both significantly associated with age of adolescents, with late adolescents having significantly higher mean OHI-S and DMFT scores than early adolescents (p < 0.05). Adolescents who cleaned their teeth at least twice daily had significantly higher DMFT values than those who cleaned once daily (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study found late adolescents had higher DMFT and OHI-S scores. There might be need to increase oral health awareness in senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions to help improve their oral health status. Its pertinent that adolescents are encouraged and taught good oral hygiene measures when they visit dental clinics, in school and at home. Adolescents utilizing dental services are likely to be more self-conscious about their oral health thus increasing the frequency of their teeth cleaning.