Influence of Lifestyle Factors on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Pregnant Women in Indore City.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle factors affect the periodontal and oral hygiene status and, thus, may affect the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in pregnant women. Thus, the aim of the study was to assess the OHRQoL and determine its relationship with lifestyle and other factors in pregnant women in Indore city. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 400 pregnant women who were selected using stratified random sampling technique from eight private maternity centers located in Indore city. A questionnaire collected information on socio-demographic characteristics, oral hygiene practices, previous dental visit and past medical history. OHRQOL was assessed using Oral Health Impact Profile-14 questionnaire. Lifestyle factors were assessed using the Health practice Index. RESULTS: The lifestyle factors were the strongest predictor for poor OHRQOL. The pregnant women (OR = 3.22, P-value < 0.0001*) with poor lifestyle had significantly poor OHRQOL. Logistic regression analysis showed that poor socio-economic status (OR = 2.63, P-value = 0.025*), brushing frequency of less than or equal to once daily (OR = 2.02, P-value = 0.025*), and suffering from systemic diseases (OR = 2.11, P-value = 0.017*) were other important predictors for poor OHRQOL in pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that lifestyle factors significantly impact OHRQOL in pregnant women. Thus, it is recommended that effective policies should be drafted to improve lifestyle factors and OHRQOL in pregnant women.

Knowledge,attitude and anxiety towards pandemic flu a potential bio weapon among health professionals in Indore City.

BACKGROUND: Flu is one of the oldest medical concerns, causing high mortality rates among humans. Swine flu has not only emerged as a fatal disease omong Indian population but has also created havoc among various sections of society. OBJECTIVE: To determine Knowledge, Attitude and Anxiety towards pandemic flu a potential bioweapon among health care professionals in Indore City. METHOD: The study design used was a cross sectional descriptive study was carried out between February-March 2015 during the outbreak of Swine Flu. The survey was administered to a sample of 271 health professionals. Participants comprised of 148 medical professionals and 123 dental professionals practicing in Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Science. The data collection tools comprised of a questionnaire on demographic characteristics, knowledge and attitude. Beck Anxiety Inventory was used to assess the anxiety among professionals. RESULTS: The medical professionals (95.9%) had significantly higher (p value=0.007) knowledge about available vaccines against Swine Flu. The dental professionals (33.3%) were more hesistant in treating patients suffering from Swine Flu compared to medical. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggest that the health care professionals had good knowledge, showed positive attitude, and demonstrated lower anxiety levels.

Assessment of orthodontic treatment need among tribal children of Indore division, Central India.

INTRODUCTION: India is home to many tribes which have an interesting and varied history of origins, customs and social practices. Oral health care in tribal areas is limited due to shortage of dental manpower, financial constraints and the lack of perceived need for dental care among tribal masses. OBJECTIVE: To assess orthodontic treatment need among tribal children of Indore division, Central India. METHODS: A cross-sectional house to house survey was carried out among 800 tribal children aged 5 to 15 years old in two major tribal districts of Indore division. Permissions and consent were obtained from local administrative authorities, ethical committee and parents respectively. A structured proforma was used to record demographic data. Examination for dentofacial anomalies was conducted according to WHO 1997 survey methods. Descriptive tables and analytical tests like ANOVA, post-hoc and chi-square test were employed. RESULTS: The mean age was 9.75(±2.43) years. The mean DAI score among 12 to 15 years old children was 23.19±5.22. Female exhibited higher (24.51±5.34) mean DAI score compared to males (22.12±4.87) (p<0.05). The Patelia tribes (24.38±5.13) reported higher mean DAI score than Bhilala (23.02±5.69) and Bhil tribe (22.73±4.79) (p<0.005). CONCLUSION: The tribal children had minor malocclusion with no or slight treatment need. Categorization of orthodontic treatment need according to malocclusion severity is particularly important for the planning of corresponding public policies. The isolation of the villages, lack of transportation options imposes limitations on the availability of health professionals to provide dental services.

Impact of Dental Neglect Scale on Oral Health Status Among Different Professionals in Indore City-A Cross- Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Young educated Indian generation are very much health conscious. They take adequate nutritious balanced diet and practice physical exercise regularly to keep themselves active and healthy. Oral health is a part of general health care system. If oral health is neglected it may affect our general health and as a result it affects our quality of life too. AIM: To assess dental negligence and oral health status by using Dental Neglect scale questionnaire among different professionals of Indore city. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study consisted of a convenient sample of 400 students of aged 18-25 years from 4 different professional colleges of Sri Aurobindo Group of Institutes of the same campus. A pretested validated questionnaire was used for assessing dental neglect and home dental care practices. Oral health examination was conducted to assess dental caries and oral hygiene status by using DMFT and OHIS respectively. Data was analysed using SPSS Software (version 20). RESULTS: For OHI(S), majority of the respondents (57.7%) showed fair oral hygiene for DNS score <15, whereas majority of the professionals (63.7%), showed poor oral hygiene for DNS score >15. The Dental Neglect Scale (DNS) score was found statistically significant with OHIS and caries experience at 95% Confidence Interval. There was no statistically significant difference between DNS score and frequency of Decayed, Missing and Filled teeth DMFT. CONCLUSION: The Dental Neglect Scale appears to be a sound method for objectifying dental neglect. It has many of the features of a satisfying health index. However, further validation with other age groups, cultures, place and a larger population is required in order to justify the utility of Dental Neglect Scale in different situations.

Assessment of relationship between oral health behavior, oral hygiene and gingival status of dental students.

BACKGROUND: The behavior of oral health providers toward their own oral health reflects their understanding of the importance of preventive dental procedures and of improving the oral health of their target population. AIM: This study was done with an aim to assess the relationship between oral health behavior, oral hygiene and gingival status of third and final year dental students from a Dental College in Indore City, India. METHODS: A total of 137 dental students participated in the study. The students were invited to complete the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioral Inventory (HU-DBI) questionnaire. The HU-DBI questionnaire consisted of twenty polar responses (agree/disagree) regarding oral health-related behavior. In addition, two further questions about the frequency of brushing and flossing were included. Subsequently, oral health examination was conducted to assess plaque and gingival status. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test, Independent sample t-test, and Pearson's correlation. The significance level was set at P ≤ 0.05. RESULT: The results showed that about 66.6% of the students checked their teeth in the mirror after brushing. Only 20.1% of the students reported bleeding from gums. The mean oral heath behavior score (HU-DBI) was 6.47 ± 2.0. A negative correlation of HU-DBI scores with plaque (r = -0.501) and gingival scores (r = -0.580) was observed. CONCLUSION: Thus, it is concluded that there is a significant relationship between the oral health behavior, oral hygiene, and gingival status of dental students. Dental students with better self-reported oral health behavior had lower plaque and gingival scores indicating a better attitude toward oral health.