Descriptive Epidemiology of Odontogenic Tumors in Nigeria: An African Oral Pathology Research Consortium Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have investigated the burden of odontogenic tumor (OT) in Nigeria; however, the true burden and prevalence of these lesions are not known because these studies are based on a center/region. AIMS: Hence, the aim of this study is to evaluate the true burden of OTs in Nigeria, using a multicenter approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a 10-year retrospective cross-sectional study of OT seen in eight tertiary health institutions in different geographic locations in Nigeria. RESULTS: A total of 990 cases were included in this study. The highest prevalence of OT was in the third decade of life (n = 274, 27.7%). Most lesions were benign (n = 961, 97.1%), with a slight male preponderance; and the mandible was the commonest site (n = 814, 82.2%). There were a significant association between the diagnosed OTs and the age group and site (P = 0.002 and 0.031, respectively). CONCLUSION: OTs showed a slightly higher preponderance in males, occurring mostly in the third decade. Benign lesions were frequent and ameloblastoma was the commonest OT. Variations exist in the occurrence of OTs from the different geographic locations in Nigeria. This study essentially sheds a broader light on the clinicopathological distribution of OTs across Nigeria, using a large multicenter approach.

Ebola haemorrhagic fever and Nigerian dental healthcare providers - knowledge of the disease.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of Ebola Haemorrhagic fever (EHF) among the University of Benin clinical dental students. Methods: The study was a descriptive, cross-sectional study among consenting clinical (4th, 5th and 6th year) dental students of the University of Benin. The data collection tool was a 17-item self-administered validated questionnaire with a Chronbach's alpha value of 0.84. Data from the questionnaires were scored and graded, coded and finally entered into Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 for data analysis. All data collected were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics to generate frequencies, percentages and Chi-square values at a significance of P < 0.05. Results: Out of the 79 questionnaires distributed, 76 were returned duly filled, giving a response rate of 96.2%. The sample consisted of 67.1% male and 32.9% female clinical dental students, with a male to female ratio of approximately 2:1. About 89.5% of the respondents were in the 3rd decade of life. The average score for the participants was 11.34 ± 2.20 which was above the average category. More than half (55.3%) of the clinical dental students had good knowledge. Over 98% of the students knew that EHF outbreaks occur primarily in Central and West Africa, however, only 16.7% of the students were aware that infected persons spread virus to others up to 7 weeks after recovery from illness. Conclusion: The clinical dental students easily identified EHF as a viral infection with the fruit bats as the natural host of the Ebola organisms. However, their knowledge of communicability and diagnostics was on the average. Proper knowledge regarding EHF and infection preventive measures can be the key to safety of the dentists and patients in the event of an EHF epidemic.