A study was undertaken to identify the oral health status and treatment needs of 403 drug abusers enrolled in a drug rehabilitation center in Perak, Malaysia. The prevalence of dental caries was 97.0%. Calculus was present in 82.1% of the dentate individuals, but only 14.6% had pockets greater than 3mm. The mean DMFT observed was 11.7, with missing teeth (MT=9.6) constituting the major component. Denture needs were high (67.2%), but only 11.4% of individuals had prostheses.
A cross-sectional exploratory survey was conducted in six West Malaysian schools involving 762 fifteen- to eighteen-year-old secondary school students. Periodontal health status was assessed using the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN), utilizing six index teeth to represent the six sextants of the mouth. The results indicated that 66.8% of the students examined had healthy gingiva (Score 0), 2.6% had bleeding of the gingiva on gentle probing, while 30.6% had calculus on their teeth. In terms of treatment needs, 35.0% of those examined needed oral hygiene education, 34.4%, on the other hand, required scaling. No student was found to require complex treatment. Sex-specific comparison revealed a slightly higher prevalence of calculus formation in male students. In terms of race, the Malays had a higher prevalence of calculus formation than either Chinese or Indians.
Like dental caries, epidemiological assessment of periodontal disease is important for purposes of recognizing the extent of the disease in the population as well as a basis for planning and evaluating preventive and treatment programmes. while present day measurement methods for dental caries are excellent such is not true for periodontal diseases. This paper reviews the development and usefulness of different indices for the assessment of periodontal disease and treatment needs in epidemiological investigations.
To date, fluorides has remained to be the best means of controlling dental caries. Fluoride is given either systematically via fluoridated water or topically through other supplements including toothpastes. In recent years increasing prevalence of enamel defects or fluorosis is observed in both populations receiving or not receiving water fluoridation. It is suspected that excessive ingestion of a "standard" 1000 to 1500 ppm fluoride from toothpastes might be a contributing factor to the presence of such defects. In Malaysia, reports of enamel defects occurring amongst 12 to 16 year-old schoolchildren ranged between 67 to 88 percent. Where water fluoridation is available, the amount of fluorides received from the home is between 0.3 to 0.5 ppm F. However, almost all toothpastes sold locally contains fluoride, the content of which is unknown to the consumers. This study reports on the analysis of fluoride levels carried out on 20 toothpaste samples sold locally. Results showed that fluoride levels in all 20 samples ranged between 20 to 1970 ppm F. Only two of the 20 samples analyzed, however, indicated having a level anywhere near the "standard" level. In addition, only two type~ of children's toothpaste with a fluoride concentration of 20 and 450 ppm F were commonly available as compared to adult toothpastes in all the samples studied.
A cross-sectional study was undertaken to compare patients’ level of recall on verbal and written information about orthodontic treatment. Participants were the patients and parents attending the orthodontic screening clinic, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Participation was voluntary. Participants were placed into two groups. One group was given only written information in the form of an information leaflet, while another group was given only verbal information. The information content comprising of 13 items was based on the Patient Information Leaflet published by the British Orthodontic Society. Both groups received similar content of information in their preferred languages. Self administered close-ended questionnaire forms were given to the subjects after 15 minutes to assess the level of recall. The answers from both groups were compared. Data collected was analyzed using SPSS version 15.0. Chi-square test (p=0.05) was conducted to determine the effect of the method of information on the percentage of recall. A total of 79 subjects volunteered to participate in the study. There were more females than males. The majority were found to have achieved secondary level formal education. Comparison of each question item showed no significant difference between those who were provided with verbal or written information. Both groups showed a high proportion of correct responses. In conclusion, there was no difference in the patients’ level of recall whether the orthodontic patient was given verbal or written information.
The aim of this study is to evaluate the treatment outcome using fixed and removable appliances, in the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya (U.M.). The study models of 25 fixed and 30 upper removable appliance cases, with complete written records were examined before and after orthodontic treatment using the PAR (Peer Assessment Rating) Index. All the data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for Windows. Eighty five percent of the cases selected as sample were either 'improved' or 'greatly improved'. Among the 10 cases which were 'greatly improved', all had high pre-treatment PAR points (> 35 PAR points). Conversely, all the eight cases classified as 'worse or no different' were with low pretreatment PAR scores « 20 PAR points). The mean treatment duration in this study was 23. I months, ranging from 2 months to 78 months. The results of this study showed that the standard of treatment in this Faculty were fairly acceptable.
