Facial Anthropometry Measurements Using Three-Dimensional Stereophotogrammetry Analysis Among Nigerians.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to determine the normative facial anthropometry measurement among Nigerians using three-dimensional stereophotogrammetry analysis.This study was carried out in Lagos, Nigeria over a period of 3 years. The sample population was Nigerians of diverse ethnic groups, age 16 and above with no history of congenital or acquired craniofacial deformities.A total of 452 subjects participated in the study with 56.2% males and 43.8% females. Most of the participants were between the ages of 25 to 49 (54.4%), 40.7% were less than 25 years of age and only 4.4% were more than 50 years old. The mean body mass index (BMI) for males was 22.7 and 23.4 for females. Mean values of upper facial height, midfacial height, lower facial height, intercanthal distance, interpupillary distance, upper facial width, and lower facial width are 69.13 ±â€Š5.91, 49.89 ±â€Š3.56, 67.85 ±â€Š6.12, 35.19 ±â€Š3.20, 67.04 ±â€Š3.67, 139.43 ±â€Š7.11, and 124.29 ±â€Š9.72 mm, respectively. The upper facial height, commissure width, upper lip length, and lower jaw width were significantly affected by age, while the BMI of an individual was a determinant of the interpupillary distance, facial width, and lower jaw width.This study demonstrated that there was a statistically significant difference in the facial dimensions of males when compared to females across all ages among the study population. The authors also observed that age and BMI are significant predictors of variations in some of the measurements.

Management of Orofacial Cleft in Nigeria - A Retrospective Study.

INTRODUCTION: Orofacial clefts (OFCs) are among the most common craniofacial developmental abnormalities worldwide and a significant cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to identify patterns of patient presentation, treatment approaches, and changes in our overall cleft care service between 2007 and 2019. METHODS AND METHODOLOGY: A retrospective review of patients managed at a tertiary health facility in Nigeria of all OFC cases operated between 2007 and 2019 was done using the postintervention data retrieved from the Smile Train database. Data of all OFC cases operated within the period were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Descriptive statistics were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0. RESULTS: A total number of 740 OFC surgeries were performed in 565 patients, consisting of 269 females (48.2%) and 289 males (51.8%). The majority (63%) of the patients presented before the age of 2 years. Thirty-seven percent presented with cleft lip and alveolus, 27.1% with cleft palate only, and 36.7% with cleft lip, alveolus, and palate. Primary cleft lip repair was the most performed surgery (n = 320, 43.2%), the mean age at repair was 2.1 years. Since 2017, additional services such as speech therapy, mixed dentition orthodontics, and nutritional support were added to services provided to our cleft patients. Fifteen patients have undergone speech assessment and three have completed speech treatment. Eight patients have undergone mixed dentition stage orthodontic treatment. DISCUSSION: Our services have evolved from simply providing surgical care to comprehensive care with a multidisciplinary team approach and provision of a wide range of services including nutritional counseling, pediatric care, orthodontic services, and speech therapy. We believe these will improve the overall well-being of our patients while we continue to improve on services based on clinical research outcomes.

Malignant orofacial neoplasms in children and adolescents: a clinicopathologic review of cases in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the relative frequency of orofacial malignant neoplasm in children and adolescents. METHODS: A retrospective review of malignant orofacial tumours in children and adolescents

Influence of trans-operative complications on socket healing following dental extractions.

AIM: Extraction healing complications have been attributed to several factors. The influence of trans-operative complications on an extraction site wound healing was the focus of this investigation. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This prospective study was conducted at the Oral Surgery Clinic of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Nigeria . Subjects selected were those referred for one or two adjacent extractions and who satisfied the inclusion criteria for the study. The relevant pre-operative information recorded for each patient were age and sex of patient, indications for extraction, time taken to extract the tooth, tooth/teeth removed, and any trans-operative complications. Extractions were performed with dental forceps, elevators, or both under local anaesthesia. Patients were blindly evaluated on the third and seventh post-operative day for socket healing assessment without reference to pre-operative information on the patients. RESULTS: Seventy-three (24.25%) of 301 teeth considered for socket healing assessment had various trans-operative complications due to accidental crown, root, or alveolar bone fractures. Of the 73 extractions with trans-operative complications during extraction, 18 developed a socket healing complication, while 17 of the 228 extractions without trans-operative complications developed socket healing complications (p = .000). The mean (SD) time taken to extract teeth developing healing complications was also found to be significantly longer than those without healing complications (p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated the combination of tooth/bone fragments in the socket and increased time of extraction due to trans-operative complications and accidents predispose to the development of extraction site wound healing disturbance.

