Orapuh Journal

Tooth brushing: An effective oral hygiene measure

Bemhemba Iba — 2021-07-31

Many people adopt tooth brushing as their primary method of oral hygiene. Tooth brushing is a mechanical means of eliminating microbial biofilm (dental plaque) from the oral cavity. Evidences have shown that dental plaque is implicated in the initiation and progression of the commonest oal diseases – dental caries and periodontal disease. If dental plaque is actively eliminated from the oral cavity, the incidence of common oral diseases will be reduced. Dental authorities posit that using the ‘ideal’ tooth brush, supplemented with fluoride-containing tooth paste, at least, 2 times a day for about 2-3 minutes per session, with the right technique, will effectively eliminate material alba and dental plaque from the mouth. This review was intended to take a brief look at the concept of tooth brushing as an effective oral hygiene method. The review was carried out by taking a look at journal articles and related researches and reviews. It began with an introduction and proceeded to discuss thematic issues on tooth brushing in oral hygiene before drawing a conclusion that buttresses the strategic role of tooth brushing as an oral hygiene method in the control of dental plaque.

Oral health knowledge and practices among elementary pupils attending Saint Louis College, City of San Fernando, La Union, The Philippines

Ayoade Stephen Fadare — 2021-07-31

Introduction
The mouth and rest of the body are intricately connected. Whatever affects the health of the mouth may also affect general health. And, sometimes, general health is reflected in the mouth. Because of this, it is important to keep the mouth clean and healthy to prevent common oral diseases, especially, among children who live in developing countries.
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to assess oral health knowledge and practices among elementary pupils attending Saint Louis College in the City of San Fernando, La Union, The Philippines.
Materials and Methods
This was a descriptive study. Data were collected from 293 pupils of grade 4 to 6 in the College that were selected using purposive sampling technique and studied, using the questionnaire. The questionnaire was validated by four external dental experts and was subjected to pilot testing. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequencies, percentages, and mean scores.
Results
The study found that most of the pupils manifested satisfactory knowledge about the causes (87.23%) and preventive measures (86.21%) of oral diseases but moderately practiced oral hygiene disciplines (55.80%). These results inferred that oral health knowledge concerning the causes and preventive measures of oral diseases were identified as strengths, while oral hygiene practices were found to constitute areas of weaknesses.
Conclusion
It is imperative for the parents of the respondents, the school dentist and teachers to jointly develop a way of making sure that the pupils translate their knowledge into practice.

Knowledge of dental health care professionals in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, concerning teeth whitening

Samuel O. Arua — 2021-07-31

Introduction
Tooth whitening has become one of the most frequently requested dental procedures by the public, especially in the cities. The demand for this procedure has led to many teeth whitening products being made available. Dental health care professionals should have robust knowledge concerning the procedure so they can serve their clients better. However, this seems not to be the case.
Purpose
This study assessed the knowledge of dental health care professionals in Ebonyi state, Nigeria concerning teeth whitening, to contribute to the baseline data that may promote awareness regarding the procedure among them.
Materials and Methods
The study was conducted by distributing questionnaires among the 65 dental health care professionals that were involved with aesthetic improvements in the State during the period of the study. The questionnaires were filled and returned. Data obtained from the survey were analyzed using frequency tables and percentages. And the results were compared with the trends researched about in some other places or reported by some other scholars.
Results
59 dental health care porofessionals filled and returned their questionnaires (90.77% response rate). Results indicated that only a few of the respondents had experiential knowledge of teeth whitening (22%), and 14% did not encourage anyone to go for teeth whitening because of the side effects.
Conclusion
There is the need for more teeth whitening procedure awareness among dental health care professionals and sensitization about access to professional, safe and approved techniques for teeth whitening in Ebonyi state, Nigeria.

Improving children's oral health through assessment, prevention, and treatment

Chika Charity Ngwu — 2021-08-04

The health of the mouth of children says a lot about their general health. Since it is a fact that what affects the mouth can also affect the general health of the body, it follows that any improvements in the health of the mouth will, inadvertently, bring about some gains in general health. Consequently, it is of utmost importance that we bring to bear upon the health of children, all the recent giant strides that have been made in the areas of genomics, biological, behavioral, social, and health services research, which have strengthened the evidence base available to support initiatives and translational efforts. To translate the available researches into policies and practices that may have positive impacts upon the health of children, there exists the need to support current guidelines with extra efforts to ensure that children receive better care. The purpose of this paper was to assess the need to improve children's oral health through assessment, prevention, and treatment. Issues such as oral health assessment and oral disease prevention strategies that can be adopted to combat children’s oral health challenges are also highlighted. Treatment modalities are equally addressed.

The etiology and management of dentinal hypersensitivity

Samuel O. Arua — 2021-08-11

Dentin hypersensitivity involves loss of the tooth hard tissues leaving the dentin exposed with a short sharp pain response whenever it comes in contact with external stimuli. Above the cement-enamel junction (CEJ), loss of enamel causes dentin exposure. Below the CEJ, as soon as the cementum is exposed, it becomes non-viable and is lost, leaving the dentin exposed. When dentin hypersensitivity sets in, the patient feels so uncomfortable that they will avoid taking cold foods or brushing the affected tooth. Dentin hypersensitivity is a common tooth problem, especially with the growing demand for, and frequency of, tooth-whitening procedures. Bleaching-induced tooth sensitivity is becoming more common, although effective management options are available. We searched Google Scholar, Microsoft Academic, ProQuest, Cochrane Library, and Pubmed for information about dentin hypersensitivity. In this article, we have presented the following concepts about the condition: etiology, predisposing factors, signs and symptoms, epidemiology, as well as the correct diagnostic and treatment options for reversing the sensitivity impact and achieving optimal oral health.

Awareness and use of teledentistry among dental health care professionals at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital (AEFUTH), Abakiliki, Nigeria

Charity Chika Ngwu — 2021-09-25

Introduction

Teledentistry is an emerging model of practice with immense potential in clinical practice and public health delivery. It is the combination of telecommunications and dentistry, involving the exchange of clinical information and images over a distance for consultation, treatment planning, and treatment purpose.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the awareness and use of teledentistry among dental health professionals at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakiliki (AEFUTHA), Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

Materials and methods

A self-structured 16-item questionnaire designed with four-point Likert scale ideals was duplicated and distributed among 60 dental health care professionals (42 male, 18 female) in the study context. The questionnaire bore relevant domains, which were designed to elicit accurate and honest responses from the professionals, including demographic data, knowledge of teledentistry, the usefulness of teledentistry for the patient, the usefulness of teledentistry in dental practice, and the potential of teledentistry to improve practice and existing concerns about the use of teledentistry.

Results

All the questionnaires distributed were returned (100% response rate). Results indicated that none of the DHCPs surveyed provided services using teledentistry (0.00%). 68.33% have never heard about teledentistry. The awareness of the respondents concerning the usefulness of teledentistry for the patient and dental practice was very low (Mean = 1.9).

Conclusion

Awareness of the use of teledentistry should be intensified among all dental health care professionals to promote optimal uptake of its services to the benefit of oral health consumers.