Comparative Analysis of Streptococcus Mutans and Streptococcus Sobrinus from Dental Plaque Samples of Nigerian Pre-school Children with and Without Caries.

BACKGROUND: Early childhood caries (ECC), despite being a preventable disease, remains prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. This study compared the occurrence of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus in dental plaque from caries free and caries active Nigerian preschool children. METHODS: Structured questionnaire were administered to eighty (80) mothers to inquire about the sociodemographic characteristics of their children. Diagnosis of dental caries was made according to the diagnostic criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO). Supragingival plaque sample collected from caries free children and children with dental caries (cavitated and non-cavitated lesions) using wooden toothpicks were cultured anaerobically. Samples were cultured in anaerobiosis and isolates obtained were identified based on molecular characterization performed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. Statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS 25.0) was used for analysis. RESULTS: Streptococcus mutans was detected in 26(65.0%) children with early childhood caries, and S. sobrinus in 10(25.0%) children with early childhood caries. The presence of S. mutans and S. sobrinus occurring together was associated with a higher deft score. Occurrence of S. mutans did not show significant difference between children with ECC and caries free children (p=0.099), however, the proportion of children with ECC positive for S. sobrinus was significantly higher than that of caries free children (p= 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: S. mutans and S. sobrinus had a similar frequency of occurrence in children with ECC and caries free children. The occurrence of S. mutans alongside S. sobrinus in ECC is related to its severity.

CONTEXTE: La carie de la petite enfance (CPE), bien qu'étant une maladie évitable, reste prévalente en Afrique sub-saharienne. Cette étude a comparé la présence de Streptococcus mutans et Streptococcus sobrinus dans la plaque dentaire d'enfants nigérians d'âge préscolaire avec et sans caries. MÉTHODES: Des questionnaires structurés ont été administrés à quatrevingts (80) mères pour connaître les caractéristiques sociodémographiques de leurs enfants. Le diagnostic de la carie dentaire a été établi selon les critères de diagnostic de l'Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS). Des échantillons de plaque supragingivale prélevés sur des enfants exempts de caries et des enfants atteints de caries dentaires (lésions cavitaires et non cavitaires) à l'aide de cure-dents en bois ont été mis en culture en anaérobiose. Les échantillons ont été mis en culture en anaérobiose. Les isolats obtenus ont été identifiés sur la base d'une caractérisation moléculaire effectuée par une analyse de réaction en chaîne par polymérase (PCR). Le progiciel statistique pour les sciences sociales (SPSS 25.0) a été utilisé pour l'analyse. RÉSULTATS: Streptococcus mutans a été détecté chez 26(65,0%) enfants atteints de caries de la petite enfance, et S. sobrinus chez 10(25,0%) enfants atteints de caries de la petite enfance. La présence simultanée de S. mutans et de S. sobrinus était associée à un score de déformation plus élevé. La présence de S. mutans n'a pas montré de différence significative entre les enfants atteints de CEC et les enfants indemnes de caries (p=0,099), cependant, la proportion d'enfants atteints de CEC positifs pour S. sobrinus était significativement plus élevée que celle des enfants indemnes de caries (p= 0,003). CONCLUSIONS: S. mutans et S. sobrinus ont une fréquence d'apparition similaire chez les enfants atteints de CEC et les enfants indemnes de caries. La présence de S. mutans et de S. sobrinus dans l'ECC est liée à sa gravité. MOTS CLÉS: Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, caries de lapetite enfance, plaque supragingivale.

Knowledge and attitude of some nigerian school teachers on the emergency management of avulsed permanent incisor.

BACKGROUND: Tooth avulsion has been known to be the most severe of all dental injuries. The immediate action taken at the accident site will determine the prognosis of the tooth. Replantation of an avulsed tooth is the treatment of choice. AIM & OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge and attitude of primary and secondary (Basic educational) school teachers on the emergency management of avulsed permanent incisors. SETTING: Twenty public and private basic educational schools were randomly selected from Lagos State. SUBJECTS & METHODS: Descriptive cross-sectional study. A 23 item self administered questionnaire was distributed to teachers to determine their knowledge and attitude on the emergency management of avulsed permanent incisors. Data was analysed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences), Version 21.0. The responses obtained were tabulated and expressed as frequency distributions and then computed in percentages. Chi-square was used to test the association between knowledge of the schools teachers regarding the emergency management of avulsed permanent incisors and their socio-demographic variables. Multivariate analysis was used to adjust for confounding variables. The level of significance was set at P ≤0.05. RESULTS: A total of 320 teachers answered the questionnaires. Most of the teachers were female (63.1%). Only (30.9%) had received first aid training which included emergency management of dental trauma. Forty- two percent (134) didn't know that an avulsed permanent tooth could be replanted. Twenty teachers (44.4%) would clean an avulsed tooth with toothbrush and toothpaste. A greater proportion of the respondents 130 (40.6%) would transport an avulsed tooth using a clean white handkerchief. The overall knowledge of the school teachers was poor (84%).There was a statistically significant association between the knowledge of the school teachers and the inclusion of emergency management of dental trauma in the first aid training of the teachers P=0.05. Predictors of teachers' level of knowledge of emergency management of avulsed teeth were receipt of advise on management of traumatic dental injuries (OR= 2.5, CI=1.19-4.28) and type of school (OR=0.93, CI=0.206-0.750). CONCLUSION: The school teachers had insufficient knowledge about the emergency management of avulsed permanent teeth. School oral health campaigns with regards to emergency management of avulsed teeth will help improve teachers' knowledge and modify their behaviour.