A survey was conducted to assess dental caries experience and oral health related behaviour among Malaysian Territorial Army (TA) personnel. This cross-sectional study involved 284 personnel covering their socio-demography, oral hygiene habits and related behaviour and past utilization of dental services pattern. Dental caries were assessed using DMFT index. Caries prevalence was very high (97.2%; DMFT 8.15±5.36). Untreated decay (DT) was 3.67 (±3.15) and missing teeth (MT) 2.90 (±3.73). However, few were treated teeth (FT) at only 1.58 (±2.02). Almost everyone (98.2%) claimed they brushed their teeth at least once daily and 80% used fluoridated toothpaste. However, very few participants used dental floss (11.3%) while majority (60.2%) did not know about flossing. More than 70% were current smokers. Only 13.7% were regular attendees with the majority (86.3%) visiting the dentist only when they had dental problems. The most common reason (49.7%) for their last dental visit was related to presence of symptoms and few were (27.4%) for prevention. Symptomatic attendees are significantly more likely to have more severe caries experience than preventive oriented individuals (p=0.003). These findings support the importance of promoting preventive oral health utilization behaviour among army personnel.
The mangement of vascular lesions such as haemangiomas frequently present difficult choices between various treatment modalities. Circumstances may limit the,number of options available for the surgeon. This article describes the circumstances, investigations, difficult choices, and eventual treatment of a case of a mandibular haemangioma. It is concluded that for a medium sized haemangioma such as in this case,in the absence of facilities to embolize it, surgical excision may be safely carned out provided that proper investigations and precautions have been conducted. An angiogram is of utmost important in determining the feeding vessels and is very important before any surgical procedure is attempted.
Mothers can be trained to screen caries in their children. The aim of this study is to
assess the validity of mothers’ caries screening of their preschool children. (Copied from article).
This is a cross-sectional study in a representative sample of preschool children from 12 preschools (TADIKA KEMAS) Pasir Mas, Kelantan, Malaysia. Data on socioeconomic status and sources of water supply at home were collected through interview with mothers. Children’s anthropometric data (height and weight) and body-mass-index-for-age (BMI-for-age) was calculated. Oral examinations of ECC status was based on the dmft index (WHO, 1997). The results showed mean
carious teeth were very high (dmft 11.1±4.8) and almost every preschool child was affected with ECC (prevalence 98.1%). The majority were in “high caries” category (i.e. dmft >7) and about 51.4% of preschoolers was underweight and only a few was overweight/obese. Preschool children with high caries mostly were underweight and normal of BMI. The BMI-for-age, household income and household expenditure for food were significant correlation with ECC experience (p
In 1921, New Zealand began training school dental nurses, subsequently deploying them throughout the country in school-based clinics providing basic dental care for children. The concept of training dental nurses, later to be designated dental therapists, was adopted by other countries as a means of improving access to care, particularly for children. This paper profiles six countries that utilise dental therapists, with a description of the training that therapists receive in these countries, and the context in which they practice. Based on available demographic information, it also updates the number of dental therapists practising globally, as well as the countries in which they practice. In several countries, dental therapy is now being integrated with dental hygiene in training and practice to create a new type of professional complementary to a dentist. Increasingly, dental therapists are permitted to treat adults as well as children. The paper also describes the status of a current initiative to introduce dental therapy to the United States. It concludes by suggesting that dental therapists can become valued members of the dental team throughout the world, helping to improve access to care and reducing existing disparities in oral health.