A survey of 303 six- to fifteen-year-old Proto-Malay children was carried out in Selangor, West Malaysia. The examinations were carried out using a chair-table and natural daylight. Periodontal status was assessed using the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN). The findings revealed a generally low prevalence of periodontal disease affecting only 25.08% of the sample examined. Of these, 15.72% were found to have a score of 1 (bleeding of the gingiva), while 9.36% had calculus on the tooth surface. In terms of treatment needs, 24.75% required dental health education. The relationship between these findings and the possible causes are discussed.
A preliminary survey on sixty-nine 7 to 12 year old Temuan tribe school children living some 30 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur was conducted. The examinations were carried out using a chair-table set up with natural daylight as the source of light. The DMF index of klein, Palmer and Knutson was used to assess the dental caries status. In spite of low fluoride content in their water supply, the findings revealed a generally low prevalence of caries experience (DMFT 1.26). The highest DMFT was in the 11 year olds. The relationship between these findings and their possible causes are discussed.
The objective of this study was to assess the perceptions of Malaysian HIV-positive subjects towards the attitude of dental personnel in providing oral care to them. The study design was cross-sectional with the sampling frame comprising of 27 Government Drug Rehabilitation Centres throughout Malaysia. A convenience sample was then taken from 20 centres with the highest enrolment of HIV-positive subjects. A self-administered questionnaire was used to elicit information on the perception of HIV-positive subjects towards the attitude of dental personnel in providing oral care to the patient with HIV-positive. The study sample consisted of 509 HIV-positive individuals with a mean age of 31.3+/-12.9 years old. Of these, only 15.1% attended a dental clinic after confirmation of HIV-positive status. The study demonstrated that 67.5% of the HIV-positive subjects disclosed their status voluntarily to the dentists and majority of the dentists (76.9%) did not show any negative reaction on knowing their HIV positive status. There was also no difference in the attitude of auxiliary staff toward the above disclosure. In conclusion, the study showed that oral health care personnel are more receptive to the HIV-positive subjects receiving dental care and treatment.
A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the parents' level of knowledge, and their attitudes to nursing bottle syndrome. Of 284 children aged 2-6 years clinically examined, 153 were diagnosed as having nursing bottle syndrome based on the criterion that at least one upper maxillary incisor was affected by caries. The parents of the 153 affected children were then interviewed by questionnaire. The findings suggested that parents had adequate knowledge and a positive attitude towards maintaining satisfactory dental care for their children. However, these attitudes were not reflected in the dental health of their children. The implications of these findings are discussed.
This survey outlines the proportion of the various features of occlusion in the permanent dentition of the three ethnic races, Chinese, Malay and Indian in Malaysia. The mean age of the high school children surveyed was 16.4 years. The Chinese and Malays had almost similar distribution of the different types of occlusion. There was a significantly higher prevalence of Class III occlusion among the Chinese and Malays as compared to the Indians. In addition, an edge to edge incisor relationship seemed to be a norm in the Chinese (54%) and Malays (50%) whilst the overjet of between 2-4 mm and the overbite of between 1/3 to 2/3 was more normal to Indians (50%). A crowded dentition was also a norm for the three races.
Most democratic countries hold inquiries into disasters. One of their key functions is to establish the cause of an event and to learn lessons in order to prevent a recurrence. In addition, they offer an opportunity for communal catharsis, permitting the public to vent anger, distress and frustration and to exert pressure for policy changes. Malaysia has experienced six landmark socio-technical disasters since 1968, which resulted in the proposal or amendment of various safety/emergency acts and regulations. The authors used a grounded theory approach utilising a constant comparative method to analyse the recommendations made by the inquiries into these events. Data indicate that social and technical recommendations comprise 85 and 15 per cent, respectively, of the total recommendations made by the inquiry committees. This paper offers suggestions for improving the management of inquiry tribunals, as they will remain a valuable source of information for society and corporations to learn from past incidents.
The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and psychosocial impact of enamel defects among 16-year-old school children on the island of Penang. The data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire survey and an oral examination, using the Modified Developmental Defects of Enamel Index (FDI, 1992). In all, 1024 subjects were selected using a multistage random sampling technique. About two-thirds of the sample (67.1%) had at least one tooth affected by enamel defects. Enamel opacities accounted for 85.6% of the total condition. Diffuse-type opacity predominated (63.5%). Among subjects who expressed dissatisfaction, 18.8% reported covering their mouths when smiling, 8.7% avoided going out with friends and 39.1% had consulted their dentists. About 17% of the subjects reported that their parents had complained about the color of their front teeth but only 5.7% had experienced being teased by their friends about the problem. Two-thirds of the subjects were affected by enamel defects involving at least one tooth; however, the esthetic perception and psychosocial impact of those affected were minor.
