Oral health knowledge and oral hygiene practice among visually impaired subjects in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Investigation of dental health and salivary microbiota characteristics of children with visual impairment in Guangzhou, China

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of visual impairment (VS) among children in China is increasing. The oral microbiome is crucial for maintaining homeostasis and health. This study aimed to investigate the oral health and hygiene habits of children with VS in Guangzhou and explore the differences in salivary microbiota (SM) between children with VS and healthy vision (HS).

METHOD

This study included oral health examinations and surveys of oral hygiene habits among 101 children with VS. Saliva samples from 20 children with VS and 20 with HS were analysed for oral microbiota. The 16s rRNA V3-V4 regions were sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq platform and operational taxonomic units were clustered using QIIME for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Inadequate oral hygiene was observed among 101 children with VS, aged 6-16, who displayed a high caries rate of 92.1%. There was no significant difference in the overall composition of the salivary microbiota between the two groups. HS group had a higher abundance of Bacillota, Patescibacteria, and Spirochaetota at the phylum level; Bacilli, Negativicutes, and Saccharimonadia at the class level; and Streptococcus at the genus level. In contrast, VS group showed a greater abundance of Actinomycetota, Bacteroidota, Pseudomonadota, and Fusobacteriota (at the phylum level) and Actinomycetia, Bacteroidia, Gammaproteobacteria, Fusobacteriia, and Clostridia (at the class level), along with Rothia, Neisseria, Veillonella, Prevotella_7, Actinomyces, Leptotrichia, and Lactobacillales (at the genus level). Actinomycetota was significantly and positively correlated with gingivitis and dental caries, and Streptococcus salivarius was more abundant in children with VS.

CONCLUSION

This study underscores the importance of improving oral healthcare for schoolchildren with VS in Guangzhou, China and provides valuable insights into the characteristics of the salivary microbiota of this population, identifying potential targets for interventions aimed at enhancing oral health.

Oral health status and hygiene practices among visually impaired adolescents from a school in Kenya

BACKGROUND

Visual impairment affects a significant population globally. The aim of this study was to determine the oral health status and oral hygiene practices among visually impaired adolescents from a school in Kenya.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 159 adolescents aged 10-19 years attending the largest public primary boarding school for the blind in Kenya. A questionnaire was used to record participants' socio-demographic variables and oral hygiene practices. Clinical examination was undertaken to assess oral health status which consisted of oral hygiene, gingival health, and dental caries. Bivariate analyses were conducted to compare dental health outcomes across socio-demographic characteristics.

RESULTS

There were 69 (43.4%) and 90 (56.6%) participants in Category I and II visual impairment respectively, 85 (53.5%) were male and 74 (46.5%) were female. Study participants were divided into three age categories: 10-12 years 48 (30.2%), 13-15 years 67 (42.1%), and 16- 19 years 44 (27.7%), with an overall mean age of 13.9 ± 2.3. All participants brushed their teeth, majority 107 (67.3%) brushed two or more times daily. Only 66 (41.5%) of the participants replaced their toothbrushes at 3 months. Sex (p =< 0.001) and age (p = 0.04) influenced frequency of toothbrush replacement. The average plaque score and gingival score index was 0.95 ± 0.45 and 0.28 ± 0.25 respectively, with gingivitis prevalence of 88.1%. Overall dental caries prevalence was 44.7%, [42.1%)] permanent dentition and [8.2%] deciduous dentition. Mean DMFT and dmft were 0.44 ± 0.60 and 0.12 ± 0.32 respectively. DMFT had a statistically significant association with sex (t = 1.82, p = 0.03). Oral hygiene practices did not influence oral hygiene and dental caries status. However, a statistically significant association was reported between frequency of toothbrush replacement and gingival score index ("p" =< 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The study reported general good oral hygiene, prevalent gingivitis 140 (88.1%), and almost half of the study population affected by dental caries 71 (44.7%). Most participants were unaware of using fluoridated toothpaste and of needing to change toothbrushes within 3 months. Frequency of toothbrush replacement was reported to influence gingival score index.

Evaluation of Oral Hygiene-Related Mobile Apps for Children in Sub-Saharan Africa

In sub-Saharan Africa, oral health is a real epidemiological challenge. Mobile applications represent a hope for the learning of oral hygiene in children and the fight against oral diseases. This study overviews and assesses the quality of mobile applications linked to oral hygiene for children currently featured on the iOS and Android stores in sub-Saharan Africa. Ten oral health professionals (OHP) used the French Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS-F) to rate 15 selected applications. The highest MARS-F scores for overall quality were reported for Bonne nuit Caillou (3.89 ± 0.74), Mon Raccoon (3.63 ± 0.95), and Chomper Chums (3.54 ± 0.54) while the lowest MARS-F scores for overall quality were achieved by Brushing time (2.31 ± 0.61), De belles dents (2.55 ± 0.55) and Brushing Hero (2.77 ± 0.53). The subjective quality scores ranged from 1.50 ± 0.68 for Brushing time to 3.25 ± 0.97 for Bonne nuit Caillou. Specificity scores ranged from 1.95 ± 0.88 (Brushing time) to 3.75 ± 0.84 (Bonne nuit Caillou). Thus, OHP rated positively the quality of the majority of mobile applications linked to oral hygiene for children, their effect on users' knowledge, attitudes, and intentions to change, and the probability of effective oral hygiene behavior modification. They stated that they would recommend their use to their patients who need them. However, studies analyzing the change in oral hygiene behavior of children using these apps need to be conducted.