Ameloblastoma: analysis of 207 cases in a Nigerian teaching hospital.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to review all the cases of ameloblastoma seen at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, between 1980 and 2003. METHODS AND MATERIALS: In this retrospective study, case files and biopsy reports of new cases of ameloblastoma covering a 24-year period were retrieved and analyzed for sex, age on presentation, histologic type, and site distribution. RESULTS: A total of 207 cases of ameloblastoma were seen in the given period. One hundred and ninety-eight (95.7%) were benign, and 9 (4.3%) were malignant. A male-to-female ratio of 1.1:1 was found. The average ages on presentation for ameloblastoma and ameloblastic carcinoma were 31.67 and 46.44 years, respectively. The lesion was found to be more common in the premolar-molar region of the mandible. The most common histologic type was follicular ameloblastoma (25.1%). Nine (4.3%) cases of ameloblastic carcinoma were also reported. CONCLUSIONS: Ameloblastoma with a predilection for the posterior mandibular region is relatively common in our environment. Sex and site distributions are similar to previous reports in the literature.

Prospective, randomized, open-label, pilot clinical trial comparing the effects of dexamethasone coadministered with diclofenac potassium or acetaminophen and diclofenac potassium monotherapy after third-molar extraction in adults.

BACKGROUND: Patients who experience pain, swelling, and trismus after third-molar extraction are reported to experience a 3-fold higher rate of adverse effects (AEs) on quality of life compared with those who are asymptomatic after this surgery. Therefore, investigators emphasize the necessity for better control of this triad of sequelae. Steroids can reduce the risk for physiologic processes of inflammation, thereby suppressing the development of inflammation. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of dexamethasone 8 mg IM and diclofenac potassium (K) 50 mg PO, dexamethasone 8 mg IM and acetaminophen 1000 mg PO, and monotherapy with diclofenac K 50 mg PO on postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus after surgical removal of third molars. METHODS: This prospective, randomized, open-label pilot study was conducted at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. Patients were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 treatment groups: concomitant treatment with dexamethasone 8 mg IM and diclofenac K 50 mg PO or acetaminophen 1000 mg PO, or monotherapy with diclofenac K 50 mg PO. Overall analgesic efficacy of the drug combinations was assessed for 7 days postoperatively using a 4-point categorical pain-intensity rating scale (0 = no pain; 1 = mild pain; 2 = moderate pain; and 3 = severe pain). Facial swelling was measured in 1 dimension on days 1, 2, and 7 after surgery using a tape measure placed from the tip of the tragus, to gonion, to the tip of the contralateral tragus, and trismus was assessed using interincisal mouth-opening ability, measured using a vernier-calibrated caliper on postoperative days 1, 2, and 7. Tolerability was assessed using direct questioning of the patients at follow-up visits. RESULTS: A total of 150 patients (50 per treatment group) were included in the analysis (76 women, 74 men; mean [SD] age, 26.8 [5.04] years [range, 18-45 years]; 100% Nigerian). The proportion of patients reporting no pain on the pain-intensity rating scale was significantly higher in the group receiving dexamethasone and diclofenac K compared with that in the groups receiving dexamethasone and acetaminophen or diclofenac K monotherapy (44% vs 22% and 24%, respectively; both, P < 0.05). Facial swelling was significantly less with dexamethasone and diclofenac K or dexamethasone and acetaminophen compared with diclofenac K alone (day 1: P = 0.013 and P = 0.011, respectively; day 2: P = 0.002 and P = 0.004, respectively). However, trismus relief was statistically similar between the 3 treatment groups on postoperative days 1 and 2. No AEs or complications were recorded. CONCLUSION: In this open-label pilot study, concomitant treatment with dexamethasone and diclofenac K provided significant relief of postsurgical pain and swelling compared with dexamethasone and acetaminophen or monotherapy with diclofenac K after third-molar extraction in these patients.

Clinical evaluation of post-extraction site wound healing.