Excessive dietary sodium intake causes several diseases, such as hypertension, cardiovascular and renal disease, etc. Hence, reducing sodium intake has been highly recommended. In this study the effect of monosodium glutamate (MSG), as an umami substance, on saltiness and sodium reduction was investigated.
Background: The high prevalence and impacts of orofacial pain (OFP) have caused major sufferings to individuals and society. The purpose of the study was to investigate the problems and impacts of OFP among a group of Malaysian aborigines. The objectives were to determine (i) the prevalence, aetiology, duration, severity, types and persistence of OFP during the past 3 months preceding the study; (ii) its associated impact on daily performance; and (iii) the measures taken for pain relief.
Methods: This is a cross sectional study carried out in Kuala Lipis, Pahang involving 6 villages of Orang Asli Bateq and Semai. Study sample was chosen using convenient sampling including adults aged 16 years and above. Participants were invited for an interview using structured questionnaire followed by clinical examination. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS ver12.
Results: Response rate was low at 20% (n = 140). Over one-quarter (26.4%) of the sample experienced OFP in the previous 3 months. Toothache was found to be the main aetiology (83.3%) followed by gingival pain (18.9%), temporomandibular joint (10.8%) and facial pain (8.1%). Mean duration of pain was 9.8 days for toothache, 162.4 days for gingival pain, 7.3 days for TMJ and 5.7 days for facial pain. Of those who had OFP, over half rated the pain as moderate (37.8%) and severe (29.7%) and most of the pain was ‘intermittent’ in nature (81.1%). Over half (62.2%) admitted the pain had disappeared during the interview. In terms of pain relief, 56.8% of the sample used traditional medicine. The pain had impacted on the chewing ability (70.3%, p=0.01), ability to sleep at night (73.0%, p<0.001), levels of anxiety (70.3%), ability to perform daily chores (33.3%) and social life (35.1%) of the Orang Asli sample.
Conclusion: This study suggests the prevalence of OFP was high among the Orang Asli sample, which imposed considerable physical and psychological impacts on daily life.
Key words: orofacial pain; impacts; quality of life; Malaysian aborigines
In this work, a simple and inexpensive physical lysis method using a cordless drill fitted with a plastic pellet pestle and 150 mg of sterile sea sand was established for the extraction of DNA from six strains of freshwater microalgae. This lysis method was also tested for RNA extraction from two microalgal strains. Lysis duration between 15 and 120 s using the cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) buffer significantly increased the yield of DNA from four microalgalstrains (Monoraphidium griffithii NS16, Scenedesmus sp. NS6, Scenedesmus sp. DPBC1 and Acutodesmus sp. DPBB10) compared to control. It was also found that grinding was not required to obtain DNA from two strains of microalgae (Choricystis sp. NPA14 and Chlamydomonas sp. BM3). The average DNA yield obtained using this lysis method was between 62.5 and 78.9 ng/mg for M. griffithii NS16, 42.2-247.0 ng/mg for Scenedesmus sp. NS6, 70.2-110.9 ng/mg for Scenedesmus sp. DPBC1 and 142.8-164.8 ng/mg for Acutodesmus sp. DPBB10. DNA obtained using this method was sufficiently pure for PCR amplification. Extraction of total RNA from M. griffithii NS16 and Mychonastes sp. NPD7 using this lysis method yielded high-quality RNA suitable for RT-PCR. This lysis method is simple, cheap and would enable rapid nucleic acid extraction from freshwater microalgae without requiring costly materials and equipment such as liquid nitrogen or beadbeaters, and would facilitate molecular studies on microalgae in general.
The study unfolds with an acknowledgment of the extensive exploration of TRIZ components, spanning a solid philosophy, quantitative and inductive methods, and practical tools, over the years. While the adoption of Semantic TRIZ (S-TRIZ) in high-tech industries for system development, innovation, and production has increased, the application of AI technologies to specific TRIZ components remains unexplored. This systematic literature review is conducted to delve into the detailed integration of AI with TRIZ, particularly S-TRIZ. The results elucidate the current state of AI applications within TRIZ, identifying focal TRIZ components and areas requiring further study. Additionally, the study highlights the trending AI technologies in this context. This exploration serves as a foundational resource for researchers, developers, and inventors, providing valuable insights into the integration of AI technologies with TRIZ concepts. The study not only paves the way for the development and automation of S-TRIZ but also outlines limitations for future research, guiding the trajectory of advancements in this interdisciplinary field.