Pm Ng'ang'a

The prevalence of malocclusion in 13- to 15-year-old children in Nairobi, Kenya

Data on occlusal features and the need for orthodontic treatment in Kenya is scanty. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of malocclusion in children in Nairobi, Kenya. Nine hundred and nineteen children aged 13-15 years (468 male, 451 female) were examined. The registration method used was that described by Björk et al. The prevalence of malocclusion was 72%. The predominant anteroposterior relationship of the dental arches was neutral occlusion (93%). Specific malocclusion traits were highest for crowding (19%), rotations (19%), posterior crossbite (10%), maxillary overjet (10%), and frontal open bite (8%). There was no statistically significant difference in the overall prevalence of malocclusion between males and females, but some occlusal traits were significantly higher in males. Although the findings indicate that the present population is not characterized by a substantial difference in the overall prevalence of malocclusion compared with other communities, some traits differed in prevalence from those reported elsewhere.

Tensile strength of orthodontic brackets bonded directly to fluorotic and nonfluorotic teeth: An in vitro comparative study

Information related to bonding of orthodontic brackets to fluorotic teeth is scanty. The purpose of this study was to compare, in vitro, the tensile bond strength and the bond failure site of brackets bonded directly to fluorotic and nonfluorotic teeth. The etching patterns were also evaluated. The study involved 26 teeth classified as score 3 and 4, and 26 as score 0 with the Thylstrup and Fejerskovs (TF) fluorosis index. In addition to the clinical classification, difference in the concentration of fluoride in the teeth was verified by acid etching. Brackets were bonded with a composite resin after etching the enamel surface with 40% phosphoric acid for 60 seconds. Tensile bond strength was determined with an Instron testing machine. The bond failure site was assessed by the percentage of residue cement on the tooth surface after debonding and the etching pattern by SEM. The mean concentration of fluoride was 2888.5 ppm (SD 1081.7) in the fluorotic teeth and 1227.1 ppm (SD 526.3) in the nonfluorotic teeth. The mean bond strength was 7.8 N/mm2 (SD 1.47) for the fluorotic teeth and 8.6 N/mm2 (SD 2.19) for the nonfluorotic teeth. The difference between the means for bond strength was not statistically significant (p greater than 0.05). Bond failure site was primarily at the bracket-adhesive interface. The mean percentage of adhesive on the enamel surface after debonding was 70% (SD 25.90) for the fluorotic teeth and 75% (SD 24.66) for nonfluorotic teeth. The difference in the means was not statistically significant (p greater than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Oral hygiene practices and periodontal health in primary school children in Nairobi, Kenya.

The purpose of this study was to obtain data on the oral hygiene practices, oral hygiene status, and periodontal health among primary school children in Nairobi. The study group consisted of 513 children, 262 aged 6-8 years and 251 aged 13-15 years. The children were from 6 schools randomly selected among the 154 public primary schools in the city. The clinical examination was performed in a room with natural daylight, using the WHO (1980) criteria. Although most of the children reported brushing habits, 75% of the index tooth surfaces in the younger and 55% in the older age group had visible plaque. In both age groups about 25% of the index sites had gingivitis. Moderate amounts of calculus were recorded among the older children. Only two children had periodontal pockets greater than or equal to 4 mm. There was no statistically significant difference (p greater than 0.05) between males and females recorded with plaque and gingivitis in the younger age group. In the older group, however, a significantly higher proportion of males (p less than 0.05) were recorded with plaque and gingivitis. The oral hygiene practices and oral hygiene status were poorer among children from low than from high socioeconomic status. Provision of dental health education for children in Nairobi is recommended.

Dental caries in primary school children in Nairobi, Kenya

The purpose of this study was to record the caries status in children attending public primary schools in Nairobi. The sample comprised 513 children, 262 aged 6-8 years and 251 aged 13-15 years. The children were drawn from six randomly selected schools in the city. Clinical examination was carried out in a room with natural daylight, using the WHO (1977) criteria. Fifty-four per cent of the 6- to 8-year-olds and 50% of the 13- to 15-year-olds were caries-free. The mean dmft in the 6- to 8-year-olds was 1.7, and the mean dmfs was 3.5. The mean DMFT in the 13- to 15-year-olds was 1.8, and the mean DMFS was 2.9. The d- and D-components dominated and were mainly located in the occlusal surfaces. The f-component of the dmft and the F-component of the DMFT comprised 1% and 10%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in the prevalence of caries between males and females in the younger age group. In the older age group, however, females had a higher (p < 0.05) prevalence than males. In general, the study showed a low caries prevalence in Nairobi children.

Effect of health education on oral hygiene and gingival status of persons living with HIV attending comprehensive care centres in Nairobi, Kenya

The study aimed to describe the effect of an oral health education intervention on oral hygiene status and gingival inflammation among persons with HIV attending two comprehensive healthcare centres in Nairobi, Kenya. This was a quasi-experimental study of 195 participants (with 102 in the intervention group, and 93 serving as the control group) who were selected using stratified random sampling. The data were collected at baseline, at three months (review 1), and at six months (review 2) using an interviewer-administered World Health Organization clinical examination form. The prevalence of plaque among the participants in the intervention decreased from 70.6% to 18.6%, with a significant decrease in their mean plaque score, from 0.89 to 0.15. The prevalence of gingival inflammation in the intervention group decreased from 58.2% to 12.7%, with a significant decrease in the mean gingival score, from 0.66 to 0.11. No significant change in degree of oral hygiene and gingival inflammation was observed among the non-intervention group. There was a strong association between the change in the mean gingival score and the change in the mean plaque score between baseline and at six months for the intervention group. The regression analysis yielded a coefficient of determination (r2) of 0.76; therefore, 76% of the variation in change in gingival score was explained by the variables in the equation. Only the change in mean plaque score was a significant predictor of the change in gingival score.