AIM: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the clinical pattern of post-extraction wound healing with a view to identify the types, incidence, and pattern of healing complications following non-surgical tooth extraction. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 311 patients, who were referred for non-surgical (intra-alveolar) extractions, were included in the study. The relevant pre-operative information recorded for each patient included age and gender of the patient, indications for extraction, and tooth/teeth removed. Extractions were performed under local anesthesia with dental forceps, elevators, or both. Patients were evaluated on the third and seventh postoperative days for alveolus healing assessment. Data recorded were: biodata, day of presentation for alveolus healing assessment, day of onset of any symptoms, body temperature (degrees C) in cases of alveolus infection, and presence or absence of pain. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-two patients (282) with 318 extraction sites were evaluated for alveolus healing. Healing was uneventful in 283 alveoli (89%), while 35 alveoli (11%) developed healing complications. These complications were: localized osteitis 26 (8.2%); acutely infected alveolus 5 (1.6%); and an acutely inflamed alveolus 4 (1.2%). Females developed more complications than males (p=0.003). Most complications were found in molars (60%) and premolars (37.1%). Localized osteitis caused severe pain in all cases, while infected and inflamed alveolus caused mild or no pain. Thirty patients (12%) among those without healing complications experienced mild pain. CONCLUSIONS: Most of the post-extraction alveoli healed uneventfully. Apart from alveolar osteitis (AO), post-extraction alveolus healing was also complicated by acutely infected alveoli and acutely inflamed alveoli. This study also demonstrated a painful alveolus is not necessarily a disturbance of post-extraction site wound healing; a thorough clinical examination must, therefore, be made to exclude any of the complications.

Odontogenic tumors: a review of 319 cases in a Nigerian teaching hospital.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine the relative frequency of odontogenic tumors in a Nigerian population and to compare these data with previous reports. STUDY DESIGN: Records of patients seen at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital between January 1980 and December 2003, with histologic diagnosis of odontogenic tumors (based on World Health Organisation classification, 1992), were analyzed. RESULTS: Odontogenic tumors constituted 9.6% of all the biopsies of oral and jaw lesions seen within the period under study. Three hundred and eight (96.6%) were intraosseous, and 11 (3.4%) were peripheral (peripheral odontogenic fibroma=7; peripheral myxoma=3; peripheral ameloblastoma=1). The mean age of patients was 29.9+/-15.6 years (range, 4-85 years). Among these cases, 96.6% of the tumors were benign and 3.4% were malignant. Ameloblastoma with predilection for the mandible was the most frequent odontogenic tumor (63%), followed by adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) (7.5%), myxoma (6.5%), calcifying epithelial odontogenic cyst (5.3%), and odontogenic fibroma (5.3%). More cases of malignant odontogenic tumors were seen than cases of calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumor and odontomas. The mean ages of patients with AOT, ameloblastic fibroma, and odontoma were significantly lower than those with ameloblastoma ( P<.05). No significant difference was found between the mean ages of patients with benign odontogenic tumors and those with malignant odontogenic tumors ( P=.058). CONCLUSIONS: Odontogenic tumors, especially ameloblastoma, are not considered rare among Nigerians, whereas odontoma, regarded as the most frequent odontogenic tumor in North and South America, is rare.

Osteogenic sarcoma of the jaw bones: a single institution experience over a 21-year period.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to review cases of osteogenic sarcoma of the jaw bones diagnosed in our institution during a 21-year period. STUDY DESIGN: Records of patients seen at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital between January 1983 and December 2003 with histologic diagnosis of osteogenic sarcoma were analyzed for age and gender of patients, as well as sites and histologic types of tumor. RESULTS: Osteogenic sarcoma of the jaws constituted 0.6% of all the biopsies of oral and jaw lesions seen within the period under study. The mean (+/-SD) age of patients at presentation was 27.2 +/- 13.6 years (range 11-70 years). The mean age of patients with maxillary lesions, 30.7 +/- 15.8 years (range 17-70 years), was higher than that of patients with mandibular lesions, 23.4 +/- 10.1 years (range 11-40 years); however, no statistical significance difference was found (P = .08) There were 12 male and 5 female patients, a ratio of 2.4:1. Nine (53%) tumors were found in the maxilla and 8 (47%) in the mandible, a ratio of 1.1:1. The mandibular lesions were predominant in female patients, while the maxillary lesions were predominant in male patients. The most common histologic subtype was chondroblastic (47%), followed by fibroblastic (35.3%) and osteoblastic types (17.7%). CONCLUSION: Osteogenic sarcoma of the jaws is rare in patients who presented with tumor and tumor-like lesions of the jaws in our center, in agreement with previous reports from Africa and other centers around the world. However, the mean age at presentation of our patients was lower than reported in other parts of the world.

