Changing sleep patterns and anxiety due to Covid-19 home confinement among working population: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic took the entire world unawares and people were forced to stay indoors overnight. Due to this a drastic change ensued in lifestyle with many succumbing to various kinds of stresses and psychological problems. This study aims to study the changing sleep patterns and level of anxiety among the working population due to the COVID-19 Pandemic lockdown. Methodology: An online survey was conducted using a cloud-based website. The sleep patterns both prior to and during the lockdown period of the pandemic were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. The level of anxiety during both these periods (before and during lockdown) amongst the working population was also assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scores (GADS). Results: A total of 224 individuals participated in the study of which 52.7% were males and 47.3% were females. On analysis, the lifestyle and sleep deprivation scores showed that before the lockdown only 2.7% reported a low score out of total participants. However, this number was raised to 13.4% during the lockdown. The percentage of people reporting deteriorated sleep quality gradually increased with females reporting moderate to severe category of Generalized Anxiety Disorder scores as compared to Males. Conclusion: The study suggests that there has been a significant change in the sleep quality of the study participants due to Covid enforced lockdown which if unnoticed might lead to significant health problems. The effective use of programs like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises, if followed timely could reduce psychological distress to some extent.

Poor Dietary Habits: A Function of Online Food Delivery Fad among Medical and Dental College Students in India.

BACKGROUND: Globalization has impacted our food choice and the booming online food industry has made it available at the click of a button. Students staying away from home often fail to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle, impacting their health. METHODS: A survey was conducted amongst interns of medical and dental colleges in Delhi. Simple Random Sampling was done to select every alternate intern as per the list provided by the colleges. The survey included questions on dietary, fitness and food hygiene habits and dental history. Demographic details such as height weight and living arrangements were collected. Dietary habits score and Fitness & Food hygiene score was calculated based on pre-set criteria. Association of poor dietary habits and hygiene with BMI, living conditions and dental history was determined. RESULTS: One-fourth of the population was either overweight or obese. Poor, fair and good dietary habits was seen in 8.9%, 69.8% and 21.4% respectively. Poor, fair and good fitness and food hygiene was seen in 56.3%, 39.6% and 4.2% respectively. Obesity was significantly associated with poor fitness scores and with tendency to order junk food. Consumption of sugary food was associated with positive dental history, and those living with parents displayed good dietary habit score. CONCLUSION: Students with high stress levels and living away from home are susceptible to poor dietary routine which impacts both their health and academic performance. Identifying these problems and triggers which induce such unhealthy lifestyle behaviour can go a long way in controlling the resultant health problems.

Effect of electromagnetic radiations from mobile phone base stations on general health and salivary function.

OBJECTIVE: Cell phones use electromagnetic, nonionizing radiations in the microwave range, which some believe may be harmful to human health. The present study aimed to determine the effect of electromagnetic radiations (EMRs) on unstimulated/stimulated salivary flow rate and other health-related problems between the general populations residing in proximity to and far away from mobile phone base stations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of four mobile base stations were randomly selected from four zones of Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. Twenty individuals who were residing in proximity to the selected mobile phone towers were taken as the case group and the other 20 individuals (control group) who were living nearly 1 km away in the periphery were selected for salivary analysis. Questions related to sleep disturbances were measured using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and other health problems were included in the questionnaire. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: It was unveiled that a majority of the subjects who were residing near the mobile base station complained of sleep disturbances, headache, dizziness, irritability, concentration difficulties, and hypertension. A majority of the study subjects had significantly lesser stimulated salivary secretion (P < 0.01) as compared to the control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The effects of prolonged exposure to EMRs from mobile phone base stations on the health and well-being of the general population cannot be ruled out. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the effect of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on general health and more specifically on oral health.

Effectiveness of supervised oral health maintenance in hearing impaired and mute children- A parallel randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Individuals with special needs may have great limitations in oral hygiene performance due to their potential motor, sensory, and intellectual disabilities. Thus, oral health care utilization is low among the disabled people. Hearing disorders affect the general behavior and impair the level of social functioning. OBJECTIVES: The present study was conducted to assess the dental health outcomes following supervised tooth brushing among institutionalized hearing impaired and mute children in Jaipur, Rajasthan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study followed a single-blind, parallel, and randomized controlled design. A total of 315 students were divided into three groups of 105 children each. Group A included resident students, who underwent supervised tooth brushing under the supervision of their parents. The non-resident students were further divided into two groups: Group B and Group C. Group B children were under the supervision of a caregiver and Group C children were under the supervision of both investigator and caregiver. RESULTS: There was an average reduction in plaque score during the subsequent second follow-up conducted 3 weeks after the start of the study and in the final follow-up conducted at 6 weeks. There was also a marked reduction in the gingival index scores in all the three groups. CONCLUSION: The program of teacher and parent supervised toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste can be safely targeted to socially deprived communities and can enable a significant reduction in plaque and gingival scores. Thus, an important principle of oral health education is the active involvement of parents and caregivers.

