Rekha P. Shenoy

Effectiveness of a school dental education program in improving oral health knowledge and oral hygiene practices and status of 12- to 13-year-old school children.

BACKGROUND Children with poor oral health are 12 times more likely to have restricted-activity days. Dental health education [DHE], with the objective of improving the oral hygiene of the participants, would have obvious merits. OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness of school DHE, conducted at repeated and differing intervals, in improving oral health knowledge, practices, oral hygiene status, and the gingival health of schoolchildren belonging to two socioeconomic classes. MATERIALS AND METHODS This 36-week duration study assessed the effectiveness of school DHE conducted every three weeks against every six weeks on oral health knowledge, practices, oral hygiene status and gingival health of 415, 12- to 13-year-old schoolchildren belonging to social classes I and V. Of the three selected schools of each social class, one each was subjected to the intervention of either three or six weeks or was a control, respectively. Oral health knowledge and practices were evaluated using a questionnaire. Oral hygiene and gingival health were assessed using plaque and gingival indices. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED Friedmans test was used for the longitudinal analysis of data. ANOVA and Students t test were used for continuous data. RESULTS Plaque and Gingival score reductions were highly significant in intervention schools, and were not influenced by the socioeconomic status. When oral health knowledge was evaluated, highly significant changes were seen in intervention schools; more significantly in schools receiving more frequent interventions. The socioeconomic status influenced the oral hygiene aids used and the frequency of change of toothbrush. Controls showed no significant changes throughout. CONCLUSIONS The DHE program conducted at three-week intervals was more effective than that conducted at six-week intervals in improving oral health knowledge, practices, oral hygiene status, and gingival health of schoolchildren.

Parental Attitudes and Tooth Brushing Habits in Preschool Children in Mangalore, Karnataka: A Cross-sectional Study

ABSTRACT Background: Adoption of consistent behavioral habits in childhood takes place at home, with the parents especially the mother, being the primary model for behavior. Tooth brushing habits which is learnt during early years of life, is deeply ingrained in the childs mind and it is expected that this leads to an adaptation of good oral hygiene in their later life. Objectives: To assess the tooth brushing habits of preschool children and to determine the role and amount of supervision given to them by parents. Study design: A pretested self-designed questionnaire was used to collect information from parents of 130 preschool children in Anganwadi and Kindergarten in Mangalore. Statistical analysis was done and Chi-square test was used. Results: Tooth brushing habits in these children was started at a mean age of 22.4 months (SD 8.4).62% of the preschool children used toothbrush and toothpaste for cleaning teeth and brushing habits were mainly (84%) introduced by mothers. Seventy-one percent of the children were cooperative when they were introduced to tooth brushing. Conclusion: Preschool children of Mangalore were introduced to tooth brushing at a mean age of 22.4 months. Mothers played a vital role in introducing and teaching the child how to brush. In children less than 10 months of age tooth brushing was not started at all. How to cite this article: Pullishery F, Panchmal GS, Shenoy R. Parental Attitudes and Tooth Brushing Habits in Preschool Children in Mangalore, Karnataka: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2013;6(3):156-160.

Tobacco use among rural schoolchildren of 13-15 years age group: a cross-sectional study.

An estimated 186 million of the world population are school children of 13-15 years. Among them, approximately 34.8 million are current tobacco users.(1) In India, the most susceptible time for tobacco use is during adolescence and early adulthood (15-24 years). In rural settings, family members and neighbours who often ask young children to get tobacco from nearby shops. Media advertisements and colorfully packaged tobacco products act as pro-tobacco influences.(2) There is an urgent need to curb tobacco use among youth. Hence, this study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of tobacco use among rural school children of 13-15 years and to find the reasons for use of tobacco products. Also, reasons for initiation, access, availability, source of funding, knowledge about the dangers of tobacco consumption, tobacco use among family and teachers, and cessation behavior were assessed.

Effect of Herbal and Fluoride Mouth Rinses on Streptococcus mutans and Dental Caries among 12–15-Year-Old School Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

To assess and compare the effect of herbal and fluoride mouth rinses on Streptococcus mutans count and glucan synthesis by Streptococcus mutans and dental caries, a parallel group placebo controlled randomized trial was conducted among 240 schoolchildren (12–15 years old). Participants were randomly divided and allocated into Group I (0.2% fluoride group), Group II (herbal group), and Group III (placebo group). All received 10 ml of respective mouth rinses every fortnight for a period of one year. Intergroup and intragroup comparison were done for Streptococcus mutans count and glucan synthesis by Streptococcus mutans and dental caries. Streptococcus mutans count showed a statistically significant difference between Group I and Group III (p = 0.035) and also between Group II and Group III (p = 0.039). Glucan concentration levels showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.024) between Group II and Group III at 12th month. Mean DMF scores showed no statistical difference between the three groups (p = 0.139). No difference in the level of significance was seen in the intention-to-treat and per-protocol analysis. The present study showed that both herbal and fluoride mouth rinses, when used fortnightly, were equally effective and could be recommended for use in school-based health education program to control dental caries. Trial registration number is CTRI/2015/08/006070.

Mangalore taluk, Hindistan’da Diş Hekimliği Tesislerinin Dağılımına Bakış

Objective: Equitable distribution of health care facilities is a guiding principle of Primary Heath Care. Although Mangalore taluk is a reputed center for medical education and health care, location of these facilities has not been evaluated to date. Therefore, a systematic survey was conducted to evaluate distribution of dental care facilities in Mangalore taluk, India. Material and Methods: List of Primary Health Centers, Community Health Centers and government hospitals, and details of the dental personnel and dental care facilities available at these centers was obtained from the District Health Officer (DHO). Data on registered private dental practitioners was obtained from the DHO and the Indian Dental Association. Information was obtained from dental colleges in the taluk regarding outreach activities and collaborations with the public sector. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Results: Dentists are posted only at the CHCs and the District Hospital where they provide only basic dental services due to a lack of infrastructure. Of the 189 private dental clinics, 91% are located in urban areas of the taluk. They provide all modalities of dental care but are inaccessible to a majority of the rural population. Dental schools provide dental services to people in their vicinity, conduct outreach camps and have adopted four PHCs. Conclusion: An uneven distribution of dental care facilities exists with an overwhelming majority concentrated in the urban areas of the taluk.

Malocclusion and Orthodontic Treatment Need among High School Students in Mangalore City, India

Malocclusion has great impact on society and the individual in terms of social and functional limitations, psychological trauma and discomfort. The Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI) is a WHOrecommended method of screening for dentofacial anomalies and orthodontic treatment need. This survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of malocclusion and orthodontic treatment need among high school students in Mangalore city, Karnataka State, India. List of schools in Mangalore city was obtained from the Block Educational Officer. After obtaining consent from the relevant authorities, four schools were selected by random sampling (lottery method). In these schools, all students who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were examined with the help of a recorder. A proforma was used to record demographic data (name of the student and school, age, gender), and the criteria of the DAI for each subject. Data were analyzed using the Chi squared test and a p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Study subjects numbered 422 and ranged in age from 11-18 years. According to the DAI criteria, 66.1% subjects had no abnormality or minor malocclusion (requiring little or no orthodontic treatment), 22.3% had definite malocclusion (in whom orthodontic treatment was an elective option), 9.9% presented with severe malocclusion (with orthodontic treatment being highly desirable) and 1.7% had very severe or handicapping malocclusion (requiring mandatory orthodontic treatment). Malocclusion and orthodontic treatment need were found to be present in 33.9% of the population surveyed. These data will help in planning and executing appropriate measures to overcome this oral condition.