Dental caries, oral hygiene status and deleterious habits among migrant construction workers of Belagavi, India.

Background: Occupation significantly influences oral health, with factors like the work environment, stress levels, access to dental care, and job-related habits playing crucial roles. The oral health of construction workers, especially migrant workers, is a noteworthy concern. Understanding the oral health of this population is crucial for enhancing their quality of life through various means. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of dental caries, oral hygiene status, and deleterious habits in this occupational group of Belagavi district, Karnataka. Materials and methods: Study design was cross-sectional in nature. Before commencement of the study a pilot study was conducted. Multi-stage random sampling technique was employed, and 610 participants were recruited for the study. Trained and calibrated examiners recorded WHO dentition status and treatment needs (2013) and Oral Hygiene Index Simplified (OHI-S). Collected data was analyzed using descriptive analysis, chi-square, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of dental caries among construction workers was significantly high (81%), and poor oral hygiene was observed among 36.9% of them. The prevalence of smoking, the tobacco chewing habit, and alcohol consumption among the construction workers was found to be 21.6%, 59.9%, and 37.3%, respectively. The dependence of OHI-S and DMFT on predictors (age, gender and deleterious habits) was found to be 21.5% and 39.6%, respectively. Conclusions: Migrant construction workers in Belagavi had a high caries prevalence, poor oral hygiene status, and a high prevalence of deleterious habits such as tobacco use. These results emphasize the necessity of awareness and dental health education programs to improve the oral health of construction workers.

Influence of chitosan and Cissus quandrangularis coating on osseointegration in titanium implants in rabbits: A preclinical in vivo study.

BACKGROUND: Titanium (Ti) implants has been criticized for the tiring wait for osseointegration, often making the patient reconsider implant treatment. Surface treated Ti implants are emerging as a promising solution with superior osseointegration, early loading protocols and shortened period of edentulousness. The aim of this study is to assess the osseointegration of Ti surface coated with novel Cissus quandrangularis Chitosan Hydrogel (CqChH) compared to Commercially pure (Cp) implants. METHODS: 24 Cp Ti implants were divided into 2 subgroups (n = 12). The test group consisted of Ti implants surface treated with the novel hydrogel and control group consisted of Cp Ti implants. 3 % CqChH was prepared and was coated on the Ti implants prior to placement in the femur and tibial heads of rabbits. Implant Stability Quotient (ISQ) was recorded at the 6th and 12th week. Animals were sacrificed and subjected to Removal Torque Quotient (RTQ). The samples were retrieved en bloc and stained for histopathologic analysis. The collected data was subjected to statistical analysis using Unpaired student t-Test. RESULTS: At the end of 6th week CqChH coated implants did not show any statistically significant difference in both ISQ and RTQ values compared to Cp ones. However, at the end of the 12th week CqChH coated implants demonstrated significantly higher ISQ (73.91 ± 4.39) and RTQ (75.96 ± 14.10) compared to Cp ones. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that the novel hydrogel coating applied to the implant's surface exhibited not only enhanced bone regeneration but also elicited a new bone formation.