Evaluation of Fluoride Retention Due to Most Commonly Consumed Estuarine Fishes Among Fish Consuming Population of Andhra Pradesh as a Contributing Factor to Dental Fluorosis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Fluoride in drinking water is known for both beneficial and detrimental effects on health. The principal sources of fluoride include water, some species of vegetation, certain edible marine animals, dust and industrial processes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fluoride retention of most commonly consumed estuarine fishes among fish consuming population of Andhra Pradesh. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the amount of fluoride retention due to ten most commonly consumed estuarine fishes as a contributing factor to Fluorosis by SPADNS Spectrophotometric method. The presence and severity of dental fluorosis among fish consuming population was recorded using Community Fluorosis Index. Statistical analysis was done using MedCalc v12.2.1.0 software. RESULTS: For Sea water fishes, the fluoride levels in bone were maximum in Indian Sardine (4.22 ppm). Amongst the river water fishes, the fluoride levels in bone were maximum in Catla (1.51 ppm). Also, the mean total fluoride concentrations of all the river fishes in skin, muscle and bone were less (0.86 ppm) as compared to the sea water fishes (2.59 ppm). It was unveiled that sea fishes accumulate relatively large amounts of Fluoride as compared to the river water fishes. The mean Community Fluorosis Index was found to be 1.06 amongst a sampled fish consuming population. Evaluation by Community Index for Dental fluorosis (CFI) suggested that fluorosis is of medium public health importance. CONCLUSION: It was analysed that bone tends to accumulate more amount of fluoride followed by muscle and skin which might be due to the increased permeability and chemical trapping of fluoride inside the tissues. The amount of fluoride present in the fishes is directly related to the severity of fluorosis amongst fish consuming population, suggesting fishes as a contributing factor to fluorosis depending upon the dietary consumption.

Comparative Evaluation of Commercially Available Freeze Dried Powdered Probiotics on Mutans Streptococci Count: A Randomized, Double Blind, Clinical Study.

OBJECTIVES: Probiotic approaches are being considered to eliminate pathogenic microorganisms and are an alternative and promising way to combat infections by using harmless bacteria to displace pathogenic microorganisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of commercially available freeze dried powdered probiotics on mutans streptococci count among 12-15 year-old Indian schoolchildren. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted in two phases of in-vitro (phase I) and in-vivo (phase II) study, which was a double blind, randomized and placebo controlled clinical trial. A total of 33 schoolchildren between 12-15 years were included in the study. They were randomly allocated to three groups. Group A included 11 children using freeze dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Bifidobacterium lactis. Group B included 11 children using freeze dried lactic acid bacillus only. Group C included 11 children using placebo powder. The study was conducted over a period of three weeks and examination and sampling of the subjects were done on days 0 (baseline), seven, 14 and 21. RESULTS: For both the intervention groups A and B, statistically significant reduction (P<0.05) in salivary mutans streptococci counts was recorded up to the second week. CONCLUSION: Oral administration of probiotics showed a short-term effect on reduction of mutans streptococci count and showed a preventive role in caries development.

Effectiveness of oral health education on knowledge, attitude, practices and oral hygiene status among 12-15-year-old schoolchildren of fishermen of Kutch district, Gujarat, India.

BACKGROUND: To assess the effectiveness of oral health education on oral health knowledge, attitude, practices and oral hygiene status among 12-15-year-old school children of fishermen of Kutch district, Gujarat, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A before-and-after experimental study was conducted among all (n = 205) the 12-15-year-old children from two schools of Bhadreshwar village of Mundra taluka of Kutch district, Gujarat, India from January 2013 to December 2013. At baseline, children were assessed for oral health knowledge, attitude and practices using a self-administered structured questionnaire and oral hygiene was assessed using Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S). Oral health education was provided after baseline assessment, at 3 months and at 6 months. Follow up study was done after 1 year from baseline. Statistical tests applied were Independent t test, paired t test and McNemar test. Level of significance and confidence level were set at 5% and 95%, respectively. RESULTS: Mean OHI-S scores reduced significantly at 1 year follow up interval. All the questions showed statistically significant improvement in knowledge, attitude and practices except the frequency of change of tooth brush which showed no improvement. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study reflects the accomplishment of upgrading oral health knowledge, attitude, practices and oral hygiene status of fishermen children through school oral health education programme. Organizing oral health education in high school children of fishermen community could lead to improvement in students' oral hygiene to ultimately enhance their oral health.