Trends and characteristics of oral and maxillofacial injuries in Nigeria: a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The etiology of maxillofacial injuries varies from one country to another and even within the same country depending on the prevailing socioeconomic, cultural and environmental factors. Periodic verification of the etiology of maxillofacial injuries helps to recommend ways in which maxillofacial injuries can be averted. The aim of the present study is therefore to analyse the characteristics and trends of maxillofacial injuries in Nigeria based on a systematic review of the literature. METHODS: A literature search using MEDLINE was conducted for publications on maxillofacial injuries in Nigeria. The relevant references in these publications were manually searched for additional non-Medline articles or abstracts. Forty-two studies met the inclusion criteria and the full-texts of these articles were thoroughly examined. Due to lack of uniformity and consistency in assessment and measurement variables, and treatment modalities in most of the studies, it was impossible to apply the traditional methods of a systematic review. Therefore, a narrative approach was conducted to report the findings of the included studies. RESULTS: Although, other causes like assaults, sport injuries, and industrial accidents increased in numbers, throughout the period between 1965 and 2003, road traffic crashes remained the major etiological factor of maxillofacial injuries in all regions, except northeastern region where assault was the major cause. A significant increase in motorcycles related maxillofacial injuries was observed in most urban and suburban centres of the country. Animal attacks were not an unusual cause of maxillofacial injuries in most parts of northern Nigeria. Patients in the age group of 21-30 years were mostly involved. A strong tendency toward an equal male-to-female ratio was observed between earlier and later periods. CONCLUSION: Road traffic crashes remain the major cause of maxillofacial injuries in Nigeria, unlike in most developed countries where assaults/interpersonal violence has replaced road traffic crashes as the major cause of the injuries. There is a need to reinforce legislation aimed to prevent road traffic crashes and the total enforcement of existing laws to reduce maxillofacial injuries among children and adults. Special attention should also be paid by the authority to improve the socioeconomic conditions of Nigerian populace.

Are sterile gloves necessary in nonsurgical dental extractions?

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to compare the incidence of healing complications of extraction socket with the use of sterile or clean nonsterile gloves during nonsurgical dental extractions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a randomized prospective study conducted at the exodontia clinic of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (Nigeria), between October 2002 and January 2003. Patients who were referred for nonsurgical extractions of permanent teeth and who satisfied the inclusion criteria into the study were randomly allocated into 2 groups. One group had their extractions performed with the surgeon wearing a pair of sterile gloves and the second group had their extractions performed with the surgeon wearing a pair of clean nonsterile gloves. Two hundred sixty-nine patients who had 301 teeth extracted and satisfied the inclusion criteria for socket healing assessment were assessed for postoperative socket healing. RESULTS: Three different types of socket healing complications were identified (dry socket, acutely inflamed socket, and acutely infected socket). A total of 32 patients (11.9%) developed socket healing complications. Nineteen of 122 patients in the sterile glove group and 13 of 147 patients in the clean nonsterile glove group developed socket healing complications (P = .09). CONCLUSION: The study confirmed that the use of sterile surgical gloves offers no advantage over clean nonsterile gloves in minimizing extraction socket healing complications following dental extraction. Therefore, nonsurgical dental extraction can be safely performed with the surgeon wearing clean nonsterile gloves.

Effects of co-administered dexamethasone and diclofenac potassium on pain, swelling and trismus following third molar surgery.

BACKGROUND: The apparent interactions between the mechanisms of action of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and steroids suggest that co-therapy may provide beneficial inflammatory and pain relief in the absence of side effects. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of co-administered dexamethasone and diclofenac potassium (diclofenac K) with diclofenac K alone on the postoperative pain, swelling and trismus after surgical removal of third molars. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective randomized double-blind study was conducted at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. A total of 100 patients were randomly allocated to two treatment groups of dexamethasone (prophylactic 8 mg and postoperative 4 mg IV) and diclofenac K (50 mg Oral before and after surgery), and diclofenac K alone (as with first group). The overall analgesic efficacy of the drug combinations was assessed postoperatively by determination of pain intensity using a category rating scale. Facial swelling was measured using a tape measure placed from tragus to gonion to tragus, while interincisal mouth-opening of patients was measured using a vernier calibrated caliper pre-operatively and post-operatively. RESULTS: Co-administration of dexamethasone and diclofenac K was significantly superior to diclofenac alone for the relief of pain (P < 0.05), and facial swelling up to post-operative 48 hour (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference for trismus relief between the two medication protocols (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study illustrates enhanced effects of co-administered dexamethasone and diclofenac K on short-term post-operative pain and swelling, compared to diclofenac potassium alone in third molar surgery.