Dental anxiety in first- and final-year Indian dental students.

OBJECTIVES: The study aims to investigate dental anxiety in first- and final-year undergraduate dental students in India. DESIGN: Questionnaire Study Setting: BDS Students in four University dental colleges in India carried-out during 2013 and 2014. SUBJECTS MATERIALS AND METHODS: The students (n = 614) were assessed using a pre-tested questionnaire. We estimated the level of dental anxiety by using the Modified-Dental-Anxiety-Scale (MDAS). ANCOVA and Mann-Whitney U, and Chi-squared contingency tests were employed to analyze the extensive dataset acquired. Univariate clustering analysis and principal component regression were also applied. Students had similar demographic and lifestyle patterns. INTERVENTIONS: Assessments of the level of dental anxiety amongst undergraduate dental students. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean ± SD MDAS scores for first- and final-year Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) students were 12.96 ± 4.00 and 10.54 ± 3.41, respectively. RESULTS: Six hundred and fourteen (n = 614) students from four dental colleges were included in this study. In total 77% were female (n = 478) and 23% were male (n = 136). The mean age of the first- and final-year students were 18.31 and 21.54 years, respectively. First-year BDS students had dental anxiety score (Mean ± SD 12.96 ± 4.00) compared to that of the final year (10.54 ± 3.41), a difference which was very highly statistically significant (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Dental anxiety was moderately higher amongst first year BDS students over that of final-year students but it is lesser than the dental phobic threshold level.

Spatial distribution mapping of drinking water fluoride levels in Karnataka, India: fluoride-related health effects.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To estimate the concentrations of fluoride in drinking water throughout different zones and districts of the state of Karnataka. (2) To investigate the variation of fluoride concentration in drinking water from different sources, and its relationships to daily temperature and rainfall status in the regional districts. (3) To develop an updated fluoride concentration intensity map of the state of Karnataka, and to evaluate these data in the context of fluoride-related health effects such as fluorosis and their prevalence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Aqueous standard solutions of 10, 100 and 1,000 ppm fluoride (F-) were prepared with analytical grade Na+/F- and a buffer; TISAB II was incorporated in both calibration standard and analysis solutions in order to remove the potentially interfering effects of trace metal ions. This analysis was performed using an ion-selective electrode (ISE), and mean determination readings for n = 5 samples collected at each Karnataka water source were recorded. RESULTS: The F- concentration in drinking water in Karnataka state was found to vary substantially, with the highest mean values recorded being in the north-eastern zone (1.61 ppm), and the lowest in the south-western one (only 0.41 ppm). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated that there were very highly significant 'between-zone' and 'between-districts-within-zones' sources of variation (p < 10-5-10-9), results consistent with a substantial spatial variance of water source F- levels within this state. CONCLUSIONS: The southern part of Karnataka has low levels of F- in its drinking water, and may require fluoridation treatment in order to mitigate for dental caries and further ailments related to fluoride deficiency. However, districts within the north-eastern region have contrastingly high levels of fluoride, an observation which has been linked to dental and skeletal fluorosis. This highlights a major requirement for interventional actions in order to ensure maintenance of the recommended range of fluoride concentrations (0.8-1.5 ppm) in Karnataka's drinking water sources.

Osseointegration of the bone-anchored prosthesis

This is the first of three articles reviewing the biomechanical features, histology and clinical results of the Osteo-Ti dental implant system. The second and third papers will describe surgical and prosthetic protocols, respectively (AU)