Assessment of intelligence quotient among schoolchildren of fishermen community of Kutch, Gujarat, India.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of the study was to assess the intelligence quotient of fishermen school children of Kutch, Gujarat, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 8 to 10 years old school children living in Kutch District, Gujarat, India, from January to February 2013. Seguin Form Board Test was used to assess the intelligence quotient (IQ) level of children. Means of groups were compared by independent student t-test. Stepwise multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors for IQ. RESULTS: The mean average timing taken by fishermen school children to complete the test was 30.64 ± 4.97. Males had significantly lower mean timing scores than females (p < 0.05). Participants with severe dental fluorosis, low socio-economic status (SES), lower education level of both mother and father and those who were overweight had significantly higher mean timing scores for average category. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggested a low IQ among fishermen school children community of Kutch, Gujarat, India. The major factors which influenced their IQ were dental fluorosis, low SES, low education level of parents and high body mass index.

Acoustic Noise Levels of Dental Equipments and Its Association with Fear and Annoyance Levels among Patients Attending Different Dental Clinic Setups in Jaipur, India.

BACKGROUND: Noise is a source of pervasive occupational hazard for practicing dentists and the patients. The sources of dental sounds by various dental equipments can pose as a potential hazard to hearing system and add to the annoyance levels of the patients. The aim of the study was to analyze the noise levels from various equipments and evaluate the effect of acoustic noise stimulus on dental fear and annoyance levels among patients attending different dental clinic setups in Jaipur, India. METHODOLOGY: The sampling frame comprised of 180 patients, which included 90 patients attending 10 different private clinics and 90 patients attending a Dental College in Jaipur. The levels of Acoustic Noise Stimulus originating from different equipments were determined using a precision sound level meter/decibulometer. Dental fear among patients was measured using Dental Fear Scale (DFS). RESULTS: Statistical analysis was performed using chi square test and unpaired t-test. The mean background noise levels were found to be maximum in the pre-clinical setup/ laboratory areas (69.23+2.20). Females and the patients attending dental college setup encountered more fear on seeing the drill as compared to the patients attending private clinics (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The sources of dental sounds can pose as a potential hazard to hearing system. It was analyzed that the environment in the clinics can directly have an effect on the fear and annoyance levels of patients. Hence it is necessary control the noise from various dental equipments to reduce the fear of patients from visiting a dental clinic.

Disinfection of dental unit water line using aloe vera: in vitro study.

Context. Dental unit waterlines may be heavily contaminated with microorganisms and are a potential source of infection for both practicing staff and immunocompromised patients particularly. Contamination of dental unit water lines could be inhibited with the use of disinfectants. The present study investigates the effect of aloe-vera-based disinfectant in reducing the microbial growth in dental unit water lines (DUWLs). Aims. To compare the efficacy of aloe vera, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and 5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) in controlling microbial contamination of DUWLs. Materials and Methods. After obtaining baseline water samples, the dental unit waterlines were treated with aloe vera, 10% hydrogen peroxide, and 5% sodium hypochlorite. Each of the three disinfectants was used in increasing concentrations and their inhibiting effect was compared. Water samples were analyzed for microbiological quality by the total viable count (TVC) method. Statistical Analysis Used. SPSS 16. Results. There was significant reduction in mean CFU/ml when treated with disinfectants each for a period of one week. Aloe-vera solution was found to be the most effective in reducing the microbial colonies. Conclusions. Improving the water quality from dental unit water lines is of considerable importance; chemical-based disinfectants can be replaced with herbal disinfectants for treating microbial contamination in dental unit waterlines.

Infant Oral Health Knowledge and Awareness: Disparity among Pregnant Women and Mothers visiting a Government Health Care Organization.

OBJECTIVES: The present study is designed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices of pregnant women and mothers about feeding habits and infant oral health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 230 study subjects were divided into two groups: Group A included pregnant women and group B were mothers of child up to 1 year of age. Each group comprised of 170 subjects. A self-administered questionnaire comprising of total 23 questions on infant feeding practices, nocturnal bottle feeding, correct age of eruption of first teeth and first dental visit. Two separate questionnaires were framed for both the groups. RESULTS: There was a lack of knowledge among both the groups about infant feeding and weaning. Nocturnal bottle feeding was more prevalent. CONCLUSION: The present study reflects a need for maternal counseling on infant oral health. How to cite this article: Nagaraj A, Pareek S. Infant Oral Health Knowledge and Awareness: Disparity among Pregnant Women and Mothers visiting a Government Health Care Organization. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2012;5(3):167-172.